
MARANA CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER
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Marana Car Accident Lawyer
We Represent Injured Victims Throughout Tucson And All The Surrounding Areas!
At Karnas Law Firm, PLLC, we bring decades of combined experience to every car accident case we handle. Accident victims deserve a passionate legal advocate who understands the law and how to use it to obtain meaningful compensation. Without this assistance, car accident victims can struggle to have their voices heard. Many express shock at how hard it is to get an insurance company to take a claim seriously.
Please contact our law firm today. We have obtained several six- and seven-figure settlements and court awards for our clients, and we are eager to analyze the strength of your claim. Call us to speak with a Marana, AZ car accident lawyer.
Types of Car Accidents
Motorists are hurt in all sorts of wrecks, and we have broad experience helping those injured in:
- Head on collisions. Two cars collide, head-to-head, which is often a deadly type of accident. Some reasons include driver confusion or intoxication. Other motorists will fall asleep and drift into oncoming traffic.
- Rollovers. A car can flip over when it trips on something, like road debris. Other rollovers are caused by accidents or a vehicle’s weight suddenly shifting. Rollovers are dangerous, especially if an occupant is not buckled in.
- Rear-end collisions. This is a common fender bender, often because a motorist is following a car too closely. When the car in front brakes, the car behind crashes into it.
- Side-impact collisions. One car can spear the side of another at a 90-degree angle. This is a T-bone or side impact collision. We see this accident frequently at intersections.
- Backing up accidents. Pulling out of a parking lot space is always risky. Another motorist could be flying past and slam into you. Even at low speeds, these accidents leave victims with serious injuries.
- Drunk driving accidents. An intoxicated motorist is a serious threat to public safety. Their reflexes and movements are usually delayed, and they might engage in risky behavior. Many drunk driving accidents are high-speed collisions.
- Hit and runs. Arizona law clearly requires that motorists stop following a crash, but too many drivers ignore this command. Obtaining compensation for a hit and run is difficult because we don’t know the defendant’s identity.
What Are the Primary Causes of Car Accidents?
Car accidents occur so frequently that many don’t ponder what causes them. But we need to identify the cause to determine who to file a personal injury claim against.
Here are the main defendants in these cases:
Negligent Motorists
A driver can fail to use due care while driving, such as:
- Passing illegally
- Following too closely
- Speeding
- Driving dangerously in a construction zone
- Texting and driving
- Fatigued driving
- Drunk driving
- Refusing to yield
- Failing to use turn signals and mirrors
- Driving on the sidewalk
- Running a red light
- Making an illegal turn
Municipality
The road might have defects which make driving dangerous, in which case you can sue the municipality for:
- Dangerous work zones
- Missing signage or flaggers
- Potholes
- Debris in the road
- Crumbling shoulders
- Defective guardrails
Mechanics
A mechanic could also do poor work, which makes a car dangerous to drive:
- Failing to identify defects on the vehicle, like brakes in need of replacement
- Performing repairs improperly
- Failing to warn or notify drivers of potential problems
Employers
If the person who struck you was working, you might sue their employer as well. Arizona law allows you to hold an employer liable when their employee injures someone on the job.
Bodily & Psychological Injuries
Any accident can lead to serious injuries, including:
- Head injuries, including concussions, skull lacerations, skull fractures, traumatic brain injuries, and internal bleeding.
- Neck injuries, such as whiplash, torn soft tissue, cervical fractures, and other injuries.
- Back injuries, which include herniated or displaced discs, spondylosis, vertebral fractures, nerve damage, and spinal cord damage.
- Skin injuries, including burns, cuts, lacerations, and abrasions.
- Catastrophic injuries, such as amputation, paralysis, or permanent brain damage.
There are also well-known psychological effects from car accidents. Many victims will never get into a car again, while many suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and irritability are also common problems.
We Fight for Compensation
Never let anyone minimize your pain following a Marana, AZ car accident. Many accident victims are housebound or forced to spend weeks in the hospital. Our clients often have large medical bills without the capacity to pay them. You deserve compensation.
As part of a claim, we seek money to pay for:
- Car damage. Your car probably needs repairs or could even be totaled. Car repair costs have soared recently, and even a minor fender bender could leave you $5,000 in debt. You might also need to rent a car while yours is in the body shop.
- Medical bills. Car accident injuries require immediate and comprehensive treatment. You should receive money for pain medication, medical treatment, surgery, rehabilitation, physical therapy, and ambulance transportation, among other medical costs.
- Lost wages or income. Unfortunately, many car accident injuries keep people from working. You might lose out on months of income.
Compensation for pain and suffering also makes up a big portion of most settlements. This money seeks to make up for the pain, inconvenience, anxiety, depression, or loss of enjoyment of life you experience.
Let us review your case to determine what kind of settlement is realistic. There are many factors to consider, including the defendant’s resources and insurance, as well as your comparative negligence.
What Car Insurance Do You Use?
Most car accident claims are made on the defendant’s insurance policy. Some of the most important types of insurance include:
- Liability coverage. Arizona requires that drivers carry liability insurance. This coverage will kick in when a driver causes an accident. It is fault-based coverage. The current minimums are $25,000 in bodily injury or death coverage per victim, up to $50,000 per accident. Also, $15,000 in property damage.
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. You can tap this coverage if the at-fault driver is uninsured, or if they don’t have enough insurance. It is still fault based, meaning you can’t be solely at fault for your crash to use it. The limits should be the same as your liability coverage. We often make a claim on uninsured motorist coverage for a hit and run.
- Medical payments. Some motorists have med-pay insurance, which is no-fault. It pays for medical care to treat bodily injuries. This insurance is optional in Arizona.
- Collision coverage. This insurance will pay to fix your car if it’s damaged in a crash. It’s also optional. Helpfully, it is no-fault insurance, so you can use it even if you are mostly to blame for the crash.
Figuring out which insurance to use is complicated. This is one reason to reach out to Karnas Law Firm to speak with our Marana, AZ car accident lawyer.
What to Do After a Car Wreck
Our firm recommends taking the following steps after a car wreck. Doing so will improve your chances of obtaining a favorable settlement from an insurance company:
Stop immediately. Arizona requires that you stop and help anyone who is hurt.
- Call emergency services. Ask everyone involved in the crash if they need an ambulance and call emergency services if they do. You can also report the accident to the police, so an officer comes out.
- Swap information with other drivers. You should share your license, registration, and insurance information. Make sure to get the same from all drivers involved.
- Take pictures of the scene. We want to see where the cars all ended up in relation to each other, so try to get one photograph before pulling the cars to the side of the road. Then zoom in and get at least one picture of each side of the vehicles.
- Talk to witnesses and ask what they saw. You should also request their name and some method of contacting them.
- Avoid taking blame or apologizing. Any statement you make could show up later in settlement negotiations. Even if you think you bear some responsibility, you should say nothing.
- Tell the police if you think the driver is drunk. The officer can investigate and possibly request field sobriety tests or a breathalyzer. These test results are helpful at establishing liability for the crash.
- Go to the doctor or hospital for treatment. You should begin fully documenting your pain and physical injuries as soon as possible.
Call Our Firm Today
Accident victims benefit from hiring a seasoned legal advocate soon after the crash. For example, an insurance adjuster might call you up and ask for a recorded statement about what you remember. Odds are they are scavenging for evidence to use against you, such as proof you possibly caused the wreck yourself. Hire a lawyer who can deal with pesky insurance claims adjusters.
You also have only two years to file a lawsuit after a crash. You should not delay. Going over the deadline is tragic: you can lose out on the right to receive any compensation.
Our experienced Marana car accident lawyers can answer any questions you have during a complimentary consultation.