Arizona
(602) 900-9402Helping Auto Accident Victims Across Arizona
Being involved in a car accident can be a traumatic experience — and oftentimes costly. One thing victims in automobile wrecks can count on is that the other driver’s insurance company will not want to give you the fair treatment you and your family deserve. That is why you need a knowledgeable car accident lawyer in your corner. Contact the skilled team at Ramos Law, we understand the medicine behind the injuries better than the insurance companies do.
Here at Ramos Law, we aren’t just about profits. Our personal injury attorneys put our clients first and we have a proven history of success in the courtroom fighting for our clients’ best interests. With decades of combined experience, our car accident lawyers have laughed and cried with clients, hugged them and held their hands, and we will make sure you and your family are taken care of. Contact us for a free case evaluation.
What Should I Do If I’m In A Car Accident?
Document The Scene
Document as much detailed information as you can at the accident site. Use your phone to record voice memos of any statements made by the other driver. Take down the other driver’s name, address, license number, and insurance information. Gather the names of officers on the scene for their reports, names of EMT/ambulance personnel, and contact information for witnesses to confirm what truly happened. Take down descriptions of the road, traffic, and weather conditions.
Take Photos / Videos
Take photos/videos (up-close and at a distance) of the vehicles involved in the accident and of the scene/surrounding area/traffic signs. Take photos/videos of viewable injuries.
Contact A Personal Injury Attorney
Contact a personal injury lawyer. It is very important that you have an experienced attorney handle all paperwork and conversations with the other driver’s insurance company, as they will use several tactics against you.
Don't Ever Admit Fault
Don't ever admit fault. A proper investigation of the accident will need to be done. Your car crash lawyer will fight to prove that the fault lies on the other driver and their insurance company.
Don't Forget/Waive Your Right To Medical Attention
Don't forget, or waive your right to seek immediate medical attention. Immediately following the car crash, your body’s fight-or-flight response is triggered and a rush of adrenaline is released so that your body is ready to handle the danger it faces. One of the things adrenaline does is to dull pain and although you may not notice any at first, the whiplash motion caused by a car accident can produce injuries that become more pronounced as time goes on. Additionally, you do not want the other driver’s lawyer to demean the severity of your injuries due to the fact that you didn’t feel it necessary to seek immediate treatment.
Don't Give A Recorded Statement
Don't give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company or sign anything from the other driver’s insurance company. You may run the risk of unknowingly releasing your medical records, that is why it is important to have an experienced car accident attorney deal with the insurance company for you.
Arizona Car Crash Statistics
Car accidents impose devastating effects on individuals and families. You may be a safe driver, but that won’t always protect you from dangers on the road. Every year, far too many victims’ lives are irreversibly changed by other drivers in serious car wrecks. The United States witnesses more car fatalities than any other high-income country. Motor vehicle crashes resulted in $19.349 billion in economic losses to Arizona in 2018, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT).
Most crashes involve more than one vehicle. In 2018, multi-vehicle crashes accounted for approximately three-fourths of all car accidents and 40% of collisions were categorized as “rear end.” More people and more cars lead to more crashes. Defensive driving is key in high-traffic environments.
The total number of automobile crashes in Arizona in 2018 was 127,056. About half of the crashes resulted in injuries that were reported (55,879), but it’s very likely there are many more injuries that occurred but were not reported. To break it down even further, one person was killed on the roads every 8 hours and 39 minutes.
- Passengers: 12,873 injured, 188 killed
- Drivers: 37,784 injured, 553 killed
Too many pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists are at the mercy of drivers who aren’t paying attention. At a national level, the majority of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities occur at non-intersections. Lighting conditions are a major factor in fatalities, as most occur in dark conditions. Of the total amount of car accidents in 2018:
- Pedestrians: 1,537 injured, 245 killed
- Pedalcyclists: 1,182 injured, 24 killed
- Motorcycles: 2,248 injured, 150 killed
Arizona’s Impaired Driving Record
Innocent people suffer life-altering injuries or death because of an impaired driver’s reckless choices. In 2018, 420 people were killed in impaired driving-related crashes. Annually, crashes involving alcohol, illegal drugs, or prescription medication account for about 4% of all collisions, and about one-third of all fatal crashes.
Drunk Driving
About a quarter of 2018’s total car accident fatalities involved alcohol as part of the reason for the crash. Driving under the influence is an extremely dangerous and selfish act that continues to be responsible for thousands of deaths across the United States. Whether the driver feels impaired by their use of alcohol or not, the legal max for Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) is a level of 0.08.
Most alcohol-related crashes are during dark hours, on dry roads, with male drivers aged 25-34 being the highest risk and 35-44 the next highest risk. Alcohol-related crashes occurred over 3 times more in urban vs. rural areas.
- Of the 4,651 alcohol-related crashes:
- Total: 2,951 injured, 261 killed
- Pedestrians: 133 injured, 74 killed
- Pedalcyclists: 25 injured, 5 killed
If you or someone you know was involved in a car accident, the compassionate personal injury attorneys at Ramos Law can help make things right! We will fight for your recovery, both physically and financially. Contact us for a free consultation.
Arizona Auto Accident Frequently Asked Questions
No. Arizona has a fault based system rather than a no fault system. This means that the person responsible for the accident is responsible for the damages they cause, and the victim must prove fault on the part of the responsible party.
You should never admit fault for an accident, whether speaking to your insurance company or the responsible person’s insurance party. You should also never discuss your prior medical issues with the insurance company. They might use this information later on to argue that your injuries were pre-existing and not caused by the accident. It is always wise to consult with an experienced personal injury attorney before giving any type of a statement to any insurance company.
Initially, a person involved in an accident would make a claim against the responsible person’s insurance company. If for whatever reason the case does not settle at the claim stage (either because the settlement offer is unacceptable or the insurance company does not feel that their insured is responsible), the next step would be to file a lawsuit against the responsible person. Generally, the lawsuit is filed in the county where the accident occurred, although there are exceptions to this general rule in the Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure. Make sure to consult with an experienced personal injury attorney before attempting to file a lawsuit on your case.
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