At Sargon Law Group, we understand how overwhelming getting into a car accident can be. We have decades of experience helping injured car accident victims recover from their injuries with the financial compensation that they deserve. Our car accident lawyers in Phoenix have negotiated settlements and achieved trial verdicts that have provided millions of dollars in compensation for crash victims and their families. Contact us for a free case consultation to find out how we can help you with your Avondale car accident case.
Why Choose Our Avondale Car Accident Lawyers at Sargon Law Group?
- Our team of attorneys have decades of experience dealing with insurance companies, litigating cases and going to trial. We have the know-how to put our clients in the best position.
- You will have close communication with your lawyer every step of the way. You will be given a direct line to your attorney, not an assistant or paralegal. We are available 24/7.
- Our Avondale car accident attorneys outperform the competition, and our clients see the difference. We have a 98 percent success rate and have obtained millions for our clients.
- Sargon Law Group operates on a contingency fee basis on car accident cases. This means you won’t pay your attorney unless he or she wins your case.
Why You Should Contact an Avondale Car Accident Attorney After an Accident
During a car accident case, an auto insurance company may try to take advantage of you to save itself and its investors money. An attorney can protect you from an insurer that would otherwise devalue your claim. This can lead to the financial compensation that your family needs for medical bills and other expenses. An Avondale car accident attorney will take care of the whole legal process on your behalf. While you are injured and stressed out from your accident, your experienced car accident lawyer in Avondale, Arizona can handle expensive and complex case litigation for you.
Many car accident cases require extensive resources and experts to work up and litigate. For instance, serious injuries often need testimony from medical experts. A car accident lawyer in Avondale, AZ will have the legal resources to investigate your car accident, gather evidence of fault, hire qualified experts to testify, negotiate for fair financial compensation, and more. You can rest, relax and recover while your car accident attorney in Avondale handles the legwork of your case and fights for justice.
How Much Does a Car Accident Lawyer Cost in Avondale?
At Sargon Law Group, we know that you are already dealing with enough financial pressure as the victim of a car accident in Arizona. You may be facing high hospital bills and property repairs in addition to being unable to work. We believe that all crash victims deserve high-quality legal representation at affordable rates. This is why we operate on a contingency fee basis, with no upfront fees for you or your family.
We will front all of the costs of your lawsuit until we succeed in securing financial compensation for your losses, giving you none of the financial risk. If we do not win your case, you won’t pay – guaranteed. If we do win your case, we will charge our attorney’s fees as a percentage of the settlement or jury verdict won, protecting you from paying for your lawyer out of pocket, win or lose.
Is Arizona a Fault or No-Fault Car Accident State?
There are two different types of insurance laws: fault and no-fault. Like most states, Arizona uses a fault law. The fault system, also known as a tort-based insurance law, holds the person or party that is responsible for the accident financially accountable (liable). If another driver caused your car crash in Avondale, that driver’s auto insurance company is responsible for paying for your bills. In a no-fault state, on the other hand, all drivers use their own insurance companies for coverage, regardless of fault for the car accident.
To recover compensation from someone else’s insurance company in a fault state, you will need to provide the insurer with evidence that the policyholder is at fault. Evidence may come in the form of photographs, eyewitness statements or expert testimony. Although proving your case makes it more difficult to obtain financial compensation than if you lived in a no-fault state, the financial recovery available is generally greater with a third-party claim compared to a first-party claim.
Who Is Liable After a Car Accident in Avondale?
Liability for a vehicle accident in Avondale can be difficult to determine – but not impossible. The ultimate goal of a skilled car accident lawyer will be to show that the at-fault driver owed the crash victim a duty of care and that they subsequently breached this duty of care. Vehicle accidents can be caused by a wide range of types of negligence, and these negligent actions represent a breach and duty of care.
An attorney will then use the evidence they’ve gathered to show that the breach of duty led directly to the crash that caused their client’s injuries and property damage. In many cases, there’s only one party responsible for a vehicle accident, but that is not always true. There could be more than one party responsible for a vehicle accident, in which case the pure comparative negligence system that we will discuss in a moment will be used to determine compensation amounts.
Aside from other drivers, there could be a range of other parties who could be held liable for an incident, depending on the factors related to the crash. Government entities could be responsible for a collision if road signs or even the road itself was in disrepair. Additionally, third parties, such as construction companies, could be responsible if they do not take steps to ensure roadside safety when working on or near the roadways.
What Is the Pure Comparative Negligence Law in Avondale, Arizona?
Do not assume that you cannot recover financial compensation if you contributed to causing the car accident. Arizona has a law known as the pure comparative negligence rule. This rule states that a plaintiff’s contribution to a car accident does not bar him or her from financial recovery. Instead, the courts will reduce the plaintiff’s recovery by an amount that is equivalent to the percentage of fault allocated to him or her.
For example, if you are awarded $80,000 in financial compensation but are found to be 15 percent responsible for the crash, your award would be reduced by $12,000 (15 percent of $80,000) for a total of $68,000. The “pure” part of Arizona’s law means that the courts can allocate any percentage of fault to you and you can still recover partial financial compensation. In a modified comparative negligence state, on the other hand, your ability to recover would be capped at a certain percentage of fault, typically around 50 percent.
What To Do After a Hit-and-Run Accident in Avondale, AZ
A hit-and-run car accident is when the at-fault driver flees the scene without stopping, calling the police, rendering aid or exchanging information with the injured party. A hit-and-run is a serious crime in Arizona that is penalized with consequences such as jail time and hefty fines. If the police find the hit-and-run driver who crashed into you, that driver’s insurance company will pay for your expenses. If the responsible party is never identified, however, you may still be able to recover financial compensation through other outlets.
In Arizona, uninsured and underinsured motorist insurance is automatically applied to a car insurance policy at the time of purchase. To refuse this type of insurance, the driver must reject it in writing. If you don’t remember doing this, you most likely have this type of coverage on your car insurance policy. This will pay for your losses after a hit-and-run car accident as if the driver had given you his or her information but did not have enough coverage to pay your bills.
If you don’t have the correct type of first-party car insurance to pay, consult with a lawyer about other possible legal remedies. You may be able to hold a third party financially responsible. An investigation may find that a faulty seat belt contributed to the extent of your injuries, for example, allowing you to bring a product liability case against the vehicle manufacturer. An attorney can thoroughly investigate your hit-and-run car accident and give you advice about how to move forward with a lawsuit.
What Financial Compensation Is Available After a Car Accident in Avondale, AZ?
A car accident can have a major financial impact on you and your family. Although a financial award will not solve all of your problems, it can go a long way toward helping you move forward from a traffic accident. Holding a careless driver or another party accountable for your car accident in Avondale can result in the financial compensation that you need to pay for many current and future foreseeable expenses related to the collision, including:
- Losses of income
- Hospital bills
- Ambulance fees
- The costs of ongoing medical care or rehabilitation
- Other out-of-pocket costs
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Punitive damages
Obtaining a fair financial recovery from the at-fault party can give your family greater peace of mind and financial stability after a serious car accident. You can get the money that you need to pay for outstanding bills and ongoing costs associated with the crash. You may also be eligible for an additional amount in punitive damages to punish the defendant for especially egregious or wrongful acts, such as driving under the influence. Discuss the value of your case with our Arizona car accident attorney for more information.
How Much is a Car Accident Case Worth in Avondale?
There is no set amount of compensation paid to Avondale car accident victims. Rather, an attorney will work with trusted medical, financial, and economic experts to help adequately calculate total expected losses. There are various factors that will be taken into account when determining the total amount of compensation paid to a car accident victim. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following:
- The severity of any injuries
- The level of property damage
- Whether or not there was any shared fault
- How long it takes a victim to recover
- The documented level of pain and suffering
- Whether or not there is any scarring or disfigurement or a disability
Relatively minor vehicle accidents may only be worth a few thousand dollars, but incidents that result in moderate to severe injuries could lead to settlements reaching hundreds of thousands of dollars. We encourage you to reach out to your Avondale car accident lawyer to discuss how much your claim may be worth.
Common Causes of Car Accidents in Avondale
According to statistics from the Arizona Department of Transportation, there were 98,778 total motor vehicle accidents in 2020 alone. These collisions took 1,057 lives and injured over 41,000 other victims. Almost all car accidents in Arizona are preventable. More than 4,500 collisions were alcohol-related, for example, while speeding took 337 lives in 2020. Drivers often have the power to prevent car accidents. Many different types of careless and reckless driver behaviors cause collisions in Avondale each year, including:
- Speeding
- Driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol
- Driving while fatigued
- Driving while distracted
- Texting and driving
- Following too closely
- Unsafe lane departures
- Violating traffic laws
- Failing to yield the right-of-way
- Running a red light or stop sign
Breaking any type of roadway rule can result in a serious crash and related injuries or deaths. Our Avondale drunk driving accident lawyers have handled numerous catastrophic DUI accident cases. Driver error is the number one cause of Arizona car accidents. In some cases, however, the cause of the crash is a roadway defect, such as a pothole or unsafe construction zone. Still other car accidents are connected to auto part defects, including tire blowouts and brake failure. Identifying the cause of your car accident is necessary before you can file an insurance claim in Arizona.
What to Do After a Car Accident in Avondale
It is important to take the correct steps after getting into a car accident in Avondale, Arizona. Taking the right actions in the aftermath of a collision can allow you to build a stronger claim to financial compensation, as well as protect yourself from self-incrimination and insurance bad faith. Screenshot or print this list and keep it in your glovebox so that you stay prepared in the event of a car crash:
- Check yourself and others for injuries.
- Do not admit fault for the car accident.
- Call the police to report the crash right away.
- Make sure you’re in a safe place to wait for the police.
- Exchange information with the other driver.
- Take photographs and videos while still at the scene.
- Go to a hospital without delay.
- Call you and the other driver’s insurance company to file claims.
- Don’t rush into a fast insurance settlement.
- Contact a car accident attorney in Avondale for help.
Although getting into a car accident can be frightening and overwhelming, it is important to try to remain calm and take these steps to protect yourself physically and financially. Consulting with an Avondale car accident attorney at Sargon Law Group as soon as possible can put you on the right path to recovery from the very beginning.
When to File a Car Accident Lawsuit
Most car accident claims will be resolved through settlements with insurance carriers. Often, the settlement can come in in his little as a few weeks or a few months after the incident occurs. However, that is under the assumption that the insurance carriers or the at-fault party do not put up any fight from having to pay out your rightful compensation.
It may be necessary to file a civil personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault party, but determining when to file the lawsuit can be challenging. We encourage you to reach out to an Avondale car accident lawyer as soon as possible. Your lawyer will be able to get involved quickly, handle the insurance claim, and let you know when the right time to file a lawsuit is, if it is necessary at all.
Do You Need to Go to Court For a Car Accident Claim in Avondale?
No, you do not need to go to court for a car accident case. Taking a case to trial is only necessary if an insurance company has refused to offer a fair amount for the victim’s injuries. In this situation, a settlement is not achieved and the case must proceed to court to be determined by a judge or jury. However, this is uncommon. The vast majority of car accident cases in Arizona settle, saving both parties the time and expense of court. Hiring an Avondale car accident attorney with trial experience can improve your chances of achieving a settlement, as an insurance company will recognize your ability to go to trial and – in many cases – offer a greater amount to avoid the costs of a lawsuit.
Statute of Limitations for Avondale, AZ Car Accident Claims
All car accident cases in Arizona come with a statute of limitations, or a legal deadline by which the plaintiff must file the lawsuit. For the most part, if you miss your deadline, the courts will refuse to hear the case and bar you from financial recovery. In Arizona, the statute of limitations on a car accident case is two years from the date of the collision, with some exceptions. For example, if you are filing a claim against the government, your deadline is reduced to 180 days from the date of the crash. It is important to consult with an Phoenix personal injury attorney as soon as possible after a car accident to make sure that you file on time.
Get a Free Consultation with a Car Accident Attorney in Avondale, Arizona Today
If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident in Avondale, Arizona, you have legal rights. The experienced and dedicated attorneys at Sargon Law Group can help you protect them. We have the power to take on the most difficult aspects of your claim so that you can focus on what matters most – getting better and putting your life back together.
Start your car accident case with a free initial case consultation with one of our Avondale personal injury attorneys. If you cannot visit our local law office, we will come to you in your home or hospital. Call (623) 225-5635 or contact us online now to request your free case evaluation. We are here to help after a devastating traffic accident in Avondale.