Steps You Can Take After a Car Accident
You should take several steps after a car accident to protect your right to damages. If your injuries are severe or life-threatening, you should skip the following steps, call 911, and get the treatment you need to safeguard your health. That said, if you’ve only suffered a few bruises and cuts, you’ll want to take the following post-accident measures:
Call the Police
Even if you were in a minor car accident, it’s important to call the police and give them a statement regarding what happened. Based on the information they collect, local law enforcement will create an accident report that can serve as valuable evidence for your car accident claim. The report will include details about the accident, such as the location, time, and date, as well as the names of those involved. Your attorney can use this information to build your claim and help you get the compensation you deserve.
Exchange Information With the Driver
Once you’ve spoken to the police, make sure you speak to the driver and take down their insurance information. Remember, when talking to police officers and other drivers involved in the collision, don’t admit fault or say anything that could be used against your claim.
Take Photos of the Accident Scene
Next, you’ll want to document the scene of the accident by taking photographs with your cell phone. First, take photos of the general area where the accident occurred. Then, take close-up photos of the damage done to all vehicles involved. Make sure to include surrounding objects like rails or signs that were damaged in the crash and any signs of unsafe road conditions. Finally, you’ll want to take pictures of any visible injuries you’ve suffered. A car accident attorney from our team in Tucson can use the images you provide to build a strong personal injury claim or lawsuit.
Speak to Eyewitnesses
Once you’ve finished documenting the scene of the accident, it’s important to speak to eyewitnesses. If you find anyone who saw the crash occur, ask for their contact information and if they would be willing to provide a statement about the car accident they witnessed. A Tucson lawyer can use their testimony to strengthen your case and provide valuable evidence in court.
Seek Medical Attention
Once you’ve done everything you can at the scene of the crash, you’ll want to get treatment for your injuries and have a doctor examine you for any serious complications that have been masked by the adrenaline and shock of the accident. In addition to protecting your health, seeking medical attention soon after the collision will increase the likelihood of receiving fair compensation for your losses. That’s because relevant parties, like insurance adjusters and jurors, tend to take cases more seriously when accident victims seek medical care promptly. Getting immediate medical care can also establish a paper trail regarding your losses. Ask your provider to share detailed documentation of your injuries so our car accident lawyers in Tucson can calculate how much you’re owed for medical expenses.
Don’t Post on Social Media
In the days and weeks following your car crash, you might feel tempted to notify your friends and family about what happened by posting on social media. We strongly advise abasing doing so, as anything you post online can be used against you in court. For example, if you post a photo of yourself, insurance representatives could use it to claim that your injuries don’t look as severe as you say they are. Instead of posting about the accident on social media, we suggest notifying your loved ones in person or over a phone call.
Reach Out to an Experienced Attorney
If you’ve suffered financial losses, physical injuries, and emotional trauma from a collision, you’ll want to do everything you can to recover maximum compensation. In addition to completing the steps listed above, you’ll also want to hire a Tucson car accident attorney ASAP. Joining forces with a lawyer soon will allow them to investigate your accident before evidence is lost or removed. They’ll also be able to interview witnesses while their memories of the incident are still fresh. Getting in touch with a lawyer immediately will also ensure that your civil suit is filed within Arizona’s statute of limitations for car accident lawsuits.
Zanes Law Is the Right Choice for Your Case
Our personal injury attorneys have recovered tens of millions of dollars for our clients. Our efforts have helped clients suffering from serious injuries get the money they needed to cover medical bills, lost wages, and other damages.
We’ll strive to offer you the same comprehensive services when you come to us after your auto accident. From your initial consultation to the end of your trial, you can count on our team to:
- Collect evidence to support your case
- Use evidence to craft the narrative of fault in your accident
- Communicate with the liable party on your behalf
- Provide effective legal advice
- Prevent intimidation attempts from the defense and/or an insurance provider
- Prepare you for discovery and settlement negotiations
- Represent your best interests before a judge and jury
- Keep you updated throughout your case and answer any questions you may have
- Fight for the justice and compensation you deserve
Our Case Results and Client Testimonials
When you work with our team, you benefit from our eighty years of combined experience. Since our firm was founded, our Tucson, AZ, car accident lawyers have secured impressive case results , including settlements of up to $265,000 for clients injured in auto collisions. Our testimonials speak to our ability to serve our clients by addressing insurance claims, stubborn defendants, and even catastrophic losses. If you have questions about what your car accident case may look like, you can schedule a consultation with one of our personal injury lawyers . We can assess your accident, help you estimate the value of your losses, and prepare you for the complexities of a civil car accident trial.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Most Dangerous Roads in Tucson?
I-19 between Tucson and Nogales regularly makes several of the country’s most dangerous road lists. It ranks 19th overall in the U.S. in terms of fatalities per mile. Because the road doesn’t always have barriers between its lanes of traffic, many drivers end up driving on the wrong side of the road on their way to and from Phoenix. Tucson locals must be aware of potential risks beyond the roads, such as the intersections that the American Automobile Association has identified as the most dangerous in the area. These intersections are:
- Alvernon Way & Grant Road
- Grant Road & Swan Road
- Golf Links Road & Kolb Road
- Broadway & Wilmot
- 22nd Street & Kolb Road
While the city government is trying to make these intersections safer to navigate, environmental factors only contribute to a portion of the area’s car accidents. If you believe an unsafe intersection contributed to your collision, an attorney can determine if taking action against a government entity is the right choice.
What Are Some Risk Factors on Roads Near Tucson?
Desert roads present challenges for drivers. While you can’t control other drivers’ behavior behind the wheel, you can keep an eye out for the following:
- Long stretches of highway that can cause drivers to fall asleep at the wheel
- Overconfident motorists driving recklessly on isolated roads
- Motorists unprepared for urban congestion
- Distracted driving on long stretches of desert road
- An excess of trucks near manufacturing centers
Is Arizona a No-Fault State?
Arizona is not a no-fault state. This means that you must prove that someone else was responsible for your crash to receive compensation for your injuries. It does not mean that you are completely barred from recovery if you were to blame for the crash so long as the other driver bore some responsibility for the crash. Sometimes, fault may be clear, like if one of the drivers ran a red light. In other cases, it may be more difficult to establish, and a thorough investigation may be required. Once fault is determined , the responsible party may need to pay for damages and injuries you incurred. That said, an insurance company or a court may apportion blame in a car crash. Each one of the drivers can recover for the portion of the crash that was not their fault under Arizona’s contributory negligence policy. For example, if you suffered $100,000 in damages and you were 20 percent responsible for the crash, you could recover $80,000.
What Happens If the Other Driver Violated the Law?
In most civil car accident cases, you need to prove that another party’s negligence contributed to your losses. However, a misdemeanor conviction after a car accident can serve as proof of negligence. These charges tend to indicate that a driver engaged in some manner of unreasonable behavior, such as:
This is why it is so important to get a police report after the accident. An attorney can use evidence of a ticket to argue that negligence contributed to your losses.
What Is the Average Settlement for a Car Accident?
When you come away from a car accident, you’re left with questions regarding your health and your upcoming bills. Instead of asking how much the average car accident settlement yields, consider how much you’re owed for the unique losses and challenges you’re facing due to the collision. For example, your car accident could have been much more serious than the average crash. This means you could have suffered more losses. In turn, the settlement you’re owed is going to be more substantial than the one someone in a fender bender might request. To determine the value of a possible car accident settlement, schedule a consultation with a Tucson car accident lawyer. They can calculate your non-economic and economic losses and then present you with the ideal amount of compensation to shoot for.
How Much Is My Car Accident Worth?
When an attorney determines how much your car accident claim is worth, they’ll aim to come up with a number that is likely to return your finances, physical health, and emotional well-being to the levels they were at before your collision. If you suffered major monetary losses and catastrophic injuries, our team will have no problem requesting a high-value settlement from insurers or a large verdict from the court. No matter how much your car accident claim is worth, we’ll strive to secure the damages you’re owed. While we can’t give you a precise settlement estimate right now, we can encourage you to schedule a consultation with a knowledgeable attorney. A lawyer can review your accident-related bills and discuss the non-economic losses you’ve suffered due to the crash to determine how much you’re owed.
Will I Have to Deal With the Insurance Company?
When you work with our firm, you won’t have to worry about communicating or negotiating with the insurance company. Our attorneys can deal with insurers, so you have more time to focus on recovering from your injuries. In fact, we strongly recommend that you avoid speaking to insurance adjusters. Since insurers are always looking for ways to pay honest claimants less than what they’re worth, an adjuster might try to get you to say something that they can use to devalue your claim. When you hand your claim over to an experienced lawyer from our team, you can rest assured that they’ll do everything they can to protect your right to compensation and negotiate a fair settlement offer.
What Happens When You Receive a Settlement Offer?
If the settlement offer you receive is worth far less than you were expecting based on your own estimated compensation, the offer can feel like a slap in the face. Fortunately, our team reviews any settlement offers you receive with you. You, like many other victims before you, are likely to reject your first settlement offer. Afterward, we can work with you to draft a demand letter to the insurance company elaborating on the evidence you have asserting your right to additional support. This entire car accident claim process can be lengthy, even if your case never goes to trial. We’ll stand with you every step of the way and prevent an insurance company from trying to trick you out of your right to both compensation and legal action.
How Long Will My Car Accident Case Take?
It is impossible to know how long your car accident case will take to resolve. Most of the process is out of your control. Your attorney would need to investigate and gather the evidence needed to support your claim before they file it. Then, the insurance company has its internal process, which could take months. While the average case settles in just under a year, your case may be far from average. Complicating factors could add to the standard unreasonableness of the insurance company. When you work with our team, though, we’ll keep you updated regarding developments in your case and ensure you have access to the information you need to proceed comfortably.
What Happens If I Have to File a Lawsuit?
Although the majority of personal injury cases are resolved during insurance negotiations, there’s a chance that your attorney may have to take legal action to get the damages you’re owed. If you have to file a personal injury lawsuit, an attorney from our team can file an initial complaint and handle the discovery process. As they do so, they’ll also arrange meetings with the defense and discuss settling outside of court. If the defense refuses to agree to a settlement, your car accident lawyer will represent you in court, present evidence to the jury, and demand that you be awarded a fair verdict.
Does Filing a Car Accident Lawsuit Guarantee a Trial?
Filing a car accident lawsuit does not guarantee a trial. Once your suit is submitted, there’s a good chance that the defense will agree to offer a settlement to avoid a costly legal battle. If the defense agrees to a pre-trial settlement, you’ll get the compensation you need to deal with your medical bills, income losses, and other accident-related challenges without having to go to trial.
Will I Have the Money to Pay My Attorney?
You might assume that, in light of the bills related to your car accident, you can’t afford to pursue legal action against a negligent party. This is not the case. Our car accident attorneys in Tucson operate on a contingency fee basis. This means that you will never need to write our firm a check. Instead, when you first meet with our team, you can sign a contingency fee agreement. This agreement states that our firm will receive a percentage of your proceeds should you receive compensation for your accident. If we don’t win your case, we won’t charge you any out-of-pocket fees! You can learn more about our contingency fee agreements during an initial case consultation.
Schedule a Free Initial Consultation With a Skilled Attorney
Doug Zanes began practicing in 1997 because he wanted to help other people. Today, Zanes Law upholds that original goal and fights for maximum compensation on behalf of injured drivers throughout Arizona. Over the past twenty-years our car accident attorneys have successfully helped thousands of injured clients recover over $500,000,000 in compensation from hit and run accidents, pickup truck accidents, semi-truck accidents, ATV accidents, motorcycle accidents, and all other types of motor vehicle collisions. If you’d like more information about what a Tucson car accident lawyer from our legal team can do for you, contact us and schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. During your consultation, an experienced attorney will ask you about your collision and let you know if you’re eligible to file a claim or lawsuit.
Contact Us Today: 
And Then It Happens To You… A Car Accident.
Car Accidents That Happen In Mexico and How To Handle Them
THREE TIPS FROM A CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER ON MAKING DIMINISHED VALUE CLAIMS
Lost Wages After a Car Accident