Tucson Car Accident Lawyers

FAQs: Auto Accidents Tucson

A: Some car accidents do not require the help of car accident lawyer in Tucson, but others should prompt you to see an attorney as soon as possible. It is essential to understand when you need to retain a lawyer for help to recover maximum compensation.

If you are in a minor car accident that did not cause any injuries, you can likely handle the insurance claims process without an attorney. If you are injured, it is not a good idea to try to deal with the insurance company without help. Car accidents involve more than just your medical bills and income losses. In most cases, non-economic losses will also be involved, including pain and suffering. It is very difficult for people to recover damages for their non-economic losses without legal help. The Tucson car accident lawyer team at Lamber Goodnow offers free case evaluations and can help you to understand your claim and legal options.

Q: What do I do if I cannot afford to hire a lawyer?

A: Some people think that they can’t get help from an experienced car accident attorney because they do not have money to pay a retainer. You might be contending with high medical bills and income losses because of your accident and have little money to work with. When you retain a car accident attorney in Tucson at Lamber Goodnow, we offer contingent-fee representation. You will not be asked to pay an upfront retainer or ongoing attorney’s fees.

Instead, you will not have to pay your attorney’s fees and legal costs until and unless we can successfully recover compensation for your losses through a settlement or jury verdict. This means that you will have little risk when you retain an attorney to help you with your car accident claim. Since we will not be paid unless we win your case, this also means that we are careful when we evaluate claims. You can feel confident that you will receive a fair and honest assessment of your case and its winnability.

Q: What types of damages can I recover in my car accident case?

A: In a motor vehicle accident lawsuit, damages refer to a monetary award that may be given to an injured plaintiff to compensate him or her for his or her losses. Several types of damages may be recoverable in a Tucson auto accident claim. The main categories of compensatory damages include special and general damages. Special damages are monetary awards for your quantifiable losses, including medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and others. General damages are monetary awards for your non-economic losses and include the following types:

• Physical pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Disfigurement and scarring
• Disability
• Reduced ability to enjoy life
• Grief
• Loss of consortium and guidance for spouses or children in wrongful death claims

Your attorney can help you to understand the types of compensatory damages that might be available in your case.

In addition to compensatory damages, punitive damages may be available in some cases. Punitive damages are ordered to punish defendants when they have behaved in especially egregious ways. In most cases, punitive damages will not be available. However, if they are, they will be on top of any compensatory damages that you might receive.

Q: What is my car accident claim worth?

A: Many people think that they can call an attorney to ask for a dollar figure for their car accident cases. However, the amount of compensation that might be available varies from case to case. An attorney can’t give you an accurate estimate of the value of your claim over the telephone.

Instead, how much your claim might be worth will depend on the unique facts and circumstances of what occurred. It will also depend on the nature of your injuries and whether you shared any fault for the accident. When you meet with your attorney, he or she will carefully analyze all of the facts and circumstances so that he or she can make a liability determination and provide you with an estimated range of values within which you might expect a reasonable settlement to fall.

Q: If I was partially at fault for my accident, does that mean that I can’t recover anything?

A: While some states bar plaintiffs from recovering damages when they are partially at fault for their accidents, Arizona is not one of them. Arizona follows a legal rule known as pure comparative fault under A.R.S. § 12-2505. Under this rule, you are not barred from recovering compensation simply because you were partially at fault for your accident’s cause. Instead, the gross amount of your recovery will be reduced by the percentage of fault that the jury or judge attributes to you. For example, if you are found to have been 40% at fault and receive a gross award of $100,000, your award will be reduced by 40% for a net recovery of $60,000.

Some states follow a modified comparative fault rule. Under this approach, a plaintiff who is found to be 50% or 51% at fault will not be able to recover anything. Arizona’s pure comparative negligence rule does not set a limit on your ability to recover damages. It is possible for you to recover compensation even if you were 99% at fault. However, in that situation, you would only be able to recover 1% of your damages award, making it unlikely that an attorney would agree to accept your claim.

Q: The insurance company asked me to give a statement and sign some documents. Do I need to do this?

A: Whether you need to tell the insurance company about what happened in your accident will depend on whether the company asking for the information is your company or that of the at-fault driver. If you file a claim with your own company, most insurance providers include language in their insurance contracts that mandates their insureds to provide information. This means that you will be contractually obligated to cooperate with your company for your claim.

However, you are not contractually obligated to speak to the at-fault driver’s insurance company. When the other driver’s insurance company contacts you, the insurance adjuster may ask you to give a recorded statement. You should never agree to talk about what happened to the at-fault driver’s insurance company without first speaking to our car accident lawyers in Tucson. Insurance companies use recorded statements to try to get accident victims on record stating things that could harm their claims.

Similarly, the at-fault driver’s insurance company may send you a medical authorization. You might be told that the insurance company needs access to your medical records to verify your injuries. In reality, insurance companies use medical authorizations to pore over accident victims’ entire medical histories so that they can try to blame their injuries on earlier incidents. Do not agree to give statements or sign any documents you are sent by an insurance company after your accident without talking to a lawyer first.

Q: I received a fast settlement offer. Should I take it?

A: After your auto accident, you might receive an early settlement offer from the at-fault driver’s insurance company. When you receive the offer, it might use language that suggests that it cannot be negotiated. Receiving an early offer might make you believe that if you turn it down, you could be left without anything.

Insurance companies commonly extend early settlement offers to victims in cases when the liability of their insureds is relatively clear. In most cases, these early offers are made in amounts that are far less than the values of the claims.

You should never accept an early settlement offer without asking a car accident attorney to review it. An experienced lawyer can analyze the offer and help you to understand whether it is reasonable. If you do accept an early offer, you will not be able to ask for more money later if you discover your losses are much more extensive than you initially realized.

Q: How long after my car accident can I file a lawsuit?

A: While you generally have two years to file a claim, it is best to talk to an experienced accident lawyer much sooner. When you retain a lawyer relatively soon after your accident, it will be much easier for your attorney to find and preserve evidence that might otherwise be lost with time. Getting help from a lawyer early can also help to prevent you from making errors that could harm your claim.

Q: When should I see a doctor after my car accident?

A: While some injuries are apparent and will need immediate medical attention at a hospital, others may not show symptoms for days after your accident. Soft-tissue injuries commonly may not cause symptoms for hours or days, but they can result in chronic pain.

When you are talking to the police after your accident, you should not make statements that you are fine or are uninjured. If you subsequently develop symptoms, the insurance company might try to use these types of statements against you. Even if you are unsure that you are injured, you should tell the officer that you want to see your doctor.

Make sure to follow through and get a thorough medical examination as soon as possible. Your doctor may identify injuries that you might not have immediately noticed and help you to enjoy a better prognosis. Getting prompt medical attention can also help you to demonstrate a link between your injuries and your car accident.

Q: How can I strengthen my claim?

A: Taking specific steps immediately after your accident can help to strengthen your claim. If you can, take pictures of the accident scene. You can use your smartphone to do this. Make sure to photograph the damage to all involved vehicles, the broader accident scene, and relevant details like the weather and road conditions, tire skid marks, nearby intersections, and any traffic control devices or speed limit signs.

You should also ask witnesses to remain at the scene to give statements to the police. Ask for their names, addresses, phone numbers, and emails. Your attorney can use this information to help to show the other driver’s liability for your accident.

Remain at the scene and wait for the police to arrive. After giving your statement, go to the hospital or your doctor’s office for a medical evaluation. Schedule an appointment with an experienced car accident lawyer at Lamber Goodnow, and avoid signing documents or giving statements to the at-fault driver’s insurance company.

Tucson Car Accident Statistics From 2023-2024

Tucson traffic data shows a continued rise in serious accidents, underscoring the need for experienced legal representation.

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