Do You Need to Hire a Lawyer After a Car Accident?
Each year in Arizona alone, there are over 125,000 motor vehicle accidents. The majority of these accidents result in thousands of injuries, some very serious and life-threatening. In addition, an average of 1,000 people die each year in Arizona as a result of car accidents. Over the past two decades, the number of motor vehicles on the roads in Arizona has been increasing each year and so is the risk of getting involved in an accident.
Car accidents can result in a variety of injuries which include:
- Broken bones
- Internal bleeding
- Facial lacerations
- Head trauma
- Ruptured organs, such as the spleen and liver
- Spinal cord injuries resulting in paralysis, whiplash
- Rib fractures
- Injury to the lungs and heart
What should I do after a car accident? Besides the physical injuries, a car accident can also be mentally and financially draining. Many people are left with anxiety and apprehension as to what they should do next.
What Are The Causes of Car Accidents in Glendale?
Some of the common causes of car accidents in Glendale include the following:
Speeding- Distracted driving (i.e., use of a smartphone, texting, drinking, eating)
- Not obeying traffic laws
- Tailgating
- Driving a poorly maintained car
- Poor weather, slippery roads, road construction
The vast majority of cases of motor vehicle accidents in Glendale, however, are preventable.
What Should I Do After a Motor Vehicle Accident?
If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident as a result of the negligent actions of another driver, you should contact a car accident lawyer Glendale AZ. This is especially important if your injuries are serious or life-threatening. Car accident injuries are often associated with enormous financial bills that include the following:
Medical bills to pay for treatment of your injuries- Prescription drugs, like antibiotics or pain medications
- Repeat doctor visits or the potential need for future surgery
- Cost of rehabilitation
- Lost wages from your employment
- Lack of future earning potential
- Cost of external help for feeding, bathing, eating, etc.
An experienced car accident lawyer Glendale AZ can help you get the maximum compensation you deserve.
How Can a Glendale Car Accident Attorney Help?
What should I do after a car accident? To help you get the compensation you deserve, Glendale car accident lawyers can offer the following services to resolve your claim:
- Assess the merits of the car accident. This means first determining if you have a case and, secondly, finding out who was at fault for the accident. It is important to know that Arizona follows the law of comparative negligence. Hence, if the award for the damages is $10,000 and you are at 20% fault for the accident, you will receive $8,000. Most motor vehicle accidents are complex with both drivers blaming each other for the accident. Your lawyer can determine if you were at fault and by what percentage.
- Obtain the police report. A car accident lawyer Glendale AZ can help you with this, especially if you are injured and can’t move about yourself.
- Speak to any witnesses. A good car accident attorney knows what questions to ask.
- Visit the scene of the accident to get a better idea how the event happened.
- Obtain all your medical records, including a letter from your healthcare provider detailing your injuries and prognosis.
- Your attorney will handle all communications with the insurance companies and the opposing party’s attorneys.
- Write a demand letter to your insurers detailing your injuries and the amount of compensation requested.
- Enter into negotiations with the insurer.
- Help with any liens. One other important service that our Glendale car accident lawyers provide is to handle your liens and medical bills. When you are involved in a car accident, you may be faced with enormous bills and may be delayed on your rent or car payments. The lawyer can then consult with the hospitals and government agencies that may place the liens so that your properties are not possessed. If a lien is filed, if your case receives an award, payments for the lien must be made first.
- Go to trial. In general, car accident lawyer prefers to settle all cases through negotiations with the insurer. This is not only cheaper but a faster option. However, there may be times when the insurer may not want to settle, may dispute the severity of the medical injuries, or question the liability. In such cases, lawyers will go to trial on your behalf. You will want to have an experienced team of law professionals on your side who know exactly what is required to proceed with a case in court.
- Refusal to pay. Rarely, the defendant or the insurer may refuse to pay the victim following a court judgment. Lawyers can help you collect on the judgment using a variety of methods.
All the above steps are time-consuming and require an enormous amount of paperwork and thorough documentation. Negotiations with the insurer are always difficult because the latter doesn't like to pay out large sums of money to victims. Hence, the negotiations may take one of several sessions to come to a mutually acceptable compensation amount. If negotiations fail, the lawyer may consider taking the insurer to trial.
How Long Will It Take To Settle My Case?
It is difficult to predict the exact time when the case may be settled; each car accident is different and the time to settle can vary. Past experience shows, however, that most car accidents usually settle within 6-9 months. The majority of cases are settled by negotiations and very few go to trial.
What Does a Glendale Car Accident Attorney Charge Clients?
A personal injury car accident lawyer Glendale AZ works on a contingency basis. What this means is that you do not pay money upfront. When the case is won, the layer will deduct a certain percentage from the award.
Conclusion
If you have been involved in a car accident in Glendale, AZ, you may benefit from the services of a personal injury lawyer to hold the negligent party accountable for injuries, losses, and damages. Experienced Glendale car accident lawyers can help protect your legal rights and help you get the maximum compensation you deserve. Call the
Law Offices of Richard A. Gullette today at 1-602-230-2916. The consultation is free.

