Scottsdale, Arizona is a vibrant desert city with luxurious spa resorts, golf courses, boutiques, and hiking trails that make it one of Arizona’s great vacation spots. However, the day out enjoying the sites and entertainment of Scottsdale can be ruined by a negligent driver causing a car accident through distracted, drunk, or reckless driving. You could have the family out for a day of hiking, making your way to the trail to the McDowell Sonoran Reserve when a distracted driver rear-ends you and causes significant injuries to you and your family.
A serious car accident can result in severe injuries with steep medical costs, expensive property damage to your vehicle, and long-term pain and suffering that you and your family have to contend with. If these costs are not covered by your car insurance, a car accident lawyer can help you pursue compensation from the at-fault party’s insurance company. The car accident lawyers at The Russo Firm can use their local experience and car accident law expertise to help you with your car accident claim.
Why Choose The Russo Firm for Your Scottsdale Car Accident Claim?
Following a car accident, you need someone in your corner that has an awareness of what you’re going through and can use that awareness and car accident claim experience to handle your claim properly. At The Russo Firm, we have helped Scottsdale car accident victims for decades pursue compensation for their damages.
Communication is key to good legal counsel, something all of our car accident lawyers understand and use in relationships with clients. We want to hear from you and want you to hear from us, as conversations can inform the claims process. We can cater the car accident claim to your specific situation, addressing any thoughts and concerns you have along the way. Contact the Russo Firm for personalized attention and car accident legal counsel that puts your concerns above all else.
The Russo Firm Case Results
The Russo Firm has earned a proven track record of earning compensation for clients over decades of helping personal injury victims across the United States. We have accomplished this by always placing earning fair compensation for clients as our number one priority. Our car accident lawyers will not make rookie mistakes that affect your ability to earn compensation.
A tactic some insurance companies use is offering an early settlement offer that is lower than what would be considered fair. An insurance company will do this to keep its profits up, hoping you accept a lower amount than you can get if you keep the claims process going. Our car accident attorneys can see through this tactic and continue negotiations until you receive fair compensation. If a settlement cannot be reached, we have no problem taking the car accident claim to court.
The following are some of the case results we have earned for our clients:
- $3.3 Million for a Drunk Driving Car Accident
- $2.4 Million for Medical Malpractice Misdiagnosis
- $2 Million for Trucking Accident That Led to a Wrongful Death
- $1.75 Million Product Liability Jury Award for Crushed Hand
- $650 Thousand Automobile Accident Jury Award for Reconstructed Knee
Arizona Car Accident Laws
Arizona’s car accident, insurance, and accident claim laws dictate how Scottsdale drivers should approach a car accident from a legal perspective. According to the Arizona Revised Statutes section 28-667, Arizona drivers must contact law enforcement after a car accident that results in injury, death, or at least $2,000 worth of property damage. The responding officer will survey the scene, evaluate how it happened, and file a traffic crash report on the details of the accident.
Arizona adheres to a traditional fault-based system, meaning that the negligent party or parties that caused the car accident bear responsibility for the damages they caused. Car accident victims do not have to turn solely to their insurance to cover car accident damages and can instead file a car accident claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company.
The statute of limitations refers to how long a car accident victim has to file a claim to pursue compensation for damages. In Arizona, car accident victims have two years to file a car accident claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company, with time beginning to elapse on the day of the car crash.
Comparative Fault in Arizona Car Accident Claims
Arizona operates under the theory of pure comparative fault, which means every party involved in a car accident will bear responsibility for their share of the car accident. An Arizona court will look at the specifics of a case and assign a percentage of fault for each party involved, which allows even those at fault to pursue compensation for damages.
For example, let’s say you were running late and ran a stop sign. At the time you sped past the sign, a distracted driver pulled into your lane without checking and caused a car accident. In this case, both drivers committed negligent driving behavior and shared fault in causing the auto accident. A court may find you share half the blame, each contributing 50% to the car crash. Any compensation earned by either side will be deducted by half because of the responsibility they share for causing the car accident.
Where Do Scottsdale Car Accidents Commonly Occur?
Scottsdale is one of the biggest cities in Maricopa County, located in the south-central part of Arizona. According to the 2020 Arizona Crash Facts Summary Report, there were 71,611 car accidents in Maricopa county in 2020, with 19,997 injury-causing crashes and 492 car accident fatalities. This percentage of car accidents accounted for 72% of the car accidents for all of Arizona.
Scottsdale itself had 2,963 car accidents, 1,010 car accidents resulting in injury, and 20 car accident fatalities in 2020. Most of the car accidents in the city came from intersection accidents, with drivers not observing proper right-of-way rules and causing accidents through negligent driving.
The following are the most dangerous intersections for car accidents in Scottsdale:
- Hayden and Thomas roads
- Scottsdale Road and Shea Boulevard
- Scottsdale and Camelback roads
- Scottsdale and McDowell roads
- 92nd Street and Shea Boulevard
- Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard and Greenway Hayden Loop
- Scottsdale Road and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard
- Scottsdale and Thomas roads
- 90th Street and Shea Boulevard
- Scottsdale and Indian School roads
Causes of Scottsdale Car Accidents
The main cause of car accidents is negligent driving behavior, which is when a driver does not operate their vehicle with safety in mind. They may be distracted by manual, visual, or cognitive distractions, inebriated by drugs and alcohol, or not be in the right state of mind to operate a vehicle safely. Negligent driving behavior puts everyone else on the road at risk of car accidents and severe injuries.
There are many possible causes of a car accident that are outside of the control of a driver, including adverse weather conditions, defective car parts, and poor road conditions. However, it is the driver’s responsibility to drive safely and adjust to these obstacles accordingly. A failure to do so can cause a catastrophic impact in a car accident.
The following are some of the causes of Scottsdale car accidents:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Drunk driving
- Not using turn signals
- Drowsy driving
- Ignoring road rules
- Road rage
Types of Scottsdale Car Accidents
Many factors contribute to what type of car accident you can be involved in, including the number of vehicles, where your car was hit, and how your car’s position changes due to car accident impact. Your car can get hit from the front, back, or sides, with each possibly resulting in your car flying into hard objects, other vehicles, or off the road. Your car can also flip over and cause a rollover accident, possibly bringing other drivers into danger.
The following are some of the types of Scottsdale car accidents:
- Rear-end collision
- Head-on collision
- Sideswipe accident
- T-bone accident
- Multi-car crash
- Rollover accident
Severe Injuries Caused by Scottsdale Car Accidents
Car accident injuries can result from blunt force trauma, whiplash, penetrating trauma, colliding with hard objects, and being crushed between two hard objects. Each of these can cause trauma to a body part, with the pressure generated by the impact causing fractures, tears, and sharp cuts.
The severity of the injury depends on where your car gets struck. Different car accident types open up a driver and their passengers to different types of injuries, as some body parts are more exposed to impact in some parts of a car.
The following are some of the types of injuries you can suffer in a Garden City car accident:
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones
- Back and neck injuries
- Knee injuries
- Shoulder injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Facial injuries
- Internal injuries
Liability in a Scottsdale Car Accident Claim
The liable party in a Scottsdale car accident claim is the one whose negligence caused the car accident. In most cases, a driver whose negligent driving behavior, including speeding, not following road rules, and drunk driving, causes a car accident, and they bear responsibility for damages. Another common liable party is a company in the car part distribution chain, including designers, manufacturers, and distributors, whose negligence led to a defective car part hitting the market. If that defective car part causes a car accident, the company can be held liable in a product liability claim.
If you take your car to an auto repair shop but the technician did not fix your car properly, that auto body shop and the technician can be held liable for negligent upkeep and maintenance of your vehicle. There are also rare cases where an employer can be liable for a car accident caused by an employee in a company vehicle or while completing a company task. Government agencies can also be liable in extremely uncommon cases where poor road conditions lead to a car accident. Before filing a car accident claim, it’s vital to speak to a car accident attorney to go over all of your options for possible liable parties.
What to do After a Scottsdale Car Accident
After a Scottsdale car accident, there are certain steps you need to take. Not taking these steps can affect your health and ability to collect compensation from a car accident claim. The time after a car accident can be confusing, painful, and stressful, but it’s vital to complete these steps to put yourself in the best position to recover compensation for damages.
The following are some of the steps you should take after a Scottsdale car accident:
- Contact the police and give your statement: As mentioned above, you need to contact the police after a car accident involving injury, death, or exorbitant property damage. Once the responding officer arrives, they will take a statement from both parties on what happened. It’s essential to have your story straight, so you can have your side of the story on the record.
- Receive medical attention: Once the police officer leaves, you should go to the hospital to have yourself checked for severe injuries. You may have delayed symptoms, which can give you a false sense of health. A doctor can check you for injuries and begin the treatment process to mitigate the impact of your injuries.
- Collect evidence: Evidence is key to proving the liability of the at-fault party, so make sure to keep track of any important evidence along the way. If possible, take pictures and videos at the scene of the car accident, which could be helpful in proving damages. You should also have copies of any vital documentation, like medical records, insurance statements, and police reports.
- Contact a Scottsdale car accident lawyer: A car accident lawyer can help to put you in the best position to recover compensation for your damages. Find one with local knowledge and years of experience to help maximize your potential compensation.
Filing a Scottsdale Car Accident
You could file a Scottsdale car accident claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company if their negligence caused the car accident and your damages. Arizona operates under the theory of negligence, which means you will need to prove the at-fault party owed you a duty of care, they breached that duty of care, and that caused the damages you seek compensation for.
You will need to prove the elements of negligence by presenting tangible evidence. A Scottsdale car accident lawyer can help you collect evidence to prove liability, including photos and videos of the car crash, witness statements, medical records, traffic crash reports, expert witness testimonies, and vehicle accident reconstructions.
What Damages Can You Pursue After a Scottsdale Car Accident?
Damages are economic and non-economic losses that result from the impact of a car accident. As Arizona is a fault-based system, any party that causes a car accident through negligence is on the hook for damages. These damages can be those that the victim has already incurred and those that could come up throughout their life.
There are two common types of car accident damages: economic and non-economic. Economic damages are those with a monetary value, such as medical bills, lost wages, and property damages. Non-economic damages are intangible damages that have to do with how a car accident victim’s life has changed following the traumatic event, including pain and suffering, loss of consortium, and loss of enjoyment of life.
The following are some of the damages you can pursue after a Scottsdale car accident:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Lost earning potential
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life
How Can a Scottsdale Car Accident Lawyer Help With Your Car Accident Claim?
The aftermath of a Scottsdale car accident can be stressful enough without having to worry about handling your own claims process. Without a car accident law background and expertise, a car accident victim can fail to handle the process in a way that maximizes their potential compensation. A car accident lawyer has experience handling these types of cases and can help put you in the best position to recover compensation for your damages.
The most difficult part of the claims process is the negotiations with the at-fault party’s insurance company, as they will use their resources and insurance adjusters to find any information that can be used to limit your settlement. An experienced car accident lawyer can see through these tactics and counteract them to preserve your potential settlement.
A local Scottsdale car accident lawyer can use their specific knowledge of the area to add specific details to your legal counsel, improving your chances of receiving fair compensation. They can also assess your damages, assign liability, write the demand letter, interview witnesses, collect evidence, and represent you in court.
Contact The Russo Firm for Help With Your Scottsdale Car Accident Claim
At The Russo Firm, we have local Scottsdale car accident attorneys experienced in assisting clients to recover fair compensation for their damages. We offer personalized legal counsel catered to the specifics of your case. Communication is key to our success, as we want to represent your interests at every stage of the process. If your damages change, we want that reflected in settlement negotiations.
If you were in a Scottsdale car accident, you need legal counsel that understands your pain and has the expertise to help you while you recover from severe injuries. Contact The Russo Firm today for a free consultation by calling us at (480) 992-1700 or leaving a message on our online contact page.