Car Accident Injuries and Compensation
Auto Accident Attorney in Scottsdale
Car accidents occur for many reasons:
driver error, negligence,
manufacturing defects and dangerous weather. No matter what the specific cause or result of the auto accident, speaking
with an experienced
personal injury and wrongful death lawyer can help you sort out your rights, your options
and your future. We help drivers and passengers injured in car accidents
recover damages from the party or parties who caused the accident.
"Damages" means money, and the money is paid to the victims to compensate
them for their physical injuries, such as broken bones,
spinal cord injuries and head injuries; and also for their physical pain and their mental and
emotional suffering. This is often referred to as "pain and suffering".
Damages may also be sought to pay for the victim's medical bills that
arose directly after and because of the auto accident, in addition to
reasonable future medical bills. If the victim requires rehabilitative
services or accommodations, such as physical therapy or a ramp leading
to the home, these costs may be recovered. The car accident victim may
also recover lost wages (past and future) and property damages for personal
property damaged or destroyed in the incident.
In addition to the obvious cuts, broken bones and other physical injuries,
crash victims often suffer intangible injuries, such as emotional suffering
and what is called the "loss of enjoyment of life." Then there are the more severe injuries, such as permanent impairment
of physical or mental functions, paralysis, and disfigurement and scarring.
If the injured person was already suffering from a previous injury, the
question becomes whether, and to what extent, the auto accident may have
aggravated or worsened the victim's existing injury, and the new injury
can be treated as a separate matter from the underlying injury. When the
victim is married, his or her spouse can sometimes bring a claim for damages
for their "loss of consortium," which is the negative effect
the accident has had on the marital relationship, including such things
as the loss of the injured spouse's companionship, comfort, assistance,
sexual relations and love and affection.
The monetary "value" of any of the above damages will depend
on many factors, including whether the condition(s) suffered are temporary
or permanent.
At-Fault, Negligent and Aggressive Drivers
Driver negligence is much more common than you may realize. All it takes
is a split-second lack of attention. That distraction might be as innocent
as talking to a passenger, attending to an infant or child passenger,
changing a CD or radio station, eating or
texting on a cell phone; or it may be as obviously negligent as applying make-up in the rearview
mirror. Any one of these is enough to prevent a driver from being able
to react in a normally-quick manner to changing traffic conditions such
as sudden braking in stop-and-go traffic, objects, people or animals in
the road, and so on. More serious and obvious negligence occurs when traffic
or criminal laws are actually violated: disobeying traffic signs and signals,
failing to signal while turning or changing lanes, driving above or even
well below the posted speed limit, disregarding the weather or traffic
conditions, and driving under the influence of drugs, alcohol or a combination
of the two.
You may have a sense of who
caused a car accident; but a determination of "legal fault" can be surprisingly complicated
and involve questions about who acted when, which laws governed the situation,
witness recollections and the like. Even if the driver of the other car
was clearly negligent, you must still prove that his negligence caused
your damages. Police and auto accident reports, including witness statements
and photos can help; but even then, many car and auto insurance companies
will contest what appears to be clear liability and force you to "prove it."
Actions, on the part of either driver, that may have contributed to the
car accident include:
- Driving through a stop sign or red light
- Driving while intoxicated by drugs or alcohol
- Failing to drive in a manner that is safe for current conditions
- Driving faster or slower than speed limit
- Driver using a cell phone, toying with the radio, or otherwise distracted
- Disobeying traffic laws
In some cases, a driver may not simply be negligent; some drivers can be
reckless and even intentionally dangerous, consciously disregarding the
potential consequences of their actions. A common example of this kind
of behavior is road rage, which can potentially escalate to intentionally
dangerous activity. Road rage in particular can be extremely dangerous,
leading to injuries and criminal charges.
Clearly, aggressive drivers are a serious threat to the safety of all the
other drivers around them; and if they cause a wreck, their liability
is usually apparent. The difficulty lies in identifying them, then hoping
they have insurance coverage!
Car Insurance
It is most often the case that car accident victims who recover in court
or via a settlement are paid by the other driver’s insurance company.
If the other driver is uninsured or underinsured, however, the auto accident
victim must pursue other means of recovery.
The car insurance policy of the victim may have an
uninsured-motorist or underinsured-motorist provision that will compensate the victim. Other
types of car insurance policies, available through the victim’s
spouse or employer, may also provide benefits. How significant a benefit
and whether it is available depends, of course, on the specifics of the
policy itself.
Qualified Car Accident Lawyer in Scottsdale
The Watkin Law Office, PC has successfully handled numerous
auto accident injury and
wrongful death cases for our clients. If you or a loved one has suffered serious personal
injuries in a motor vehicle accident caused by the other driver's
negligence, whether in the greater Scottsdale, Arizona area or anywhere
else in Arizona, we would like to hear from you.
Contact us online or call 480-281-3838 to arrange a free, confidential consultation.
When results matter, choose The Watkin Law Office, PC.
Clark Watkin of The Watkin Law Office, PC is a Scottsdale attorney who
represents serious personal injury and wrongful death clients throughout
Arizona, including Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale,
Peoria, Cave Creek, Carefree, Fountain Hills and Paradise Valley.
IMPORTANT: If an insurance claims agent for the person at fault calls to
"interview" you, decline -- at least until you have spoken with
an attorney. Despite what the insurance agent might tell you, he is NOT
"just trying to help."
Auto Accident Resources:
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