Finding yourself in a Tempe car accident comes with mixed feelings of fear, emotional trauma, and doubt. You might also be left dealing with serious injuries in the aftermath of the incident. Undeniably, no one ever dreams of such a day, but the reality is that car accidents do happen.

Fortunately, personal injury laws in Arizona provide an avenue for the injured party(s) in a car accident to seek compensation for their injuries and losses.

If you or a member of your family have been injured following a car accident in Tempe, working with an experienced Tempe car accident lawyer is an indispensable advantage for obtaining fair compensation. Book your free consultation today with personal injury lawyers at Hutzler Law to get started.

Do You Need Help Handling Your Car Accident Claim?

Overwhelmed? Don’t know where to start? We get it!

After a car accident, you will have a lot of important decisions to make. The time in which you make these decisions and the decisions themselves will have a significant impact on your future.

Being proactive is crucial in this situation, saving you time, money, and stress in the long run. Our Phoenix-based car accident attorneys have helped many accident victims get the compensation they deserve while also ensuring their rights are protected. We encourage you to take a look at the many positive reviews of the level of service we provide.

Call our team at (602) 730-4530 today for your free consultation.

Do You Need a Lawyer After a Car Accident in Tempe?

For most car accident victims, the first question that often pops up in the aftermath of the incident is whether they actually need to hire a personal injury lawyer.

Well, a lawyer isn’t mandatory when pursuing personal injury claims in Arizona. However, having one by your side greatly increases your chances of getting a higher compensation. This is because:

  • A personal injury lawyer knows the ins and outs of all laws pertaining to accidents.
  • The interests of the insurance company are to make a profit; therefore, they will always try to offer accident victims as little compensation as possible to minimize payouts.
  • Insurance adjusters and companies may try to shift more liability towards you in order to lower your settlement, for example, by attempting to obtain self-incriminating recorded statements from you. If you have a lawyer, they become your voice, and there is little chance of this happening.
  • Sometimes, as a car accident victim, you may be unsatisfied with what the insurance company is offering. Having a lawyer in such circumstances means they can smoothly escalate your case to trial in a bid to get you the compensation you deserve.

Apart from being in a better position to get you fair compensation than when battling the case yourself, retaining a Tempe car accident lawyer gives you peace of mind and ample time to recover from your injuries. Therefore, we highly recommend getting a personal injury lawyer after a car accident in Tempe unless you’re truly skilled in the law or the accident was minor, with slight damages and no injuries.

Common Causes of Car Crashes in Tempe

Whenever you sit behind the wheel to go to work, on a trip, or shopping, you always hope to arrive and return safely. However, no matter how careful you drive your car, there’s, unfortunately, no guarantee that other drivers are as careful. As such, various irrational behaviors or actions of careless motorists cause many accidents. According to data, some of the leading causes of car accidents in Tempe, AZ, are:

  • Driving while distracted, e.g., using a phone to text/call
  • Driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs (DUI)
  • Recklessness, including speeding, tailgating, running red lights, improper turns, unsafe lane changes, and failure to yield the right of way
  • Driving while fatigued

Other factors, such as inclement weather, vehicle malfunctions, poor roads, and animal crossings, occasionally cause car accidents in Tempe. No matter the cause, if someone else is responsible for the actions leading to the accident, you have the right to seek compensation for your damages.

What Are Some of the Injuries After a Car Collision?

Injuries following an auto accident range from minor to severe, depending on each incident’s unique circumstances. Sometimes, it can prove fatal, resulting in the loss of life.

Car accident injuries primarily happen due to the sudden change in speed of the moving vehicle. Therefore, as the body absorbs the enormous momentum energy, victims suffer injuries such as:

  • Fractures, e.g., in the skull, knee, rib, etc.
  • Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
  • Whiplash
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Muscle and tissue injuries
  • Burns
  • Lacerations
  • Excessive bleeding

Depending on severity, some injuries may mean temporary or permanent disability. This may render some car accident victims unable to complete normal body functioning or some type of work forever. If this is you or someone you love, it’s crucial to hire a skilled Tempe car accident attorney who understands the weight of the matter at hand and is willing to fight for every dime that you deserve.

Arizona Car Accident Liability Laws

In Arizona and many other states, accident claims are settled based on liability. It is also the responsibility of the plaintiff (victim) to prove liability (fault) on the part of the defendant (in this case, the at-fault party) for causing the accident.

If it’s proven beyond reasonable doubt that the other party owed you a duty of care and that their breach of this duty is directly connected to your injuries and losses, they have to pay you due to their fault. In Arizona, it’s usually the at-fault party’s insurance company that settles the claim. However, in some circumstances, victims may be able to hold the at-fault party individually responsible for compensation. Other laws in this field may include:

  • Comparative negligence doctrine: Arizona’s pure comparative negligence law in personal injury claims means that car accident victims can still obtain compensation even if they’re partly to blame for the accident. However, their compensation is reduced by the percentage of their fault.
  • Statute of limitations: In Arizona, all personal injury claims should be filed within two years of the occurrence, failure to which the victim may lose the right to pursue compensation or further legal action. In some cases, this may not apply, hence the need for having a lawyer by your side.

Practically, navigating the whole car accident claim process in Arizona is complex, especially in cases pertaining to other laws, such as product liability laws. It requires someone with a deeper understanding and extensive experience in this area.

Jason Hutzler, the founder and lead personal injury attorney at Hutzler Law, has dealt with dozens of car accident claims similar to yours and has won millions of dollars for several victims in Tempe and beyond. Schedule a free consultation today with Jason if you have been injured due to another’s fault in a Tempe car accident.

Fighting for Fair Compensation in a Tempe Car Accident Claim

Seeking the compensation you rightly deserve isn’t a smooth journey. Nevertheless, a capable and tenacious attorney can ensure you don’t settle for a low-ball payment. Therefore, the first step in this journey is calling a Tempe car accident lawyer immediately after you’re involved in an accident so that they can help you file the claim as soon as possible.

What Not to Do After a Car Accident

Some victims negatively affect their claims by falling for different tricks insurance companies and adjusters deploy against them. Here is what you should never do:

  • Never admit fault or apologize to the other party(s), even if you think you somehow contributed to the accident. This may come back to haunt your claim later.
  • Never give recorded statements to anyone from the insurance company, either in writing or via call.
  • Never be quick to accept the initial settlement offered by the insurance company. In most cases, these are low-ball offers and aren’t often enough to cover all your damages.

To avoid being a double victim due to these insurance deceits, always have a lawyer represent you in all your dealings during the claim process.

How Much Is My Car Accident Claim Worth?

No two accidents are the same. Your car accident claim’s worth depends on various aspects, but primarily on the extent of injuries sustained and property damage. At Hutzler Law, our team of personal injury lawyers will work with you to ensure all damages are covered in the claim, including those that may pop up in the future due to your injuries.

Typically, when computing your claim worth, we’ll consider the following:

  • Medical expenses, including the cost of future rehabilitation
  • Lost wages and reduced ability to work
  • Pain and suffering
  • Costs for hospital visits
  • Mental anguish
  • Reduced quality of life

In some cases, punitive damages are also included. This happens if the at-fault party is found to have intentionally breached the duty of care against the plaintiff, for example, in some cases of DUI. Punitive damages generally act as punishment for the liable party’s gross misconduct.

Why Should You Choose the Car Accident Lawyers at Hutzler Law

Car accident victims in Tempe seeking compensation for their injuries and losses turn to Hutzler Law for help. It’s not difficult to find why:

  • Jason Hutzler, our founding attorney, is a former insurance adjuster and understands the tactics that insurance companies hide behind to undervalue legitimate claims and deny fair compensation.
  • We offer our legal services on a contingency fee basis, which means you don’t pay unless we win your case.
  • The attorneys at Hutzler Law possess the tenacity and ambition required to handle complex cases. They aren’t afraid to go to trial if the insurance company fails to offer a fair settlement.

Our mission at Hutzler Law is to ensure every car accident victim who comes to us for help obtains the justice they deserve.

Consult Our Experienced Tempe Car Accident Lawyer Today

Getting injured in a car accident can be a difficult reality to accept. Amid this confusion and tough recovery journey, it’s crucial you retain a car accident lawyer. This gives you peace of mind for a smooth recovery with the guarantee that someone is doing the heavy lifting for you in the fight for fair compensation.

If you or someone you love has been involved in a car accident in Tempe, our skilled Tempe car accident lawyers may be able to help you recover damages. Schedule your free consultation by contacting us online or at (602) 730-4530.