Somerton Car Accident Lawyer

We Represent Injured Victims Yuma, Somerton, And All Surrounding Areas! 

At Karnas Law Firm, PLLC, our experienced legal team has represented accident victims for more than 40 years. Anyone hurt in a car wreck is facing a tough road to recovery, not to mention financial distress. Fortunately, you have a right to compensation when someone plows into your car.

Contact our law firm if you have questions or are thinking about submitting an insurance claim. Many victims struggle to get a claim approved, but we have cut our teeth obtaining favorable settlements for victims of a variety of accidents. Call to speak with a Somerton car accident lawyer in a confidential consultation.

Car Accident Statistics

How common are car accidents in Arizona? Very common. The Arizona Department of Transportation collects car accident data, and the 2022 Crash Facts show:

• 119,991 total accidents in the state
• 52,411 people injured in these wrecks
• 1,294 people killed in accidents
• An increase in fatalities, from 1,192 in 2021 and 980 in 2019
• Somerton, Arizona specifically experienced the following in 2022:
• 64 total crashes
• 54 people injured in collisions
• 7 alcohol-related accidents, injuring 10 people in total

Common Car Wrecks in Somerton

Car accidents happen all over town, whether you are pulling into the Post Office parking lot or backing out of their driveway. Other wrecks happen on Route 95 or any of the residential roads in town.

You can be hurt in any of these accidents:

• Intersection accidents. Cars collide at an intersection because one driver made a mistake. Common examples include running a red light, making an illegal turn, or driving while distracted.
• Work zone accidents. Motorists need to slow down in construction zones and stow their phones. Unfortunately, any collision in a construction zone is tragic and can lead to multi-vehicle pileups.
• Rear-end collisions. A car might smash into the car directly in front, causing a rear end collision. Many occupants are thrown forward, which can lead to face, head, and neck injuries, even when airbags deploy.
• Rollovers. A car will roll onto its side when its weight dramatically shifts. Some cars roll over when they go off the road or get struck by another car.
• Head-on collisions. A motorist might accidentally drive into oncoming traffic, perhaps because they fell asleep or are lost. Those in the front seat bear the brunt of the crash, but any occupant could suffer serious injuries.
• Hit and runs. Dozens of motorists hit the gas after an accident, leaving victims behind. This is illegal, and you should seek compensation even if you can’t identify the driver.
• Drunk driving accidents. Intoxicated motorists get into wrecks because of delayed reflexes, unclear thinking, and risky behavior. Arizona saw almost 5,500 alcohol-related accidents in 2022.

How We Help

Many car accident victims ask, “Do I even need a lawyer?” They might report the accident to an insurance company and receive some forms in the mail. Sounds easy to get a settlement, right?

In reality, many insurance companies would love nothing better than for you to handle your own claim. They realize that many victims have no idea how much their injuries are worth, so they will settle for much less than they deserve. They might also miss critical deadlines and forfeit the right to receive any money.

You deserve the most compensation available under Arizona law. Let Karnas law Firm help you:

• Properly analyze the settlement value of your claim. Did you know you can get compensation for physical pain, embarrassment, depression, and other hard-to-calculate losses? We also know how much insurance companies have paid out for similar injuries, so we will never let you settle for too little.
• Gather all necessary information and evidence to make a compelling claim. You need to show the defendant was at fault for your crash, or at least shared responsibility. You also should fight off any accusation that you contributed to your accident, which will reduce the amount you take home.
• Fill out forms and handle the communication side. Insurance companies love to request information over and over, which is their way of delaying a claim. You should not have to spend hours combing through your records to provide them with information—we’ll do it for you.
• Negotiate a settlement. This is a frustrating, exhausting process. Some insurers simply refuse to make a fair offer, but we know how to deftly cut through the delay tactics.

We have an excellent history settling claims. But if for some reason the other side won’t budge, we can also go into court and litigate your car accident claim.

What is a Fair Settlement for Your Injuries?

Car drivers have many bills and expenses following even minor wrecks. They feel enormous financial distress. We can seek money for:

• Medical care
• Future medical care (if necessary)
• Lost wages or income
• Diminished earning capacity (if you have disabilities)
• Pain and suffering
• Car damage
• Other property damage

Car accidents leave too many people struggling with catastrophic, life-altering injuries, such as amputation or permanent brain injuries. Other victims struggle with soft-tissue injuries like back sprains, contusions, or whiplash. Whatever your injuries, you need a seasoned lawyer who knows how to maximize the compensation an insurer pays out.

Please share the following information with your attorney to help us value your claim:

• Pay stubs
• Proof of gig or self-employment income
• Hospital and doctor’s bills
• Insurance statements
• Rehabilitation bills
• Receipts for prescription drugs, crutches, and other devices
• Car repair bills

Armed with this information, we can estimate a fair settlement and get to work negotiating with the other side.

Uninsured Motorists or Hit & Run Accidents

Obtaining compensation is harder when a driver either flees the scene or lacks insurance. According to one estimate, about 12% of all Arizona drivers are uninsured. And uninsured motorists drive in from California every day of the week, inflating the numbers of motorists without required coverage.

Is there any hope of receiving compensation? Fortunately, you might:

• Use your uninsured motorist coverage for bodily injuries. Arizona requires that drivers have liability coverage, and insurers must offer uninsured motorist insurance along with it. This insurance will cover medical bills and lost income when you are hurt by a driver who lacks insurance.
• Tap your collision coverage for car repairs. Many motorists also have collision coverage, which is insurance that pays to fix your vehicle if damaged in a crash, regardless of fault. If you have a car loan, you probably have this insurance.
• Use medical payments insurance. This is optional insurance some motorists purchase. It pays out benefits to treat bodily injuries suffered in a crash. Many drivers have at least a couple thousand in medical payments coverage, which might pay a health insurance deductible.
• Sue a rental company. You might have been hit by someone driving a rental vehicle, in which case the rental company should have insurance.

We can also coordinate with the police to find the fleeing motorist. Share details about the car or driver, including the direction the driver fled. If tracked down, we can make a claim on their insurance policy.

How Comparative Negligence Affects Your Case

Car accidents are not always black and white—sometimes, both motorists are to blame. For example, a speeding driver might have run a red light and crashed into the side of your car. However, you were also scrolling through your text messages as you pulled into the intersection. In this example, the speeding motorist is definitely at fault—but you share a little blame, too, because you weren’t paying attention.

Under ARS § 12-2505, your compensation is reduced by your share of fault for your accident. If you are 30% to blame and your case is worth $100,000, then you only get 70% of that (or $70,000). If you were 66% at fault, you would only get 34%.

Comparative fault—also called “comparative negligence” or “contributory negligence”—can make a big difference in your case. Our Somerton car accident lawyers know this law very well. We gather so much evidence for a case so we can argue persuasively that your own contribution is negligible.

The Clock is Ticking

Anyone hoping to obtain a settlement should contact an attorney as soon as possible. Arizona’s statute of limitations for personal injuries is only two years. That’s the maximum amount of time you get to file a lawsuit after a car crash. Please don’t go over the deadline—you’ll lose the legal ability to sue if you do. We also lose any leverage to obtain a settlement from an insurer.

Connect with a Somerton Car Accident Lawyer

Car accidents are some of the hardest accidents to come back from. The scars left can last a lifetime.

At Karnas Law Firm, PLLC, we work regularly with victims and their families to fully understand how an accident has impacted their lives. Then we develop a game plan for obtaining the maximum compensation available from a defendant and their insurance company. To learn more, or get answers to your questions, please call us to schedule a no-risk, no obligation consultation with a member of our firm.