Phoenix Car Accident Lawyer

Phoenix car accident lawyer team with over 30 years experience.

Marc Lamber and the team of dedicated Phoenix auto accident attorneys at the Lamber Goodnow Injury Lawyers prioritize helping every client to obtain justice and recover the compensation they deserve. Our lawyers have decades of combined litigation experience and offer an innovative and skilled legal approach for our clients. We conduct thorough investigations of each claim to find, gather, and preserve critical evidence to support the claims of our clients and build strong liability claims. Our attorneys work closely with experts and investigators when needed to allow us to fully understand all critical details of an accident and present the strongest possible arguments to insurance companies.

The combination of our experience, litigation skills, legal knowledge, and willingness to do the work often allows us to negotiate agreements to settle claims for maximal compensation amounts in most cases. However, when an insurance company is intransigent and refuses to fairly settle, we have the litigation experience and skills to take cases to trial and fight for our clients. Because of our reputation and lengthy successful case record, many insurance companies ultimately recognize the benefit of settling cases rather than risking a loss at trial. However, we are unafraid to fight for your rights at trial if necessary.

Your Phoenix car accident attorney at the Lamber Goodnow Injury Lawyers will take the time to listen to your concerns and learn the facets of your accident and the losses you have suffered. We will take all necessary steps to try to recover the compensation to which you should be entitled.

Car Accidents in Arizona

As the largest city in Arizona centered in the most populous county, the Phoenix metropolitan area accounts for a majority of all of the motor vehicle collisions that happen each year. In 2021, the most recent year for which information is available, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) reported that 86,687 car accidents happened in Maricopa County. Out of those, 24,283 were injury accidents that caused injuries to 35,488 people. This means that more than 28% of all of the collisions that occurred resulted in injuries.

Since Maricopa County accounts for an estimated 62% of Arizona’s total population, the fact that more accidents happen in the Valley than anywhere else is unsurprising. As Maricopa County’s and Arizona’s largest city, Phoenix accounted for nearly half of the total number of accidents in the county with 40,833. In 2021, 16,079 people sustained injuries and 294 were killed in Phoenix car crashes alone.

The National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted a large study to investigate the primary causes of motor vehicle collisions. In the Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Study, researchers found that driver error was a contributing factor in 94% of the accidents that occurred. When people are injured or killed in car accidents in Phoenix because of the negligent or reckless actions of others, the people who are injured and the families of those who are killed are entitled to pursue compensation by filing injury lawsuits against the at-fault parties. Injury and wrongful death claims following auto collisions might allow the victims and surviving family members of those who are killed to hold the negligent parties accountable and achieve justice while recovering full compensation for their losses. Working with an experienced Phoenix car accident lawyer at the Phoenix law firm of the Lamber Goodnow Injury Lawyers might greatly increase the chance that you will recover full compensation for all of your economic and non-economic losses that were caused by the negligent acts of the at-fault party.

Steps to Take Following a Motor Vehicle Crash

During the aftermath of a serious car crash, most people are dazed and unsure of what to do. If you’re dealing with injuries, it can be even more difficult to handle the situation appropriately. There are certain steps that all accident victims should try to take to protect their health and their right to pursue the compensation they deserve.

1. Stop Your Vehicle and Stay at the Accident Scene

When an Arizona motorist is involved in a car crash, they are legally required to stop at the accident scene and exchange information with the other involved party under ARS § 28-663, including their name, address, contact information, and vehicle registration number. They must also provide their driver’s license information if asked. While the statute doesn’t mandate it, ask for the other driver’s insurance information. If someone is injured, a motorist must provide reasonable medical help if requested or when it’s obviously needed.

Leaving the scene of an accident carries different penalties based on the circumstances as follows:

• Failing to provide the other motorist with name, address, and registration – Class 1 misdemeanor – ARS 28-663(1),(2)
• Failing to provide reasonable medical assistance to an injured victim when asked or when it’s obviously needed – Class 6 felony – ARS 28-663(3)
• Leaving the scene of an accident resulting in a non-serious injury – Class 5 felony – ARS 28-661(D)
• Leaving the scene of an accident resulting in serious injury or death when the fleeing motorist was not at fault – Class 3 felony – ARS 28-661(C)
• Leaving the scene of an accident resulting in serious injury or death when the fleeing motorist was at fault- Class 2 felony – ARS 28-661(C)
• Leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage only – Class 1 misdemeanor – ARS 28-662

Even if you were not at fault for causing an accident that resulted in serious injury or death to someone else, you could face a minimum prison sentence of 2.75 years up to a maximum sentence of seven years under ARS 13-702.

This information should show you why it is important to stop and comply with your legal obligations after a car accident, regardless of whether or not you are at fault. If your vehicle came to a rest in an unsafe location that impedes traffic, move it to the nearest safe place to the accident scene. For example, if your vehicle is directly in the traffic lane, move it to the shoulder.

2. Call 911

Following a crash, you should call 911 to report your accident. Under ARS 28-667, law enforcement officers in Arizona are required to respond to any accident involving injuries, deaths, or property damage above $2,000. Police officers must write accident reports at the scene of the accident or within 24 hours after they complete their investigations.

When the police arrive, they will conduct a preliminary investigation and interview both the people who were involved in the accident and any witnesses who saw what happened. Stick to the facts when you talk to the police. Tell them what you remember happening in the moments just before, during, and after the collision. Ask the investigating officer for their name and where you can get a copy of the report.

3. Watch What You Say

Many people feel an immediate need to apologize following an accident. Resist this urge. Don’t apologize or accept blame. If you do, the words you say can come back to haunt you later when you file an accident claim. Remain calm when you talk to the other driver and simply ask for their information and provide them with yours. If the other driver is belligerent, get back in your vehicle and wait for the police to arrive with your windows rolled up and doors locked.

You should also be careful when speaking to the officer. Calmly tell them what happened without speculating about the fault. Something could have occurred that is not immediately apparent. Again, don’t accept blame or apologize.

Finally, if the officer asks you if you were injured, don’t say that you weren’t. You should instead tell the officer that you want to get evaluated by your doctor even if you think you are uninjured. This is because many people experienced delayed symptoms following car crashes because of the surge of adrenaline their bodies release during and after the collision. Adrenaline can mask pain signals, and you might have injuries you don’t immediately notice. If you deny that you were injured at the accident scene, the insurance company will use your statement against you after you file your claim.

4. Take Photographs and Video

Most people have smartphones with excellent cameras. If you can move following your crash, use your smartphone to take as many pictures as possible at the scene of your crash. Videoing the scene is also a good idea. Photographs and videos can provide crucial evidence in a car accident case.

Photograph the involved vehicles, how they came to rest following the collision, their positions, the damage to each car, and any crash debris left around the accident scene. Take pictures of other important details, including tire skid marks, road conditions, weather conditions, any visual obstructions, intersections, traffic control devices, speed limit signs, and anything else you believe might be relevant. Photograph the other driver’s license plate number, make, and model. Take more pictures than you might think are necessary.

5. Talk to Witnesses

If someone saw your collision, ask for their name, address, phone number, and email address so that they can be contacted later. Ask them to wait to tell the police what they saw. If they can’t wait, ask if the witness would be willing for you to record them describing what they saw, and record their statement on your smartphone. Getting witness statements right after a collision can be helpful since people can begin to forget important details as time passes.

Witness statements are also important evidence for insurance companies and juries. This is because a third-party witness is neutral and not biased in favor of one driver over another.

6. See a Doctor

If you suffered obvious injuries, accept a ride from the ambulance to the hospital from the accident scene. The paramedics and emergency medical technicians on board can provide you with immediate medical assistance and help stabilize your injuries on the way. If you think your injuries are relatively minor, or you are unsure whether you were injured, you should still see a doctor immediately. If your doctor is unavailable, go to an urgent care center to get a medical examination.

The following accident injuries might not show immediate symptoms but could still be serious:

• Whiplash
• Concussions/traumatic brain injuries
• Internal bleeding
• Organ damage
• Back injuries
• Disc herniations
• Strains and sprains

If you don’t seek medical care immediately, your injuries could rapidly worsen.

Getting immediate medical attention is important for protecting your health and improving your ability to fully recover. It is also crucial for proving your accident claim. If you wait for days or weeks to see a doctor following your car crash, the insurance company will likely argue that your injuries were caused by an intervening event rather than your car crash. Getting immediate medical attention and following all of the recommendations your doctor gives you helps to show a causal link between your accident and injuries. It also helps to show the severity of your injuries and the types of care you will need in the future.

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Insurance Company Tactics

Dealing with an insurance company following a car crash can be difficult for most people. If you are attempting to handle your claim while also recovering from injuries, trying to talk to an insurance company can be both frustrating and overwhelming.

Arizona is a fault-based state for car accidents. This means that you will file your claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company. In at-fault states, the party that caused the collision is responsible for paying damages. This generally means that the at-fault party’s insurance company will have to pay your injury and property damage claims.

Like other for-profit companies, insurers are in business to make as much money as they can. They are motivated to protect their bottom line by reducing how much they might be forced to pay out in claims. As a result, many insurance companies and the adjusters they employ use a variety of tactics when dealing with accident victims.

Remember that the insurance adjuster works for the insurer and not for you. Regardless of how nice and compassionate the adjuster might seem, remember that their loyalties do not lie with you.

Avoid doing the following things when you are contacted by the at-fault driver’s insurance company or adjuster:

• Talking about your injuries and their severity
• Agreeing for the insurance adjuster to record your statement
• Signing a medical authorization to allow the insurance company to access your medical records
• Accepting an early settlement offer

When the at-fault insurance company contacts you, they might act like you are required to speak to them. However, remember that you do not have a policy with the other driver’s insurance company and have no contractual obligation to talk about your case or your injuries with them. Be polite, but tell the adjuster or other insurance company representative that you want to talk to a Phoenix car accident lawyer at the Lamber Goodnow Injury Lawyers before you will make any statements.

Don’t agree to sign a medical authorization for the other driver’s insurance company. While the representative might tell you that it needs access to your medical records to confirm the nature and severity of your injuries before it can process your claim, the reality is that insurance companies use medical authorizations to dig through the entire medical histories of accident victims to try to find another incident or underlying condition on which to blame their injuries. Once you retain a Phoenix car accident attorney, your lawyer can identify the relevant records and provide them to the company for you.

Finally, never accept the initial settlement offer you receive without talking to an attorney at the Lamber Goodnow Injury Lawyers. Insurance companies know that accident victims are often contending with rapidly increasing medical bills combined with income losses, and the companies try to take advantage of them while they are struggling. As a result, early settlement offers are typically lowball offers that are insufficient to cover all of the victim’s losses.

Arizona Insurance Requirements and Issues

The Arizona Legislature increased the minimum liability coverage requirements in Arizona because they recognized that the previous limits were not enough to cover the losses many people suffer in collisions. Under ARS 28-4009, people in Arizona are required to carry liability coverage with at least the following minimum coverage amounts:

• $25,000 in bodily injury/death for one person
• $50,000 bodily injury/death for two or more people
• $15,000 property damage coverage

While these minimum liability amounts are an improvement over the requirements that previously existed, they are still inadequate for many injury or fatality collisions. If you were injured in an accident with someone who only had the required minimum liability coverage, this means that you could be left without an adequate source of recovery for your losses.

This is a good reason to purchase uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. This is additional coverage that can be added onto your auto insurance policy and will kick in to provide coverage for you if you are involved in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured motorist. In the case of an underinsured motorist, the at-fault party’s insurance company will be responsible for paying your damages up to the policy limits. Your UM/UIM policy will then kick in to pay up to its policy limits for the amounts by which your losses exceeded the other driver’s policy limits.

Your Phoenix car accident lawyer will also investigate to look for other potential sources of recovery to ensure you receive the maximum compensation available for your losses.

Consult a Phoenix Car Accident Attorney Today

Facing an unknown future after a serious car crash can be overwhelming. If your injuries were caused by another motorist’s negligent or reckless conduct, you should reach out to the Lamber Goodnow Injury Lawyers in Phoenix today. We offer free consultations and can provide you with a confidential, honest assessment of the merits of your case and the legal remedies that might be available.

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