Phoenix Car Accident Attorney Blog

If you cause a Tempe car accident because you ran a red light, chances are that you may soon see a video of yourself posted on YouTube, according to a news report published in Fox 10. The company that makes the cameras that are placed at intersections to catch drivers who run red lights, American Traffic Solutions, are beginning to post the footage they collect on YouTube in order to shame people into driving more safely. It is probable that the public is not happy about these cameras or footage being put up on YouTube.

Red Light Law

As car accident lawyers in Tempe, we know just how important it is that drivers obey the law and obey all traffic signals, especially red lights. According to ARS 28-645, drivers facing a steady red signal must stop and remain stopped until the signal to proceed is shown. People who run red lights may face license suspension, fines, traffic school and even jail time for breaking the law.

Tempe Car Accident Statistics

According to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), there were 6,658 Tempe car accidents in 2010 that resulted in 12 deaths and 2,680 injuries. In Arizona during the same year, 4,910 drivers disregarded a traffic signal, causing 28 fatal crashes and 2,313 injury crashes. Another 1,110 drivers ran a stop sign, causing 13 fatal crashes and 441 injury crashes.

Contact a Tempe Personal Injury Attorney

People who are hurt by drivers who run red lights know how scary it can be. As Tempe personal injury attorneys, we know the victims of these crashes often face serious injuries and weeks or months of recovery. Many families unfortunately lose loved ones as well. The Husband and Wife Law Team at Breyer Law Offices, P.C. take all steps to recover damages from the driver who is at-fault for the accident Many times it may be that there are multiple drivers of parties responsible for the victim's injuries. We obtain settlements for our clients that they can use to recover from the accident. Contact us today for a free consultation.

As Mesa car accident attorneys, we were shocked to hear that a car plowed into a Mesa home Wednesday, December 14, 2011. The car hit the master bedroom, according to Fox 10, which was just one room away from where the homeowner was sitting. Luckily, she was not injured. The worst part of the incident, however, was when the driver backed up and drove away, making this a hit-and-run car accident. Thankfully, a neighbor recorded the license plate number, and police are now looking for the driver.

Causes of This Mesa Car Accident

As Mesa car accident attorneys, we often see car accidents in which drivers hit stationary objects, such as light poles or houses, because they aren’t paying attention. We also see cases in which they are driving drunk. When people drive distracted or drunk, they risk seriously injuring or even killing other people. At the very least, they cause thousands of dollars worth of damage, as this driver did.

Mesa Car Accident Statistics

There were 2,893 people injured in Mesa car accidents in 2010, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). There were more than 6,100 car accidents in all during 2010. Maricopa County faced $1,449,951,518 in economic losses because of car accidents. In Arizona, the average economic cost involving property damage only was $8,364 per car accident. It is unlikely the house damaged in this Mesa car accident can be fixed for that amount of money; it will likely take two or three times more. Finally, there were 11,311 car accidents involving a collision with a fixed object, such as a home, in Arizona in 2010.

How a Mesa Car Accident Attorney Can Help

As Mesa car accident attorneys, we know that fixing this house will cost a lot of money. We work to investigate the car accident to determine exactly how and why it happened. We then hold the at-fault driver responsible for paying the cost of the damages and more. The victims don’t deserve to face the high costs themselves. Contact the Husband and Wife Team at the Breyer Law Offices, P.C. today for a free consultation.

The Gilbert auto accident attorneys at The Breyer Law Offices, P.C. applaud the city for amending a code that would have overcharged property owners for street improvements. There is an impending project near Higley and Baseline Roads that would improve the streets, but the city was going to charge homeowners for a broader range of items than is legally feasible. Improving streets is always important. The project on Higley and Baseline proposes to cut down on the bottleneck problem that occurs when there is high traffic in the area. It will widen the roads to three lanes in both directions. This could greatly reduce the risk of rear-end collisions and other crashes in the area.

Gilbert Auto Accident Statistics

Gilbert auto accidents totaled more than 2,300 in 2010, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). There were nine fatal crashes and 617 injury crashes. In Arizona, 5,520 crashes occurred because drivers followed other cars too closely and 5,987 occurred because they made unsafe lane changes. There were also 40,371 rear-end collisions and 12,949 sideswipe crashes. We hope the new improvements to Gilbert roads will help reduce the likelihood of all types of crashes.

What a Gilbert Personal Injury Attorney Does

An experienced personal injury attorney at The Breyer Law Offices, P.C. works to represent victims hurt in auto accidents. Our personal injury lawyers also:

• Make sure our clients receive the best possible medical care.
• Investigate the accident to determine who was at fault.
• Review police reports and talk to witnesses to gather facts.
• File all necessary paperwork and court documents.
• Advocate for our clients to the best of our abilities.
• Obtain settlements to help pay for medical bills, lost wages, and more.
• File for punitive damages when the at-fault driver breaks the law.
• Support victim’s families in the event of a wrongful death.

Contact us today for a free initial consultation to see what we can do for you.

As Mesa car accident attorneys, we have seen a recent rise in car accidents that involve cars driving into homes or businesses. This can be extremely dangerous and even deadly. Luckily, the doctor who worked in the office that was hit on December 21, 2011 was late to work and escaped serious injuries, according to a news report in Fox 10. As car accident attorneys, we want to warn drivers to be especially cautious when exiting parking lots to make sure they don’t accidentally put their cars in the wrong gear and cause accidents.

Causes of a Recent Mesa Car Accident

A recent Mesa car accident was caused by a 75-year-old woman who accidentally put her car into drive instead of reverse. This had serious consequences, but thankfully, no one was injured. The woman was leaving her physical therapy appointment in the office next door to the doctor’s office that she hit.

Mesa Car Accident Statistics

According to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), 23 people were killed and 2,893 were injured in Mesa car accidents in 2010. Inattention and distraction accounted for 12,026 car accidents in the state of Arizona in 2010.

Tips to Avoid Mesa Car Accidents

We want everyone to avoid car accidents and have a safe and happy holiday season. Here are some tips to help you avoid Mesa car accidents like this one:

• Do not drive while you are distracted.
• Do not use your cell phone while you are driving.
• Remain aware of what you are doing, as well as what other cars around you are doing.
• Make sure your car is in good working condition.
• Turn down your radio so you can concentrate on the road, including listening to other car sounds such as honking.
• Obey all traffic laws.
• Never drive drunk.

Contact a Mesa Auto Accident Injury Lawyer

Mesa auto accident injury lawyers can help car accident victims. The Husband and Wife Law Team at the Breyer Law Offices, P.C. represents victims hurt or killed in Mesa car accidents by holding the at-fault party responsible for the many expenses they may face. Contact us today for your free consultation.

As Chandler car accident lawyers, we are happy to report that most highways in the area are free of major construction during the holidays, according to a news report in Fox 10. That means drivers don’t have the additional task of watching out for construction zones, as well as negotiating holiday traffic and other risks. However, there will still be some construction on other roads, and if bad weather hits, there will be other restrictions. We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season free of car accidents.

Phoenix Car Accident Statistics

According to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), there were 15 people killed in car accidents on highways and local streets in 2010 during Christmas weekend. Traffic is expected to pick up during Christmas this year as well. In total, there were three fatal drunk driving car accidents in Arizona during the same 2010 weekend.

Avoid Phoenix Car Accidents: Tips from Officials

We know that whatever drivers can do to stay safe is a good thing. According to the report in Fox 10, officials have provided the following safety tips for drivers to help them avoid Phoenix car accidents:

• Always wear your seatbelt.
• Obey speed limits and other traffic signs.
• Rest well and avoid driving drowsy.
• Sober up and never drive while impaired.
• Check your vehicle for any mechanical defects, including making sure it has plenty of gas and the tires are at the manufacturer-specified air level.

How a Phoenix Personal Injury Attorney Can Help

The Husband and Wife Law Team at Breyer Law Offices, P.C. wishes everyone a safe holiday season. However, as Phoenix personal injury attorneys, we know that some car accidents can’t be avoided. That’s where we can help. If you are injured in an accident and have questions, feel free to give us a call for a free consultation.

As Glendale car accident attorneys, we have seen an increased number of car accidents this month in which people drive cars into homes and businesses. According to a news report in Fox 10, two teens who didn’t have a driver’s license or permit took their mom’s car and drove around their neighborhood a few times before crashing it into a nearby home on December 21, 2011. Luckily, no one was home and no was injured. However, there are extensive damages to the house and property, and if someone had been inside, this Glendale car accident could have been fatal.

Causes of This Glendale Car Accident

Because both boys were 15 years old and neither had a permit to drive, police believe they lost control of the car because of inexperience. This Glendale car accident occurred when they attempted to make a turn and instead crashed into the bedroom of a home.

Glendale Car Accident Statistics

There were 4,821 Glendale car accidents in 2010, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). Twenty people were killed and 2,039 were injured. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), car accidents are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens. In 2009, about 3,000 teens ages 15-19 were killed in U.S. car accidents and more than 350,000 sustained injuries. Male teens account for the most car accidents in the 15-19 year old age group, nearly twice as many as females.

Glendale Car Accidents: Tips for Teens

As car accident injury attorneys, we would like to see car accidents involving teens greatly reduced or even eliminated. Here are some tips for parents to discuss with their teens:

• Never speed or follow too closely. Studies show that many teens involved in car accidents do both of these things.
• Never drink and drive. Twenty-six percent of male teens who died in car accidents in 2005 were drinking.
• Always wear seatbelts; according to a study, teens have the lowest rate of seatbelt use as compared with other age groups.
• Avoid allowing passengers into the car; many car accidents occur because the teen driver is distracted by friends.

Victims injured in a car accident should immediately contact an experienced Glendale car accident injury attorney to represent them. The Husband and Wife Law Team at the Breyer Law Offices, P.C. have years of experience representing both teen drivers who were victims of car accidents and other drivers who were victims of car accidents caused by distracted, drunk, or inexperienced teenage drivers. Contact us today for a free consultation.

As Mesa car accident attorneys, we appreciate the city of Mesa’s attempts at studying and working to prevent car accidents. In 2008, the city compiled a list of statistics for the area in hopes of bringing awareness about how many car accidents occur and why they occur.

The study is published on the city’s website at www.mesaaz.gov. We hope drivers will use the information to educate themselves on how to avoid Mesa car accidents.

Mesa Car Accident Statistics

According to the city’s studies:

• There were 25 fatal car accidents in Mesa in 2008, which resulted in 26 deaths.
• The city’s percentage of fatal car accidents is below the national average.
• Most crashes (92 percent) occurred on “arterial” streets.
• Half of the car accidents were mid-block related.
• Twenty-two percent of drivers failed to yield the right-of-way, causing the car accidents.
• The victims were males more than 60 percent of the time.
• Pedestrian accidents made up 28 percent of fatal accidents.
• Impaired drivers caused 40 percent of all fatal crashes.
• November was the worst month for car accidents, while there were no car accidents in July.
• None of the motorcyclists involved wore helmets.

Tips to Avoid Mesa Car Accidents

From these statistics, drivers can deduce a number of things to help avoid Mesa car accidents. Drivers should remember that many accidents happen on smaller streets closer to home, when many people aren’t paying attention and driving distracted. Drivers should be very cautious when making a left turn and make sure to yield the right-of-way to oncoming traffic. Drivers should never drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Motorcyclists should always wear helmets to minimize their chances of serious injury and death.

Contact a Mesa Personal Injury Attorney

As Mesa personal injury attorneys, we know that even when drivers obey all traffic and safety laws, car accidents still happen. The Husband and Wife Law Team at Breyer Law Offices, P.C. works to represent the victims hurt in Mesa car accidents. We investigate to determine who was at fault and seek justice for the injured. Contact us for your free consultation today at (480) 753-4534.

As Phoenix car accident attorneys, we know that medical issues can contribute to dangerous driving conditions and car accidents when not treated correctly. According to a report from Fox 10, a diabetic man blamed his medical condition for the reason he drove the wrong way on I-10 at full speed all the way from 40th Street to 59th Avenue at 3:30 a.m. on November 25, 2011. Several people were involved in the resulting car accidents, and many were transported to a local hospital with injuries. The diabetic man was not injured. Our thoughts are with all the victims at this time, and we wish them a quick recovery.

Causes of This Phoenix Car Accident

The 67-year-old diabetic man involved in the car accident said he became disoriented because of a medical issue and entered the interstate traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes. The man’s vehicle hit another car head-on, and then cars began piling up in the car accident. Several cars were involved. The interstate was closed down for a couple of hours.

Phoenix Car Accident Statistics

While the number of Phoenix car accidents in 2009 was the lowest in 20 years, there were still 22,713 in total, resulting in 136 deaths and 12,318 injuries. Interestingly, a study reported in AZ Central showed that Fridays tallied the most number of car accidents, but didn’t give a reason why. This Phoenix car accident happened on a Friday as well.

Contact a Phoenix Auto Accident Lawyer

A Phoenix auto accident lawyer can help the victims of this accident. It is likely that the insurance company for the diabetic man will blame his medical condition for the cause of the accident. If this were to be true, they may deny coverage for the victims. The Husband and Wife Law Team at Breyer Law, P.C., works to hold the at-fault driver responsible for the medical expenses, lost wages, and damages the Phoenix car accident victims incur, as well as to make sure victims receive the best medical care. We have handled cases like this before where people have medical conditions, and they can become complex. Contact us today at (602) 457-6222 for a no-cost consultation.

As Phoenix car accident attorneys, we were surprised to hear of an oil spill on the Arizona State Fair Grounds. According to a news report by Fox 10, the spill occurred on November 21 and caused McDowell Road and 19th Avenue to be closed down while crews clean up the spill. Oils spills are notorious for causing cars to swerve, slide, and brake quickly. In these situations, it is important for all drivers to use extra caution and watch out for cleanup crews.

Arizona Car Accident Statistics

Last year, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), oil spills and other debris in the road accounted for 3,769 car accidents as well as eight deaths and 545 injuries.

Tips to Avoid Arizona Car Accidents

When there is debris or oil in the road, drivers must use extreme caution to avoid being involved in a car accident. Slow down as soon as possible and even consider flashing your hazard lights so approaching cars know there is a dangerous roadway ahead. When possible, drive around the questionable object, but be very careful not to drive into oncoming traffic.

If the object is low to the ground and you can’t swerve around it, drive over it. Take the next exit and pull over where it is safe and call highway patrol to remove the object. If your car is damaged, record the time, date, and location where it was damaged. Draw a picture of the object from memory if possible.

How an Arizona Car Accident Lawyer Can Help

When there is debris in the road, the governing body in charge of roads can be held responsible for resulting car accidents if they don’t work quickly to clean it up. As Arizona car accident lawyers, we know that even if you drive safely and try to avoid the debris, car accidents still happen. If you are injured because of a car accident, contact the Husband and Wife Law Team at Breyer Law Offices, P.C.. We will hold the at-fault party responsible for your medical expenses, car damages, and more. We are here to answer all your legal questions. Contact us today for a free consultation at (602) 457-6222.

As Phoenix car accident attorneys, we were saddened to hear that a young child was seriously injured in a four-car pileup on Loop 101 near 15th Avenue, according to a news report from AZ Central. The car accident occurred on November 11, 2011 at 5:55 p.m. and caused several more collisions, as well as a pickup truck to roll onto its side. Four other people were transported to a local area hospital in addition to the 6-year-old boy. Our thoughts are with the injured victims and we wish them a speedy recovery.

Causes of This Phoenix Car Accident

Police are not finished investigating this car accident, and it is still unknown what caused it. In most car accidents that involve multiple vehicles, at least one driver was traveling too fast for the conditions and was unable to avoid colliding with others. In other cases, debris in the roadway causes one car to swerve into another, and so on. Whatever the cause, it takes an experienced Phoenix car accident attorney to investigate the accident scene to determine who was at fault.

Phoenix Car Accident Statistics

There were 22,713 car accidents in the city in 2009. Injuries suffered in those accidents numbered 12, 318, which was a decline of 8.9 percent from the year before. The study, reported in AZ Central, showed that April was the month with the most car accidents and September had the most fatalities.

How Can A Phoenix Car Accident Attorney Help?

A Phoenix car accident attorney, like those at the Breyer Law Offices, P.C., would begin a case like this by examining the accident scene and talking to other investigators to determine who and what caused the accident. There were multiple people injured in this accident who could benefit from legal representation to help cover their expensive medical bills, lost wages, and other damages. If the team at the Breyer Law Offices, P.C. could determine that the at-fault driver broke the law, such as driving under the influence or driving at reckless speeds, victims could file for punitive damages, as well for their pain and suffering, to set an example to prevent people from breaking the law in the future. Contact us for your free consultation today at (602) 457-6222.

An experienced Glendale car accident lawyer knows all too well that Glendale has had far too many car accidents occur lately. AZCentral reports of a recent collision between vehicles which resulted in the injury of 3 people. The accident happened near 79th Avenue and Union Hills Drive in Glendale when a car crossed the median and collided with an oncoming car from the opposite lane. Reports say that the 17-year-old driver of the car was speeding before he lost control of the car. The car crossed the median and collided with another vehicle in which 2 women were riding in. All three involved were treated for non life-threatening injuries.

Glendale Car Accident Statistics

In 2009, the fatal car accident count in Glendale was 13. There were 20 vehicles involved in fatal accidents. Of these fatal accidents, 28 people were involved where 13 were fatalities.

Arizona State Speeding Law

In Arizona, there are speed limits for the major and minor roads. There are roads where the vehicle should not exceed 35 miles per hour, while others should not exceed 85 miles per hour. If a person violates these rules, they can be charged with a misdemeanour.

Contact an Experienced Glendale Personal Injury Lawyer

An experienced Glendale personal injury lawyer will be able evaluate a situation like this one and make sure that those at-fault will be held accountable. In cases like this one, it may be that the 17-year-old has multiple insurance coverages depending on his residence. This is something that an experienced accident lawyer would know to look into. The Breyer Law Offices, P.C. has been helping people who have been injured for over 15 years and can answer all of your questions. For a free consultation, please call (623) 455-6603. Also, feel free to follow us on our Facebook page for more personal injury information at the Husband and Wife Law Team.

As skilled Scottsdale auto accident attorneys, we recently heard of a very shocking accident. In recent news, ABC15 has reported a rollover accident that caused 2 women to be seriously injured. The accident happened at Pima and Jomax Roads in Scottsdale at around 4:00 a.m. and police say that the 39-year-old passenger was ejected from the vehicle. The women’s names have not been released. The cause of the crash is still unclear.

Scottsdale Car Accident Statistics

In Scottsdale, there has been a decrease in the number of car accidents in 2009. The number of fatal accidents dropped from 16 in 2008 to 6 in 2009 and fatalities also decreased from 16 in 2008 to 7 in 2009.

Arizona Seatbelt Law

In Arizona, children under 5 should use car seats or booster seats and it is required that all passengers wear seat belts where it is provided, especially for those who are sitting in the front seat. It is also the driver’s responsibility to make sure that all passengers under 16 use seat belts as well. The maximum penalty that a person will receive for violating this law is a fine of $10 for each violation.

Scottsdale Car Accident Lawyers Are Here To Help

At this point it appears that there are still a lot of unknown facts about this Arizona rollover accident. In an accident like this, if there is not enough information, it may be necessary for the women to hire different attorneys. It may be that if the driver is at fault, the passenger can sue the driver for her injuries. Therefore, one attorney could not help both people if the driver was at-fault. Typically, we would investigate this scene and have an expert accident reconstructionist inspect the accident scene and put together the facts to determine how this accident happened. To contact Breyer Law Offices, P.C. for a free consultation, call (480) 389-2463.

As experienced Phoenix auto accident lawyers, we see a lot of car accidents and different injuries. When a person dies because of another one's negligence and the driver at-fault was under the influence of drugs, the driver should be punished. On October 20, 2011, AZFamily reported that a woman has been sentenced to life in prison due to first-degree murder. In 2009, a woman stole an SUV and led the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) on a high-speed chase on Loop 101. In the process, a DPS Cruiser hit a 28-year-old officer who later died of his injuries. Drug recognition experts have determined that the woman was impaired at the time of the incident. Just last month, she was convicted of first-degree murder charges.

Phoenix Car Accident Statistics

In 2009, there were a total of 123 collisions which resulted in 136 deaths in Phoenix. The number of injuries due to collisions dropped 8.9% during the year. In 2010, according to Arizona Crash Facts, alcohol-related crashes accounted for 5.17% of all crashes in the state.

Contact an Experienced Phoenix Wrongful Death Lawyer

In a case like this, although it is difficult to say, it may be that there is a claim against the driver as well as the officers for the high speed chase. Obviously, this is a touchy subject as the officers were just trying to do their job. An experienced Phoenix wrongful death lawyer would look at the length of the chase, how the chase came about, and what precautions were taken to make sure that other innocent people were not injured by the chase. Typically, police chases are not something that is encouraged by the police for just this reason; innocent bystanders can be seriously injured because high speed chases are often very dangerous. The Husband and Wife Law Team of the Breyer Law Offices, P.C. offer a free consultation and have been helping people for years pursue their personal injury and auto accident wrongful death claims. Please call (602) 457-6222. You can also follow us on our Arizona Personal Injury Lawyers Twitter account for additional information, news, and other topics of interest.

As Mesa car accident lawyers, it seems to us that Mesa has gotten its unfair share of serious car accidents this last month. In recent news, ABC15 has reported that there was a serious car crash on Gilbert Road involving a car and a truck. Police say that the car crossed the median line and crashed head-on into a Forest Service truck. The car was seen at the side of the road after landing on its roof. Both drivers were taken to the hospital where the driver of the car has been reported to be in critical condition and the driver of the truck is in stable condition. Police say that alcohol may have been a factor in the crash. Our thoughts go out to the victims and their families.

Mesa Car Crash Statistics

According to the car crash and road traffic accident reports for 2009, there were a total of 20 fatal accidents in Mesa. 5 of those were caused by drunk drivers. There were a total of 52 people who were involved in these accidents and 20 fatalities.

Contact an Experienced Mesa Auto Accident Injury Attorney

In a case like this, it appears that the truck driver was not at-fault for this incident. It may be that the driver of the car was at fault, but perhaps more investigation may show that the driver was not at fault. An experienced Mesa car accident lawyer would need to investigate the scene, talk to the witnesses, and look at the property damage of the two vehicles involved. An accident reconstructionist could look at these vehicles and determine the speed that the car driver was travelling and see if any other party was at fault.

Alexis and Mark Breyer, attorneys at Breyer Law Offices, P.C. have helped people in Mesa for years with these types of accidents. If you would like a free consultation, call (480) 389-2463. You can also visit our AZ Personal Injury Attorneys Facebook account for news and additional topics of interest.

The Phoenix car accident attorneys at Breyer Law Office, P.C. are praying for the speedy recovery of the victims of the recent five-vehicle crash in Phoenix. As reported by ABC 15, multiple people were sent to various local hospitals because of injuries sustained from the crash at 103rd Avenue and Camelback Road.

Among the six people involved, one refused to be treated, according to the Phoenix Fire Department. Some of the victims may have possibly acquired life-threatening injuries according to a fire department official.

The wreck closed the area and authorities are looking into factors which may have caused the multiple vehicle crash.

What May Have Caused This Phoenix Car Crash?

There has been no information with regards to the exact cause of the accident. The two most prevalent causes of car accident are alcohol impairment and speeding. According to Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) data, about 1,457, or 5 percent, of all crashes in Phoenix last year were considered to involve alcohol.

Injury Crashes in Phoenix

Arizona car accident injuries can sometimes cause permanent disabilities and can be life threatening. Phoenix roadways have been plagued with crashes that have injured many people. According to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), there were 9,715 injury crashes in Phoenix in 2010 - the highest among the state’s cities.

Call a Phoenix Auto Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one has suffered car accident injuries, contact an attorney to represent you in a compensation claim. With today’s high cost of medical care and other accident-related expenses, personal injury compensation is necessary to help pay all of the medical care incurred. Many people who are seriously injured are also left to think about how they will pay their medical and household bills when they are unable to work. There are also future medical bills to worry about when you have been injured in a car accident in Phoenix. That's why experienced attorneys can make a big difference.

Experienced Phoenix personal injury lawyers can help victims obtain successful settlements to help with all of these financial burdens. Call the Husband And Wife Law Team for a free consultation at (480) 389-2463.

The Mesa motor vehicle collision attorneys at Breyer Law Offices, P.C. were glad to know that in the state of Arizona, head-on collisions in multi-vehicle accidents have decreased to 1,940 incidents in 2010 from 2,506 in 2009.

Another Mesa motor vehicle collision happened on Sunday night, October 23, at around 7:30 p.m. According to ABC15, the collision happened on Gilbert Road when a car collided head-on with a Forest Service truck after crossing a median. The driver of the car was injured and in a critical condition at a Valley Trauma Center while the truck driver was in a stable condition.

Head-On Collision Statistics in Arizona

According to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) rear-end collisions accounted for 46.05%, or 40,371 incidents, of all multi-vehicle collisions in 2010, 54 of which were fatal crashes. Meanwhile, despite having only 1,940 total head-on collisions in 2010, 47 were reported by ADOT as fatal accidents. This means that even though the number of head-on collisions was much less, the percentage differences of fatal crashes for rear-end and head-on collisions were not that far apart at 13.14% and 11.44% respectively.

Arizona State Reckless Driving Laws

Reckless driving (ARS 28-693) is a serious offense in Arizona. Drivers convicted of reckless driving in Arizona can be guilty of a class 1 or class 2 misdemeanor.

Contact an Experienced Mesa Motor Vehicle Collision Attorney

Contact Breyer Law Offices, P.C.’s Mesa personal injury attorneys about your questions and receive an honest evaluation of your injury case. Many times, head-on collisions require extensive investigation. This is especially true when the person who caused the accident is driving a truck. Often, if the negligent party is working at the time of the accident; it is possible to secure a commercial policy to pay for the personal injury claim of the innocent individual. At this time, there is limited information for this accident, but there is enough information to know that an experienced Mesa car accident lawyer would be able to review the police report and offer solid advice. Contact Alexis and Mark Breyer at Breyer Law Offices, P.C. for a free consultation at (480) 389-2463.

Glendale car accident lawyers Alexis and Mark Breyer are relieved to hear that no one was seriously hurt in a recent crash that happened at 59th Avenue and Union Hills Drive. As reported by ABC 15, the accident occurred around 8:30 p.m. involving a car and a pickup truck. The latter was reportedly going westbound in the left turn lane and collided with the former which was in the eastbound lane.

The man driving the pickup truck suffered minor injuries while the woman in the passenger car was brought to a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

The wreck closed the road until 5:30 a.m. the next morning as authorities investigated the scene.

Impairment and speed are not believed to be factors in the incident. Glendale Police are looking into what signals were being given from the traffic light when the crash occurred.

Arizona Injury Crashes
Injury crashes are a major concern in Arizona. According to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), approximately 31 percent of all car accidents in 2010 in Arizona were reported as injury crashes. These accidents led to 50,110 people being hurt in just a single year.

Call a Glendale Car Accident Lawyer
Choosing a personal injury lawyer is a key factor in winning an Arizona car accident injury claim. Alexis and Mark Breyer of Breyer Law Offices have years of experience representing and winning personal injury cases in Arizona. Certified by the State Bar of Arizona, Mark Breyer belongs to the 1 percent of attorneys that have received specialization in injury and wrongful death law. Take the time to know them and their services better and be briefed on your case with a free consultation at (623) 455-6603.

Glendale car accident attorneys were glad to discover that children fatalities, specifically those ages 14 and younger, declined from 46 deaths in 2009 to 31 deaths in 2010. Crash-related injuries have also decreased to 3,881 from 4,039 injuries in 2009.

In Glendale, a 12-year-old girl was killed and two more were injured in a fatal crash. According to ABC15, the incident occurred near Litchfield Road and Lightning Street on Sunday, October 9, 2011 at around 2:40 a.m. Glendale police reported that the driver, an 18-year old teen, lost control of the pickup, causing it to crash into a wall at Luke Air Force Base. The crash killed his 12-year-old sister, and injured him and his fiance who was sitting in the front seat.

Our hearts goes out to the families of the victims. We offer our deepest condolences and we pray for the speedy recovery of the two injured. This is truly a tragic car accident.

What May Have Caused this Glendale Fatal Car Accident

According to Glendale police, the three occupants were travelling southbound on Litchfield Road when the driver lost control of the truck. According to the initial investigation, the brother might have fallen asleep while driving. Police are still unsure whether the three were wearing safety belts when the accident happened.

Arizona Light Truck Accident Statistics

According to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), motor vehicle crashes involving pickup trucks and vans declined from 40,680 crashes in 2009 to 39,571 incidents in 2010. Despite this, the total number of fatalities for motor vehicle accidents involving light trucks increased from 92 in 2009 to 118 in 2010.

Contact an Experienced Glendale Car Accident Attorney

An experienced Glendale car accident attorney can play a vital role in helping families of victims who have been killed in a car accident. Even if it is a family member, you can file a claim against the insurance company; it does not have to be against the family member per se. These are legalities in the law that a lawyer can explain to you so you can decide how you wish to proceed in your personal injury claim. Contacting a Glendale wrongful death accident attorney can be in your best interest to make sure you are not missing any statute of limitations and are well informed on your claim. Call us now for a free consultation at (623)455-6603.

Many times when children will take their vehicles on joy rides, the end result could be a serious accident. As Arizona car accident lawyers, we see many times that children who take their parents’ vehicle mean no harm, but can often cause injury to others. Recently ABC 15 reported that a 12-year-old boy took his family’s SUV on a joyride. The SUV reportedly crashed into some parked vehicles after being chased by the police. The child’s mother was contacted about the incident. Police also say that the 12-year-old brought his 5-year-old sibling along for the ride. Police did not say anything about charges on the incident. Luckily, the boy did not cause serious injuries to anyone.

National Car Accident Statistics

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people ages 5-34. Every day, people of all ages are wheeled into emergency rooms due to automobile crashes. Driver inexperience is one of the factors that can cause a crash.

Arizona Teen Driving Law

Before anybody is allowed to drive, a license is required to ensure that the individual is capable of driving a car. In Arizona, the requirements for a teen to get a graduated license is to be least 15 and ½ years old, as well as passing a driving test.

Contact a Phoenix Car Accident Lawyer

An experienced Phoenix car accident lawyer will be able to answer all of your questions if you are injured by a child who has taken a vehicle on a joy ride. Under these circumstances, the insurance company many times will try to deny liability by saying that the child stole the vehicle. As experienced Phoenix car accident lawyers, we have dealt with insurance companies for years fighting for innocent individuals who have been injured by a child who has taken a vehicle for a joy ride. Alexis and Mark Breyer of Breyer Law Offices, P.C. know how to win these cases and can help you. If you have been seriously injured under circumstances similar to these, give us a call for a free consultation at 602-457-6222.

On Tuesday morning, October 4, 2011, A Phoenix police officer and another were transported to a hospital after being hurt in a four-vehicle incident which occurred at 67th Avenue and Van Buren Street. According to reports from AZ Family, there were two more people who were injured in the wreck but both refused to be treated.

What Caused the Arizona Motor Vehicle Accident?

According to the reports of AZ Family, a police SUV responded to an emergency call. During that time, the officer left the SUV's lights and sirens on. Meanwhile, a woman was pulling out from a school's parking lot and on her way going west on Van Buren Street. Both vehicles collided in the center lane causing the police SUV to spin and hit a purple SUV, while the woman's vehicle hit a gray van after it spun due to the impact of the collision. According to reports, the police officer sustained a broken leg and both drivers were taken to a hospital. We hope all parties involved have a speedy recovery.

Phoenix Motor Vehicle Crash Statistics

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) revealed that motor vehicle crashes in the Phoenix area have slightly declined from 29,282 incidents in 2009 to 29,062 in 2010. These crashes have caused injuries to 15,050 persons and 149 deaths.

Arizona Reckless Driving (ARS 28-693)

Reckless driving may have been a factor in this accident. Reckless driving offense are categorized into two classes and each have specific potential sentences. The first category is a Class 1 misdemeanor which when convicted will put you in jail for four months and a fine up to $750. The second category, Class 2 misdemeanor has a maximum six month jail time and up to a $2,500 fine and revocation of driver's license as penalties.

Contact an Arizona Car Accident Lawyer

A skilled Arizona car accident lawyer can assist victims and their families by examining the circumstances of the car accident and assessing the legal rights of the innocent victims. By calling Breyer Law Offices, Arizona personal injury lawyers, victims can be assured of honest and straight forward answers regarding their car accident claim. For a free consultation and all your questions answered call (602) 457 6222.

Did you know that that in 2005, the lifetime cost of crash-related fatalities and injuries reached to $70 billion nationwide? Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among Americans from ages 5- to 34-years old according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As a result of the soaring numbers of fatalities and injuries caused by the car crashes, many families have suffered not only emotionally but financially as well.

Based on the recent statistics from the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), the state has incurred economic loss for more than $ 2.6 billion in 2010. ADOT has recorded 762 fatalities in 2010 and 50,110 injuries, a decline from incidents occurred in 2009. Despite of this, the threat still remains due to recklessness and negligence.

A two-vehicle collision in Casa Grande last Wednesday killed one person (09-14-11). According to authorities, the collision occurred south of the Valley just after 3 pm. In their investigation, the driver of a 2005 Crown Victoria lost control of his car along Jimmie Kerr Blvd. The car swerved into oncoming traffic and struck a 2006 Chevrolet pickup truck.

Although the driver of the ¾ ton pickup truck did not sustain life-threatening injuries, the 56-year old driver of the Crown Victoria was left unconscious and not breathing inside his vehicle. He was removed and was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Alcohol-impairment is believed to be the cause of the collision.

If you have been a victim of alcohol-impaired driving accident and would like to seek compensation, the experienced DUI victim attorneys in Phoenix at the Breyer Law Offices, P.C., are available at (602)457-2463 for a free consultation.

Did you know that 53.28 percent of the deaths caused by fatal car crashes in 2010 were drivers? According to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), car crash fatalities in Arizona reached 762 in 2010. 406 of these deaths were drivers, 182 were passengers, 155 were pedestrians, and 19 were bicyclists.

Motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of death among children and young adults nationwide. Alcohol and speed are two of the many factors that cause fatal crashes. Despite the decreasing incidents of road traffic crashes for the past few years, it still takes a toll on victims' family and friends.

Financial losses also add up for families and loved ones of car crash victims. In 2005, medical and work loss costs due to car crash fatalities reached to $41 billion nationwide. In Arizona, state-wide economic loss due to car crash fatalities resulted in $1 billion in 2010.

On Tuesday, September 6, a driver was killed when his car crashed into a fountain in an apartment complex, according to the Scottsdale Police Department. The 35-year-old driver was driving his Saturn south on 115th Street near Shea Boulevard when he turned into an apartment complex and struck a fountain.

He was taken to a hospital but was pronounced dead. Alcohol and speed were not the cause of the crash. Authorities believe that the driver suffered a medical episode when he crashed into the fountain in front of the clubhouse. If a person has a medical condition, it is his or her responsibility to take the proper precautions to ensure the safety of themselves and others when driving.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident in Arizona, contact us at (480) 753-4534 to speak with a highly qualified Scottsdale car accident lawyer. It is important to seek assistance to attorneys with credible experience in handling car accident cases.

Multi-vehicle crashes occur frequently in Phoenix due to high levels of traffic. According to a Crash Facts Summary for Arizona, in 2009, multi-vehicle crashes accounted for a devastating 87,651 crashes. The most common collision being the rear-end type; it is quite surprising how records of crashes easily went up. Following rear-end collisions was speeding or reckless driving. Total crashes in Phoenix amounted to 29,282: alcohol-related crashes being 1,581. Those killed reached up to 60 people while those who got injured amounted to 1,149.

In recent news, three people have sustained serious injuries due to a multi-vehicle accident in Phoenix (ABC15 09/06/2011). According to the Phoenix Fire Department, there were four vehicles that crashed at 38th and Peoria Avenues and left one person to be extricated from the wreckage. The three people were immediately sent to Valley trauma centers to get their injuries checked. Further information as to what caused the crash is yet to be available.

Multi-vehicle crashes can be disastrous at anytime and in an instant. There was a previous record of a collision where more than a hundred vehicles actually piled-up. This most commonly happens on high speed routes, such as freeways. Always be careful when out in the road. Always look from side to side and front to back.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a multi-vehicle accident in Arizona caused by the negligent actions of another, there is free consultation at this number: (602) 457-6222. We are Arizona personal injury lawyers and we may be able to help.

The New Registration Database (NRD) of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) researched 2009 car accidents. Research showed that there were 24, 474 people killed due to a car crash and that would be around 17,640 drivers, 6,770 were passengers and 54 were unknown.

ABC15 reported that a car crash occurred on the Scottsdale freeway. The crash occurred in the afternoon at the southbound Loop 101 at McDonald Drive. There were no other details released about injuries, and the cause of the crash remains unreported. Due to the crash, four lanes of the freeway were blocked.

The importance of seatbelts and child safety seats in Arizona cannot be downplayed. They are essential to keeping your children and yourself safe in the event of a car crash. Furthermore, while driving one must refrain from using any electronic devices in order for one not be distracted from driving. So avoid using cellular phones, iPods, taking pictures while driving. If a person has been drinking alcohol they should never get behind the wheel of a vehicle.

If you or a loved one was a victim of car accident in Arizona, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your losses. Call the experienced car crash attorneys in Scottsdale at the Breyer Law Offices, P.C. today for a free consultation at (480) 753-4534. We may be able to help you.

A stolen vehicle ended up in a Scottsdale auto accident after it crashed on a freeway Tuesday early morning (ABC 15 08/30/2011). According to report, Scottsdale police received a complaint regarding a stolen car around 4:30 a.m. near Loop 101 and Shea Boulevard.

The vehicle was spotted traveling south at a high rate of speed near McKellips Road before crashing near the Loop 101 and Loop 202 junction. Police continue their search for the suspects who fled the scene after the accident.

If there is any consolation to the incident, it is that no other people were hurt in the crash. Car accidents are notoriously known to cause injuries and even deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), car accidents have become prevalent that they are “the leading cause of death among those age 5-34 in the U.S”. Furthermore, CDC points out that motor vehicle crashes cost $ 70 billion in 2005. This includes medical and legal expenses, property damage, and lost productivity and quality of life.

How do you protect yourself and your loved ones from car accidents? As experienced car accident attorneys in Scottsdale, we believe that If every driver would put safety first when on the road, fatal and injury crashes will be reduced significantly. Human factors such as impairment, aggressive driving, and distraction are the most common causes of car accidents. Avoiding them and reporting those who engage in such risky driving behaviors are the best way to stay safe on the road.

Car accident victims in the Arizona area can call (480) 389-2463 for a free consultation with an accident attorney. You can also visit our Husband and Wife Law Team Facebook page for news, helpful information and other topics of interest.

The New Registration Database (NRD) of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 2009 states that there are a total of 24,474 people getting killed from car crashes, including 17,640 drivers, 6,770 passengers and 54 unknown occupants.

AZCentral reported that an Arizona car accident occurred last Monday just after midnight. All three passengers were under the age of 21, and were in a sedan headed south on Bullard Avenue. The police think the driver lost control of the car when it attempted to avoid ditch. The sedan then hit a curb and it became airborne and slammed into a tree in and landed on its roof. The branches of the tree punched through the car which stuck the 19 year old driver and caused his death. The two other passengers were injured and it is still unclear whether the injuries were from the tree or the crash itself. They were able to get out from the car 15 minutes later and called the police from a phone booth nearby at a golf course at 12:45 in the morning. As of the moment it is still unclear if alcohol is involved with the accident and the investigation is still ingoing.

That is why, as experienced auto accident lawyers in Phoenix, we always encourage drivers and passengers to take precautionary measures such as wearing seat belts and avoid distractions such as cellular phones and electronic devices and refrain from driving under the influence of alcohol.

If you or a loved one has been a victim of a car collision, call us for a free consultation at (602) 267-1280, we may be able to help you. You may also visit our Arizona Personal Injury Lawyers Facebook page for useful information, news, and other topics of interest.

As stated by the World Health Organization (WHO) that there are about 300 people who die due to crashes each day worldwide. In addition, as of 2009 there were an estimated 6,420,000 cars involved in accidents in the United States alone. That results in about 2.9 billion injury cases and 42,636 car accident deaths. On average 115 persons die every 13 minutes due to motor vehicle in the United States.

As reported by ABC15 an accident occurred in Sun Lakes Thursday morning and a woman is currently fighting for her life. The accident happened at Dobson and Palomino, it was just north of Warner. The Maricopa County Sherriff’s Office said that the woman who was driving a golf cart was T-boned by another car, which was driven by another woman. The woman who was driving the golf cart was airlifted to a local hospital in which she sustained life-threatening injuries.

It is really important that if one is driving they should be attentive and always keep their eyes on the road. Refrain from using cellular phones and other electronic devices in which it can distract one from driving and getting involved in motor vehicle accidents. If one has been drinking, it is important not to drive. Driving responsibly not only save one’s life but also any person that they share the road with.

If you or a loved one was a victim of a car accident, call our car accident lawyers in Arizona for a free consultation at (602) 457-6222, we may be able to help you. You may also follow us on our Arizona Law Team Twitter account for more useful information and other topics of interest.

According to the 2009 Arizona Crash facts, there were a total of 106,767 crashes in Arizona in 2009. In the entire U.S., motor vehicle crashes were found to be the leading cause of death among those aged 5-34. Every day, there are people being brought into emergency departments for treatment of injuries. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle crashes are expected to be the third most serious threat to human health in the world by the year 2020.

In recent news, ABC15 reported a collision on the U.S. 60 at the Mesa Drive off ramp, which involved a DPS officer. Luckily, only minor injuries were found on those involved. The exit ramp was closed for a while to clear off the accident. The cause of the crash is still unknown, however, a picture taken by a photographer showed the DPS car appearing to have been rear-ended.

There are many reasons that could lead to a rear-end accident. One of the most common reasons is that a driver may have been distracted, leading him to not notice the car to his front slow down. Other reasons could possibly involve alcohol or drugs. Driving while fatigued or drowsy is also another reason what accidents happen on the road. When driving in Arizona, it is best to always focus attention on the road to avoid any accidents.

If you or a loved has been rear-ended while driving in Arizona, you may call our auto accident lawyers in Mesa for a free consultation at (480) 389-2463. We may be able to help you.

Multi-vehicle accidents can happen anytime on the roads of Arizona. Most of the causes would be speeding, driving under the influence, and many more. It’s a bit rare when one causes accident because of a medical attack. According to a Crash Facts Summary for Arizona in 2009, Mesa alone accounts for 6,543 crashes out of 68,653 or 9.53% with a record of 20 being killed and 2,088 injured.

In recent news, two were injured and one was killed in a six-vehicle crash in Mesa, Monday morning. Police say that the man driving a white pickup truck had a medical episode while on the road of Southern Avenue and 34th Street. The pickup truck sideswiped two other cars, continued further down the street, and hit three other vehicles: a Ford Escape, a Chevy Tahoe, and a Nissan. The left back wheel of the pickup truck was seen to have rolled up on the Ford Escape’s hood. Southern Avenue is closed between 24th Street and Rose, just East of Gilbert Road. The driver was found dead at the scene, unclear yet as to what caused his death, whether from his attack or whether from the injuries sustained during the crash. Two passengers of the Ford and Chevy also sustained serious injuries and were rushed to the hospital.

Pickup trucks involved in accidents totaled 38,674 out of 202,278. This does not necessarily mean that pickup trucks are prone to accidents but most likely it is due to driver errors. People who have weak conditions should refrain from driving.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a multiple motor vehicle accident in Arizona, there is free consultation. Just call our vehicle accident attorneys in Mesa at (480) 389-2463. For additional news, useful information and topics of interest, you can also follow us on our Arizona Law Team Twitter account.

A Phoenix car accident involving three vehicles turned fatal, killing one person Tuesday morning (AZ Family 08/09/2011). The wreck also closed a major intersection at Central Avenue and Baseline Road. Rescuers had to extricate the 22-year-old victim from his car who later was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

According to the Phoenix Police Department, the victim has just finished his shift from work and was on his way home when he lost control of his vehicle. His white Dodge Stratus was travelling west on Baseline Road when it crashed into pickup truck and then spun out into oncoming traffic. Another pickup truck struck the Stratus on the driver’s side.

The victim was reportedly speeding just before the fatal accident happened.

Police continue their investigation with regards to what may have caused the accident.

It is sad to hear a car accident taking away a very young man’s life. But sadder is the fact that thousands more die each year because of motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), fatality rate in every 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2009 has fallen to 1.13, a historic low, and injury rate fell to 74. It is great news that numbers have been dropping as of late but still, the fact remains that millions of people’s lives are still at stake each time they are on the road.

To protect yourself and your loved ones against car accidents, make sure you practice basic driving safety tips all the time.

Car accident victims can reach our traffic accident attorneys in Phoenix for a free consultation at (602) 457-6222.

Based from the National Car Accident Statistics for 2009 there are more than 5.5 million car accidents in the United States, and nearly 31,000 were fatal. A majority of the fatal crashes involve only one vehicle and that is about 61 percent. It has been reported that posted speed limits of 55mph or higher are most likely have the fatal crashes.

In 2009, the deadliest month was August, and most crashes happen between 5 and 5:59 in the afternoon during weekdays and from 2 and 2:59 in the afternoon on weekends. It has also been found out that the leading cause of death of teenagers and children are motor vehicle crashes. 812,000 vehicles crashes were caused by someone using a cell phone

It has been reported that a car crash in Scottsdale on Loop 101 caused the traffic last Tuesday morning. The accident occurred at around 4:37 early in the morning, which blocked the off-ramp and the left lanes of the Loop 101 Pima Freeway at Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard. According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, multiple vehicles were involved in the accident and non-threatening injuries were reported, it was cleared before 6:20 in the morning.

With the news stated above, keep in mind that one should think of the welfare of others, do not drink and drive. Be cautious and be a responsible driver and you might actually save a life.

If you or someone you love are injured in an Arizona auto accident, call our Scottsdale traffic accident attorneys for a free consultation at (480) 753-4534, we may be able to help you.

One of the leading causes of deaths in United States is car accidents. In fact, this is the same for almost all countries in the world. It is so fatal that it often results to injuries or even death among drivers, passengers and even pedestrians. There were about 6 million car accidents recorded in 2009 alone (NHTSA). Thus, it is important to know your responsibilities whenever you are on the road.

Drivers traveling to the Los Angeles area were forced to take an alternate route following a collision that took place on Interstate 10 on Friday afternoon. The Police officials informed citizens that the collision ignited a hay fire that led to the closure of the westbound lanes heading to California.

According to the Department of Transportation, the collision took place around at 1:30 pm near Eagle Mountain in between Blythe & Coachella Valley. The department recommended the travelers use either I-40 or take 62 to 177, until the highway was re-opened. The department did not mention the extent of iinjuries, but one person was airlifted to the hospital. As of 10:30 pm, the department website still has listed the highway was closed until further investigation as completed.

With the increasing incidence of injuries and deaths from car accidents, people cannot help but feel alarmed. Thus, it is important to take precautionary measures whenever on the road like wearing a seat belt. Seat belts are known to lessen the extent of injury by fifty percent. It is also important to remain at a proper distance whenever driving behind or in front of another car. Since speed is also another factor, it is advisable to maintain within the allowable speed range in your state.

If you ever find yourself or a loved one as a victim in a car accident in Arizona, our car crash attorneys in Chandler may be able to help. Call (480) 389-2463 and take advantage of your free phone consultation today.

Arizona Department of Public Safety has reported another fatal accident involving a single vehicle on Interstate 17 near Flagstaff Tuesday night (AZ Central 08/09/2011).

DPS say two people died in the accident which occurred around 8:45 p.m. after the vehicle lost control and veered into the median. The car overturned several times trapping the two victims.

The driver, a 19-year-old male of Scottsdale, died at the scene while his female teen passenger was flown to a local hospital where she was later pronounced dead. He was supposedly on his way back to Flagstaff to re-enroll at Northern Arizona University following a semester off.

Investigations reveal that the two were wearing safety belts at the time of the accident and no other vehicles were involved.

DPS officials believe alcohol was not a factor and are still continuing investigations.
It is very unfortunate that two very young lives were lost in this tragic car accident. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the victims.

Motor vehicle crashes have notoriously been known to kill thousands of people in the U.S. each year. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 2009 data reveal that 33,808 people died in motor vehicle crashes in the country. Though alarmingly high, NHTSA reports that roadway fatalities were actually at its lowest since 1950 – a period when automobiles where significantly less in numbers compared to today.

If you or a loved one has been in a car accident and would like to receive compensation related to a personal injury, don’t hesitate to call us at (602) 267-1280. One of our Arizona accident lawyers will be ready for a free consultation.

A vehicle fire involving any type of mobile property such as cars, trucks, and other highway vehicles; boats and ships; mass-transit vehicles; aircraft; and agricultural, construction, and yard vehicles are considered vehicle fire. During 2009, according to the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association), there were 219,000 reported vehicle fires causing an estimated 280 civilian deaths, 1,610 civilian injuries and a staggering $1.4 billion in property loss. Fatal crashes concerning vehicle fire in Arizona accounted for a total of 367 out of 106,767 or .3%, which is surprisingly the lowest out of all types of crash severity.

In current news, traffic was backed up for a while due to a vehicle that had caught fire on Interstate-10 in central Phoenix, mid-afternoon, Friday (ABC15 07/15/2011). The Arizona Department of Transportation caught the scene on tape. It showed the vehicle fully engulfed in flames and was pulled to the right side of the eastbound Intertate-10, near 19th Avenue. No further details yet as to the cause of the accident or if any civilians were involved at all.

Vehicle maintenance should be a regular practice among owners to prevent vehicle fires. Any condition such as fluid leaks, cracks, blistered hoses, or even loose wirings should be inspected and repaired immediately. Also, be alert to changes in the way the vehicle sounds when running. These will surely come in handy in the long run for the longevity of the vehicle.

If you or a loved one has been involved in vehicle fire accident in Arizona, there is free consultation. Just call (480) 389-2463 to talk to Arizona personal injury lawyers who may be able to help you.

A recent Mesa car accident occurred where a car crashed into a secured metal hangar door partially damaging a restored vintage plane (AZ Central 06/29/2011). According to the report, a car driven by a 21-year-old Phoenix man was travelling at high speed when it crashed into a hangar at Mesa's Falcon Field where the vintage plane was stored.

The 1972 Chinese military trainer valued at between $165,000 and $220,000 acquired extensive damage to the nose gear, a cowling beneath the engine and one of the wings in the early Saturday morning crash.

Neither the driver nor his passenger was hurt in the accident. Police did not ticket the driver but are continuing their investigation for possible criminal charges related to reckless driving resulting in damage to property.

Car accidents are not only a big threat to human health but are costly as well. A 2008 article by CNN Money reports that car accidents cost each American more than $1,000 a year2. This is based on the motorist advocacy group AAA’s claim that accidents cost $164.2 billion each year. This includes costs from medical care, emergency and police services, property damage, lost productivity and quality of life.

To avoid getting into a car accident drivers must abide traffic rules and regulations. If no traffic signals are available, traveling at moderate speed with heightened caution are some of the best ways to prevent car accidents.

Car accident victims in the Arizona area who wish to have a free consultation with an accident lawyer can call (602) 457-6222 to speak with the experienced Mesa auto accident attorneys at Breyer Law Offices.

Emergency departments across the United States treat millions of people injured from motor vehicle accidents annually. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), motor vehicle crashes are among the leading cause of the death among those ages 5 – 34 in the U.S.

In Globe, Arizona, KPHO reports that a police officer was killed due to a single-vehicle crash. The fatal one-vehicle accident happened on U.S. Highway 60 just west of the town of Superior. The officer was just on his way home when the accident occurred.

A single vehicle collision or single-vehicle accident is a type of road traffic accident in which only one vehicle is involved. Included in this category are run-off-road collisions, collisions with fallen rocks or debris in the road, rollover crashes within the roadway, and collisions with animals.

When accidents such as these happen, it is usually implied that the fault lays in the operator. Causes for such accidents could be inattentiveness, alcohol, excessive speed and failing to use the brakes when turning on curves. However, there could also be environmental and roadway factors that can also contribute to single vehicle crashes. These factors may include the following: bad weather, poor drainage, narrow lanes and shoulders, insufficient curve banking as well as sharp curves. Sometimes, vehicles may also have unpredictable car handling characteristics and/or defects which can increase the potential for a single-car accident.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident in Arizona, you may call this number, (602) 457-6222, for a free consultation. We are Arizona car accident lawyers and we may be able to help.

Did you know that rollover accidents are usually more terrifying and dangerous than any other vehicular accidents? There are a total of 23,382 fatalities from rollovers in 2009 alone, where 35.4 % of which are the number of rollover occurrences. Meaning, there is an average of 2.83 deaths from a single rollover incident. This only proves that a rollover is a very dangerous type of accident to be involved in.

A rollover accident Chandler, Arizona, had occurred which resulted to the closure of the Interstate 10 lanes. This happened in the Southern part of the Valley on the Eastbound of Interstate 10 at Queen Creek Road.

According to the Department of Public Safety spokesperson, the incident occurred around 2:30 pm. A Nissan Xterra rolled over after it veered off the side left of the road. During the rollover, two occupants were ejected from the van and suffered serious injuries. All five passengers were transported to the nearby hospital. It was unknown what cause the car to rollover.

Rollover accidents are commonly cause by a speeding vehicle taking a fast turn. In order to protect yourself from this kind of accident, it is important to wear a seatbelt as they can help keep you secure within your car. Remaining inside the car during a rollover accident is highly crucial. Without a seatbelt, the chances of being thrown from the car are massive and increase the chances of sustaining more serious injuries.

If ever this had happened to you, you should give our Chandler injury lawyers a call at (602) 267-1280, or (480) 753-4534 so we can help you through your problem.

Did you know that injuries from car accidents are the leading cause of death for Americans 5 to 34 years of age? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1.3 million people each year are killed in motor vehicle crashes around the world while leaving 20–50 million more seriously injured.

In related news, police have identified the three victims of a recent Peoria fatal auto accident (AZ Family 06/14/2011). The victims were a 39-year-old Mesa resident, a 23-year-old, and 19 year-old who were both from Peoria.

According to report, the 23-year-old was travelling in a pickup truck with his younger brother at a high rate of speed and ran a red light, hitting the vehicle driven by the 39-year-old at the intersection of Northern and 107th avenues.

A third vehicle was involved in the crash but the driver survived with non life threatening injuries. Both trucks caught fire and the three victims died at the scene. Peoria Police are still investigating the incident.

With today’s fatal car accident rate, CDC predicts that by 2020 motor vehicle crashes will be the third most serious threat to human health in the world. But as vehicle technology and road safety systems continue to improve in the following years, many are positive that motor vehicle fatalities will continually be pushed down to its all time low.

If you have lost a loved one in an Arizona car accident caused by a negligent driver, we may be able to help. For a free consultation with one of our car accident wrongful death attorneys in Peoria, call (480) 389-2463.

The number of teens driving cars is increasing. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention has stated that in 2009, eight teens’ ages 16 to 19 died every day from motor vehicle injuries, and that per mile driven, teen drivers aged 16 to 19 are four times more likely than older drivers to crash.

A 19-year-old male led police in a car chase around Casa Grande before hitting a utility pole (ABC15 06/16/2011). According to authorities, they attempted to pull the male over for cancelled Arizona auto insurance when he didn’t stop and instead, sped up. Later, the male started driving recklessly until he crashed into a utility pole in the desert. Afterwards, he ran out of the car and into the desert, where he was caught after a hundred yards. Police say he dropped a .45 calibre pistol while he was running.

Teenagers who are behind the wheel should take extra caution while driving in Arizona. Dangerous behaviours such as speeding could injure the driver or others. Distractions and passengers also increase the likelihood of risky driving behaviour. The CDC reports that male high school students are more likely than female student to never wear seat belts while driving.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a motor vehicle accident in Arizona, you may call us at (480) 389-2463 for a free consultation. We are Arizona car accident attorneys and we may be able to help.

Collisions do not only occur on the road, and any person, driver or not, can testify to that. In 2009, 20.1% of total fatal crashes occurred between motorist and a non-motorist. Sometimes, things such as distracted driving or perhaps causes beyond one’s control can cause an accident in an instant.

Recently in Chandler a black car didn’t take a turn and drove right into a house that stood at the end of the street. The car ran into some bushes before smashing into the front right corner of the white house. During the incident, the car struck a gas line and fire officials were called on the scene. This was due to the car hitting a gas meter. In effect, 23 homes in the area were affected and lost their supply of gas.

The driver of the car was an 80-year old man who fire officials think might have crashed the car because he unexpectedly experienced a seizure while along Cooper and Ray Road. After the Chandler car crash, fire officials reported that the man driving the car was okay. Although nothing horribly wrong resulted from the wreckage, the driver was sent to a hospital nearby and was hospitalized overnight.

Driving is not something to take for granted, especially when lives of both people in and out of the car are involved. One car crash can change the lives of everyone involved. Remember to always be alert while driving and be prepared for anything.

If you suffered from a car accident in Arizona and need help, call our Chandler auto accident attorneys for a free consultation at (602) 457-6222.

With the congestion problem in the world today, it comes as no surprise that the same problem occurs on the roads all over the world. Nowadays streets are filled with cars, causing not only damage to the environment but also damage to other people as well. With the sheer number of cars on the road, the chances of two vehicles hitting each other by accident are a great possibility and about 12, 121 fatal car crash accidents involved two or more vehicles in 2010 (Car Statistics 2010).

In Phoenix Arizona, a terrible incident occurred on Friday when two cars collided with each other. The accident happened at 32nd Street and Union Hills Drive. The Phoenix Fire Department spokesman said that there was no immediate information on the cause of the accident, but that it was so severe that one of the two vehicles rolled over and hit a tree after it crashed into the other vehicle.

Authorities reported that the Arizona car accident left two people in serious conditions due to fatal injuries incurred from the crash. Salomon said that there was also a third person that was affected in the crash and received injuries as well, but the injuries of this third person were not as severe compared to the other two. According to Salomon, the two people who were fatally injured were rushed to hospital in the area and they are now receiving treatment for their injuries.

If people are not careful, the likelihood of an accidental collision between cars on the roads of today is very high. Although man has been driving cars for a considerable amount of time, one can never claim that we have reached the level of expertise. The statistics per state and even for the entire United States state one fact: that one can never be complacent on the road, because sooner or later, an accident will happen. Such experiences have caused a major dent in the lives of people.

If you are one of those, we can give a free consultation if you call (480) 389-2463.

Head-on collisions are one of the most dangerous crash types there is. Did you know that in 2009 alone there are 126,000 cases of head-on collision crash? This makes 2.3% of the total crash incident of that year. There were 3,007 involved in a fatal crash, 60,000 with injuries and 63,000 for property damages only. Head-on collision is third when it comes to crash between two motor vehicles fatality.

In Arizona, a head-on car collision in Mesa had occurred near the Basline and Meridian Road. It took place last memorial day. Three teens were involved in a head on crash that was a result of heading straight to them from an opposing lane swerved towards them and crashed head on.

The passenger at the backseat was thrown at the front windshield because of the force of the impact, while the other blacked out and found herself waking up with the airbag in her face. The other teen was not injured though, but was so frightened of the incident.

Luckily, there was an off-duty firefighter driving behind them and took action at the scene. There were no serious Mesa passenger injuries during that incident. The teens were all 18-year-old that time and they look up to the firefighter that acted on the scene as a hero after the incident at the fire station.

There will always come a time that a head-on collision will occur and one or both parties may never avoid it at some point of the incident. There are many causes for these to happen and it is inevitable at times.

Just in case that you know someone who is a victim to a head-on collision, do contact us at (602) 457-6222, or (480) 389-2463, for some free consultation.

Distracted driving accounts for a shocking amount of car accidents in the United States and in 2009, 5,474 people died due to this. It is no joke for a person to attempt to multitask while he tries to drive and keep not only his own life but also the lives of his passengers safe. There are so many people, old and young people alike, who think that it is no big deal to drive for a brief moment with their eyes not on the road.

At around 8:45 Monday night, a Gilbert woman Jamie Rea crashed her SUV and she was ejected from her car after trying to get her iPod. She was driving along Guadalupe Road when she hit a curb and her car rolled over. Sgt. William Balafas reported that Rea was not seriously injured in the Arizona distracted driving accident.

A person may one minute be reading something and think to himself that indeed, distracted driving may seem like a bad idea. But in the very next minute, that very same person may find himself in a situation where the easiest solution may seem to be to take his eyes off the road for a second. This may seem like the easiest solution however it is definitely the most risky one. When you face such a dilemma, just ask yourself which of the worst-case scenarios is worse: Failing to pick up your cell and missing an important call, or ending up in a deadly crash that affects you for the rest of your life? If this seems too dramatic, just ask any victim of such accidents and you will be brought back to reality.

For people who either are victims themselves or know victims that are suffering from injuries caused by a cell phone or other distracted driving accident in Arizona, a free consultation is available if you call our experienced Phoenix cell phone auto accident lawyers at (480) 389-2463.

In the U.S., the leading cause of death for teens ages 15-19 is motor vehicle crashes. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention have said that motor vehicle crashes account for more than one in every 3 deaths in this age group. In 2009, eight teens ages 16 to 19 died every day from motor vehicle injuries. In the same year, about 3,000 teens in the United States aged 15–19 were killed and more than 350,000 were treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor-vehicle crashes.

A multi-vehicle accident in Arizona was the cause of injury of at least 3 people in a crash on the Interstate 10 (AZFamily 05/28/2011). The 5-vehicle wreck caused the traffic in the I-10 to back up for miles. Among the injured were a pregnant 19-year old woman, an infant and an adult male. The pregnant 19-year-old female was at the head of the accident, she also reported that she was 31 weeks pregnant. The conditions of the victims are still not available. Police resumed the flow of traffic in less than an hour.

Teens, ages 15-20 are always at risk for motor vehicle crashes as they often underestimate dangerous situations. Sometimes, they are also unable to recognize hazardous situations or dangerous roadways in Arizona. Teens are also more likely to speed, allow shorter headways and have the lowest rate of seatbelt use. One way to prevent teen crashes is through the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Systems.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a crash involving a teen driver, be knowledgeable about your legal rights and options. You may call us at (480) 389-2463 for a free consultation.

Each year, there are about 2.5 million rear end collisions in the United States. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in its study that it is the most frequently occurring type of collision, which accounts for approximately 29% of all crashes. This figure results in a substantial number of injuries and fatalities each year.

In Phoenix, three firefighters were injured when a vehicle crashed into their ambulance (AZCentral 05/14/2011). Earlier that day, these firefighters retrieved a man who had been electrocuted while working on a roof air-conditioning unit. The firemen provided first aid and CPR to the man while he was being transported to the hospital. As the ambulance was pulling into the driveway of the emergency room at Phoenix Baptist Hospital, a car suddenly struck the rear right of the ambulance which jostled and threw everyone around inside. The patient was pronounced dead, but due to the electrocution, not the crash. The three firefighters sustained minor injuries and the driver of the vehicle that struck the ambulance was not injured.

Rear end collisions in Arizona are usually caused by an inattentive driver. It is a combination of the sudden deceleration of the lead car and the lack of time that the trailing car has to stop before running into its back bumper. Occupants of the lead car will most likely suffer the injuries as opposed to the trailing car since the first car is struck from behind unexpectedly, while the passengers in the second car have time to brace themselves before the crash.

If you or a loved one has been rear ended by another, call our Phoenix car crash lawyers for a free consultation at (480) 753-4534. You should know your legal rights and options in these kinds of accidents.

Police received a call earlier this week about a Peoria accident involving a truck which crashed through a fence and ended on the backyard Patio of a home Wednesday morning (AZ Central 05/11/2011).

According to report, a 40-year-old woman lost control of her truck and crashed into a patio of a home located on the 6900 block of West Shaw Butte Drive in Peoria. The owner was at home together with his 4-year-old daughter but neither was injured.

Peoria police say the woman was travelling at high speed and hit the rear of another vehicle causing her truck to veer off the road and crash into the fence.

She suffered non-life threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

Two people were on board the other vehicle, an 83-year old woman and 88-year-old man. The latter was taken to the hospital for breathing difficulty but did not suffer any serious injuries from the truck accident.

Police cannot determine yet whether alcohol was a factor in the crash. The driver has not been cited as authorities continue the investigation.

Speeding has been a factor in thousands of fatal crashes each year. A 2004 report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveals that 30 percent of fatal crashes involved speeding, killing 13,192 people.

Victims of Arizona car accidents may contact us for a free consultation at (602) 267-1280.

Arizona vehicle accidents happen everyday. In fact, vehicle accidents can range from harmless fender bender’s to tragic highway collisions. Fatal car crashes are caused by various factors such as alcohol-impaired driving or drunk driving, distracted driving, poor driving skills, bad road and weather conditions, or poor vehicle maintenance.

Car crashes often result in injuries or in some extreme cases, immediate death of the victim. According to the latest statistics, over 30,000 crashes and nearly 34,000 fatalities resulted from fatal car collisions were recorded in 2009 nationwide. Car drivers rank first among those who die in car crashes. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

In Scottsdale, a driver was taken to the nearest hospital in critical condition on Thursday (05/06/11) due to a two-car accident which occurred at Scottsdale Road and Carefree Highway. Based on the partial investigations, a silver Pontiac sedan was driving westbound on Carefree Highway when it collided with a black Ford SUV going northbound on Scottsdale Road. The Arizona SUV accident accident occurred around 5:30 pm in a rush hour.

The driver of the sedan, a woman sustained life-threatening injuries and was flown to the nearest hospital. Meanwhile, the occupants of the SUV were not injured and refused to get treated.

The busy roads of Arizona are well known when it comes to car accidents. That is why travelling on these busy roads brings a lot of danger on the lives of the drivers and their passengers. Drivers should remain cautious and alert while driving, always looking out for negligent drivers.

If you have been a victim of an Arizona car accident, you can contact us at (602) 267-1280, an experienced Scottsdale auto accident attorney will be ready for your free consultation.

Did you know that according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were more than thirty-three thousand fatalities in the United States due motor vehicle crashes in 2009?

Arizona had 710 fatal crashes in 2009. This is a hundred less than 2008 which totalled 834 crashes. NHTSA has also revealed that fatal crashes in the United States have declined from 34,172 to 30, 797 crashes from 2008 to 2009 according to the Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT) – Federal Highway Administration.

On Monday morning, a car crashed into the Grand Canyon. According to a news article from KPHO.com, a visitor saw an injured man near Twin Overlooks and the injured man said that he accidentally driven his vehicle over the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The motorist, a 21-year-old man was then taken to a hospital due to his non-life threatening injuries.

There are a number of reasons why Arizona car crashes occur. Impaired or drunk driving is one of the most common causes of such incidents. Speeding in Arizona and distracted driving are also responsible for many auto accidents. Timely and regular engine maintenance is good way to prevent accidents. Responsible driving does not only commence while one is already on the road but before it.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of a car wreck, as Arizona vehicle accident lawyers, we are always ready to assist you. Dial (480) 753-4534 for a free consultation.

In 2009, the United States suffered more than 33,000 fatalities due to motor vehicle crashes (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). Each year, millions are injured and tens of thousands end up getting killed from vehicle crashes in the country. Presently, fatal car crashes rank first when it comes to the leading cause of death for people from 1-34 years old. Based on this data, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) predicts that if the rate of fatal accidents continues to increase, it will be the third most serious threat to human health by 2020.

The latest data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that in 2009, a majority of fatal crashes occurred in non-intersections, while only six percent occurred in intersections.

Recently, a fatal Arizona hit and run accident occurred when a Toyota Corolla collided with a BMW sedan, leaving one dead (KPHO 04/10/11). Investigators revealed that the black BMW was travelling westbound while the Toyota Corolla was headed northbound when the crash occurred. Witnesses also reported that the collision was probably due to the driver of the Toyota speeding and running the light at the intersection.

The driver of the BMW was promptly sent to the nearest hospital in serious condition. She later died during the surgery. Meanwhile, the driver of the Toyota got out of his car and fled the scene on foot. Luckily, he was later caught and taken to police custody by the Phoenix Police Department.

Not all hit and run accident victims are as lucky to have the drivers caught; that’s why we participate in the hit and run reward program, giving anonymous informers rewards if their tips lead to the successful felony conviction of a hit and run driver. If you ever witness a hit and run accident, call: 1-800-6-HIT-N-RUN.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of an Arizona car wreck, call us at (480) 753-4534 for a free consultation. Achieving rightful compensation starts with getting the right Arizona traffic accident lawyer.

A couple of car accidents were reported earlier this week which slowed down northbound traffic on Loop 101 in Peoria (AZ Central 03/30/2011).

According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the initial crash happened around 9 a.m. Wednesday morning when a vehicle rolled over after colliding with a barricade near the Grand Avenue exit. This caused the left two lanes to be blocked.

A second crash happened 30 minutes later involving two vehicles in the same area. Both Peoria accidents lead to minor injuries.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), motor vehicle crashes kill around 1.3 million people each year and 20 to 50 million more get seriously hurt. Additionally, fatal car crashes have become the leading global cause of death for people ages 15 to 29, with numbers higher than cancer and heart diseases.

A major cause of accidents is distracted driving. Distractions can range from loud music, to conversations with passengers, cell phone use, and rubber-necking. Drivers who take their eyes off the road in front and around them as they travel are at risk of possible serious accidents. Common accidents caused by distracted driving are rear-end accidents, as drivers take their foot off the brake without looking in front of them. Luckily, many of these accidents are minor, but still unnecessary.

For victims of car and other related accidents in Peoria who wish to seek for compensation relating to personal injuries, we are available at (602) 267-1280. Call now for a free consultation with one of our Peoria accident lawyers regarding your case.

After reading this article, about 20 people in the U.S. will have already been injured because of a car accident (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2009). With injury cases for 2009 reaching 2,217,000, it is evident that there is more work to be done to improve road and traffic safety.

Just recently, another Glendale car accident was reported involving a pickup truck and a handicap transport van (KPHO 03/30/2011). The head-on crash happened at the intersection of 27th and Glendale avenues Wednesday morning.

Not much information was available as of yet regarding the passengers, but helicopter news footage showed officers investigating the crash; while two ambulances were reported to be on their way to the scene.

The damages caused by car accidents are not only in terms of fatalities and injuries. Crashes have been known to be financially burdensome to the victims, at-fault drivers, as well as the general public. According to the AAA, a motorist advocacy group, car accidents in the U.S. cost about $164.2 billion each year. This includes costs for medical care, property damage, lost productivity, and more.

A majority of car accidents can be attributed to human error. Speeding, distraction, and impairment are very common causes of crashes. In fact, 32 percent of fatalities in 2009 road accidents involved a driver exceeding the legal limit for blood alcohol content.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of a car accident in the Arizona area and are seeking compensation for injuries incurred, contact the Glendale car accident lawyers at the Breyer Law Offices P.C. We are available for a free consultation at (480) 753-4534.

Apparently not only Arizona traffic accidents can cause fatalities on the road. In Gilbert, a man died when what seemed to be a simple traffic altercation ended in gunshots (AZ Family 04/09/2011).

According to police the victim was shot near SanTan Village Mall Saturday evening this past weekend when he got into a heated argument with another driver. A witness recounts that the 56-year-old victim was in a chase with another vehicle until they got to the red light and that is when things started getting really bad.

The victim got out of his pickup truck armed with a gun and approached the other vehicle. The other driver also had a gun and seconds later gunshots were heard as the 23-year-old man fired at him.

The victim was sent to a local hospital where he later died.

The suspect stayed at the scene and was brought in for questioning. Police believed the shooting was out of self-defense and the man was later released.

The case has been forwarded to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.

As Arizona accident injury attorneys, we have witnessed similar cases in the past. Stress and frustration can fuel road rage which could end up in a tragic manner. To prevent yourself from getting involved in such situations, always keep your cool and try to breathe deeply and don’t let your emotions get the best of you.

For accident victims in the Arizona area, we are open for a free consultation at (602) 267-1280. Call now and discuss your case with one of the top Arizona accident lawyer firms of today.

A head-on collision happened earlier this week which sent six people to a hospital with two seriously injured (AZ Central 03/23/2011).

According to the Police report, the Glendale car accident happened at 6 p.m. Tuesday night near 67th and Peoria Avenue. A northbound vehicle on 67th avenue swerved into to the opposite lane and hit another car head-on.

Six people were hurt in the crash; the driver of the first car and her 13-year-old daughter, and the occupants of the second vehicle including two children ages 3 and 9, the driver who suffered a broken leg, and her 1 year old baby who broke her foot.

Police are looking into the possible causes of the incident but initial investigations reveal all of the victims were wearing seat belts at the time of the accident.

The crash could have possibly ended on a more tragic note if not for the use of safety restraints. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 53 percent of vehicle occupant fatalities in car crashes in 2009 were from not wearing safety restraints.

Seatbelts have been proven to mitigate the risk of acquiring fatal injuries during a crash. In fact, in an effort to improve road safety, states in the U.S. have created different laws in regards to seat belt safety to protect its citizens.

If you or someone you know have been in an Arizona auto accident and would like to seek compensation for injuries you received, call us at (602) 267-1280 for a free consultation. It is time that negligent drivers are held responsible for damages that they have caused.

Did you know that school buses in the United States provide almost nine million trips every year? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed that students are eight times less likely to be involved in fatal road accidents when riding a school bus in comparison with riding other modes of transportation.

However, recent reports about accidents involving school buses have created doubts when it comes to our children’s safety. Many parents have realized that school buses are also vulnerable to road and traffic crashes.

Another motor vehicle collision was reported last Tuesday afternoon at about 3:45 p.m. at the intersection of 43rd and Northern avenues (AZ Central 3/29/11). The collision involved a Chrysler convertible and a full-size bus filled with special needs children.

The collision caused severe damage to the convertible and its driver, a 62-year old woman, sustained life-threatening injuries. Meanwhile, the 15 children who were on the bus only suffered bumps and bruises from the accident, although the firefighters who responded on the scene evaluated their vital signs to ensure their condition. Another bus had to take the children to their homes from the accident scene.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the collision.

One vital thing to consider to ensure your child’s safety while on a school bus is to make sure the school systems hire competent and trustworthy school bus drivers. There are many requirements that must be met before a driver becomes qualified to drive children. Just as important as the driver is the behavior of the children on board. Parents should also teach their children about safety procedures while on the school bus, because misbehaving children can be a distraction to the school bus driver and lead to an accident.

Continue reading "Woman Severely Injured after a Convertible-School Bus Collision" »

Speeding, impaired, and distracted driving, are some of the most common causes of car accidents in the U.S. According to the 2009 Traffic Safety Facts released by the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), 31 percent or 10,591 of total fatalities in motor vehicle crashes involved speeding drivers.

Recently, another fatal car accident was reported on Interstate 17 in which authorities say speeding was a factor (AZ Central 03/20/2011).

According to reports, a convertible running at high speed lost control and crashed a few weeks ago around 1 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon, backing up southbound traffic on I-17. The vehicle then caught fire as rescuers from Daisy Mountain Fire Department rushed to the scene. The driver did not survive the accident.

Just 25 minutes after the fatal crash, another accident took place on northbound I-17. A car hit the back of another between Anthem Way and New River Road. No one was reportedly hurt in the second crash and traffic was not affected.

Out of all the drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2009 who were speeding at the time of the accident, 39 percent were males aged 15 to 29 years of age. It is important for parents to teach our children, safe driving habits from a very young age to prevent needless fatalities. Try to live by example as well, and encourage your children to obey all posted traffic laws.

Continue reading "Speeding a Factor in Fatal I-17 Accident" »

Automobile accidents are increasing each year and in 2009, there were 33,808 fatalities from car accidents according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Many die or are seriously injured in these accidents. With just a few minor changes in our driving habits, we can prevent many of these needless accidents.

A few weeks ago at a Phoenix intersection at around 6:45 pm, the collision between a red Mercury car and a black Lincoln SUV caused the death of an unborn baby of the 20-year-old female passenger in the Mercury. A 2-year old girl who sat at the back seat sustained serious injuries as well, while the drivers of both cars only suffered minor injuries (AZCentral 3/1/11).

Police say that an investigation is still underway since the two drivers did not show any impairment. Police are currently waiting for witnesses to come forward, since there were no cameras on Roosevelt Street, the site of the collision.

There are many causes of car accidents. Besides impairment, distracted driving is a common cause of car accidents. Distracted driving is commonly thought of in regards to texting and driving, but a distraction can be many other things besides cell phone use, such as people talking to each other while driving, or playing with the radio. Eating and drinking while driving are also causes for a large percentage of car accidents.

Currently, scientists are studying car safety for pregnant women. They are looking for ways to reduce the possibility of fetal death for expectant mothers who are involved in car accidents (AZfamily 12/25/09).

Continue reading "Expectant Mother and Young Child Seriously Injured" »

Did you know that everyday 32 people in the United States die because of alcohol impaired driving accidents? In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed that alcohol-impaired driving reached up to 30,797 cases in 2009. In the same year, NHTSA recorded 10,839 deaths involving drivers with blood alcohol concentration exceeding the legal limit of .08 – .32 percent.

We are aware that alcohol is also the primary reason of fatal car accidents in the United States. Drunk driving is a big concern in the country. Although statistics show that fatal DUI-related accidents have been steadily decreasing over years, the numbers could always be lower.

Every April, we highlight the need to prevent and treat alcohol-related related problems. Alcohol Awareness Month started in 1987 by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. It aims to raise awareness of alcohol abuse and encourage people to make healthy, safe choices. This is also the opportunity for communities to work together in educating everyone especially the children about the importance of being alcohol-free.

This month, let us all work together to further lessen the number of fatal car accidents due to impaired driving. Many of us have lost a friend or a loved one because of a careless and reckless driver. Arizona AAA usually offers a free “Tipsy Tow” during holidays for drivers who cannot avoid drinking and driving. There are also many other services for free or a small charge to get impaired drivers home without having to get behind the wheel. A small ride fee is nothing compared to a priceless life. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is also a very well known group of people fighting to save more lives from drunk drivers every year.

Continue reading "Prevent Serious Injuries: April is Alcohol Awareness Month" »

Bicycling is an excellent outdoor activity for kids. It is not only a recreational activity but a healthy mode of transportation. Bicycling also helps reduce traffic congestion and improve the quality of air and life.

However, bicycling does have the risk of being involved in an accident. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that more than 51,000 cases of bicycling injuries were reported and 630 people were killed as a result in 2009. Seventy-four of the casualties were children under the age of 14.. In Arizona, 25 bikers were killed in 2009 and bike deaths accounted for 2 percent of the total number of fatal traffic accidents.

A child was involved in an accident after falling off of his bike on Saturday around 3 p.m. (3/26/11). The accident occurred in Maricopa at 36000 block of West Alhambra Street. According to the witnesses, the victim, a 10-year old boy was trying to avoid a van when he fell off his bike and was unconscious for about 45 seconds after hitting the ground.

Fortunately, the boy was wearing a helmet when the incident occurred. He was alert and talking when the fire crews arrived at the scene. The boy was flown to the hospital in a stable condition.

The NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts of 2008 revealed that there was a decline in the number of bicycle related deaths as compared to ten years ago. This means that more and more people have taken safety precautions seriously. As parents, we are responsible for teaching our kids how to stay safe while having fun riding their bikes.

Continue reading "10 Year Old Stable After Bike Accident" »

A higher incidence for car accidents is associated with driving at night, rough and unpaved rural roads, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, vision problems and distractions (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System). Statistics from NHTSA showed that a majority of fatal accident victims were drivers (63%), followed by the passengers (28%), motorcycle riders (4%), pedestrians (3%), and pedal cyclists (2%).

A fatal car crash in Deer Valley killed one woman two Saturdays ago at 83rd Avenue and Union Hills.

According to the police, the fatal car crash occurred when an SUV slammed into a Honda driven by a 64-year-old woman that led her car to be pushed into a nearby brick wall. The Honda was at stop at a red light.

The 64-year-old woman didn’t survive the fatal crash because of the severity of the injuries she sustained from being crushed from both the SUV and another vehicle that her car bumped into.

The driver of the SUV was taken at the custody of the police because he was suspected to be under the influence when the fatal car crash happened. The police are still waiting for the blood test to confirm their suspicion.

The 64-year-old woman was an active volunteer for the Red Cross serving at the Emergency Communications Response Vehicles during disasters and whenever it was in need.

Driving under the influence triples the risk of meeting a fatal car crash. In 2009, 32% of car accidents death toll was due to alcohol impaired driving crashes (NHTSA). Please remember the lives you put at risk when you get behind the wheel impaired, especially now, during Alcohol Awareness Month.

Continue reading "Drunk Driver Car Crash Kills Philanthropist" »

Pedestrian accidents take place in urban places more than in rural areas due to the traffic congestion. From 1975-2005, the amount of pedestrian accidents that took place in urban areas increased from 59% to 72%. Despite the increase in the amount of accidents in urban areas, the annual total of pedestrian accidents dropped from 7,516 in 1975 to 4,409 incidents in 2009. This was based on the statistics gathered by the NHTSA. Although the numbers are getting low, the damages are still devastating.

Earlier this month during the early morning hours, a fatal car accident took place at westbound loop 202 to Interstate 10 in Phoenix, Arizona. The accident happened on a ramp of the westbound loop 202. It happened because the ramp was closed, when suddenly it was reopened for traffic enabling the I-10 traffic to go through.

At the time of the report, the pedestrian's identity was still unknown, but it was reported that the victim had died due to the injuries suffered. The Department of Public Safety officers were on the scene to take actions and investigations are still going on to find out what really happened.

A lot of pedestrian accidents happen because of impaired drivers, failed right of way at intersections, or poor visibility of pedestrians at night. It is best that if you plan on walking at dusk or night time to avoid wearing dark clothes; carry a light with you and stick to the sidewalks. Only cross the road at marked crosswalks and always look both ways, making eye contact with oncoming drivers, even if you have the right of way.

Continue reading "Fatal Pedestrian Accident on 202/I-10 Ramp" »

Many car accidents occur every day and oftentimes the vehicles that are involved have passengers in it, aside from the driver. Passengers like children are unfortunately not exempt from injury. Based on the statistics of the NHTSA for 2009, approximately 48,000 children aged five and below were involved in a vehicular accident; Around 0.896% of which died and the rest of 97.917% are injured. This means that every day, 129 children are being seriously injured or dying as a result of vehicular accident.

Last Sunday night, at the intersection of 83rd avenue and Thomas Road in Phoenix, a vehicular accident happened. The real cause of the collision between the two vehicles is still unknown.

There were three adults who suffered minor injuries, but a 3-week-old baby was also involved in the crash. The baby was restrained, but was still brought to the hospital. The baby is now at St. Joseph's Hospital. There were no reports of the baby's status yet.

A large number of children suffer major injuries or even die from the crashes because they were not restrained in a car seat or booster seat. As a parent or an adult driving with a child, always make sure that they are restrained in their seat up to age 8 or 40 pounds, or have their seat-belts on incase you are involved in an accident.

Continue reading "3-Week Old Baby In Car Collision in Phoenix, 3 Adults Injured" »

According to the texting while driving statistics compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 20% of car crash injuries in 2009 alone involved distracted driving. The same statistics revealed in FARS and GES that 5,474 people were killed and 448,000 were injured in various car crashes in the United States due to distracted driving.
One such unfortunate occurrence happened to a Mesa man’s son. On July 25, 2009, a car hit his son while he was riding a bicycle near Guadalupe Road where he lives.

The driver, who was only in his teens, apparently had been texting while driving. He didn’t see the boy and crashed into him. Police found that distracted driving was to blame after they conducted their investigation into the cause of the accident. Phone records verified that the driver had indeed been texting upon the said crash.

Devastated, this Arizona father now eagerly supports the two bills banning text messaging behind the wheel. Authored by Senator Al Melvin R-Tucson, the bill will ban texting and other types of phone activity that would redirect one’s attention from the road while driving. Representative Steve Farley, D-Tucson, is also pushing for a bill that would ban text messaging while driving.

Car crashes caused by texting while driving are indeed a sad reality today. In 2008, around 28 percent of drivers admitted to having texted while driving. According to the Pew Research Center, 47 percent of adults compared to only 34 percent of teenagers text while they drive. Although teenagers are believed to be prone to this, adults have their fair share in this statistic as well.

Continue reading "Car Crashes Due to Texting While Driving" »

Car accidents can happen to anyone at anytime; unfortunately they are not always preventable. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 5,505,000 vehicle crashes in 2009. Among those, 30,797 were fatal (.56 percent fatality rate) while 1,517,000 (27 percent) were reported as injury crashes.

These figures by the NHTSA show just how vulnerable each and every one of us are to such unfortunate situations.

In recent news, a police officer was involved in a Glendale accident just over 2 weeks ago (KPHO 3/8/2011). According to reports, the officer was heading east on Bethany Home Road near 71st Avenue when he crashed his cruiser at around 5 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.
His vehicle spun around in the process but luckily he only suffered minor injuries as an aftermath of the crash.

No other details were released as of the moment.

Though car crashes continue to come in high numbers, reports for 2009 reflect a significant decrease as opposed to the year before and traffic fatalities were actually at its lowest point in recent years.

Alcohol impairment continues to be a major factor in fatal crashes, being involved in 32 percent of traffic fatalities in 2009. Authorities acknowledge this and just before last year ended, a statewide holiday DUI task force was implemented which resulted in thousands of arrests in just a short span of five weeks.

Continue reading "Officer Involved in Glendale Crash" »

A Phoenix accident occurred earlier this week that almost left a pregnant woman injured. The 21-year-old driver, though unhurt, was a bit shaken up after crashing her car into the principal's office of a local high school she was working for (AZ Family 3/9/2011).

The car crash occurred Wednesday morning when the pregnant driver, working as the school’s registrar, was parking her car and mistakenly stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brakes. The car then went crashing into the school near 33rd Avenue and Thomas Road.

Another person who could have been hurt in the accident was the school’s principal who just got out of the office when the car came crashing in. She recounts hearing the crash and feeling the shattered glass hitting the back of her leg.

The driver was sent to a local hospital for evaluation.

Needless to say, everyone has an important role to play in winning the battle against car accidents as most crashes are attributed to human error. Following traffic rules and avoiding distractions are two big steps a driver can take to make the road a little safer for everyone.

Continue reading "Car ends up in School Office in Phoenix crash" »

Did you know that 8% of the American population admitted to impaired driving at least once in their lifetime? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Statistics (NHTSA) 33,808 people nationwide died in traffic crashes in 2009. Approximately 32% of the fatalities were the result of alcohol-impaired driving. In 2009, about four people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving fatalities for every 100,000 Americans.

Also in 2009, 219 lives were lost in Arizona. Twenty two of those fatalities were people under the age of 21. NHTSA also reported that from 2008-2009, alcohol-impaired fatalities declined nationally and in 33 states. Alcohol-impaired fatalities involving drivers under the age of 21 also declined nationally in 25 states.

During the celebration of St. Patrick's Day on March 17th, AAA Arizona will offer free one-way rides for impaired drivers for up to 10 miles. The Tipsy Tow service will start at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 17 and continue until 6 a.m.. Friday, March 18. This is to help keep impaired drivers off the road and also to ensure a safe and fun evening for those that will be celebrating. Motorists will only be entitled for a free tow to their homes. For trips exceeding 10 miles, motorists will be charged with the standard towing rate. Tipsy Tow can be reached at 1-800-AAA-HELP (1-800-222-4357).

Other services such as a vehicle start, flat tire change, gas delivery and/or taxi service will not be provided to the motorists. However, motorists can request for free towing to a hotel only if they plan to become guests. We hope drivers take advantage of this service to help save innocent lives from impaired drivers.

NHTSA has reported that one out of three traffic-related fatalities were due to alcohol-impaired drivers. Since its launch in 2009, Tipsy Tow has aided a number of drivers in getting them to their destination safely.

Continue reading "Keeping Drunk Drivers Off the Road: AAA Tipsy Tow Free Service on St. Patrick's Day" »

Glendale was the scene of a fatal accident last week. Every day, roads are very busy due to overwhelming volume of road vehicles like cars, trucks, motorcycle and bikes. This is also the very reason that there are so many accidents. In 2009, 33,808 fatalities from car accidents were recorded by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The severity of the impact greatly damages properties and millions of innocent lives.

At around 9 pm, last Wednesday evening, a multiple car collision left two people injured and one in critical condition.

A landscaping truck with a trailer was travelling at the intersection of 47th and Olive Avenue when the driver lost control when trying to avoid a pedestrian. With the sudden stop, another silver car, with two women and a young boy, slammed into the truck. Another vehicle then smashed into the silver car.

The impact from the sudden stop of the truck lead its two occupants to be thrown outside the truck. The occupants of the silver car, the driver and the young boy, were immediately taken to the hospital because of the injuries they sustained from the collision. The driver’s injuries were not life threatening but the young boy is in critical condition according to a Glendale police officer.

The alarming census of increasing car crashes leads the authorities to implement the usage of safety equipment like seatbelts strictly. Accordingly, proper use of seatbelts can reduce fatal injuries in about 50 percent of cases. Our sympathies go out to all involved in this serious car accident.

Continue reading "Serious Glendale Car Accident" »

Did you know that rollover accidents are one of the most dangerous types of traffic accidents? Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV’s) and minivans are known to be the most unstable and rollover-prone vehicles on the road. In fact, more than 280,000 rollover accidents are reported every year and have taken the lives of 10,000 people according to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System (NHTSA-FARS).

In 2009, the NHTSA reported that a total of 8,732 vehicles have been involved in fatal crashes nationwide, 5,043 or 28.2 percent of which were light trucks and 3,017 or 16.4 percent were passenger cars. In Arizona, rollover accidents have accounted for 229 of the national total. As always light trucks have the highest number of rollovers and accounted for 142 deaths in Arizona. Passenger cars in Arizona have totaled 52 deaths.

Last Sunday, KPHO reported a crash that occurred in the area of Signal Butte Road and Southern Avenue around 1 a.m. in Mesa. Authorities said that one man was killed in the crash due to the injuries he sustained. According to reports, one vehicle rolled over and the man inside was ejected and died. Until now, investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the crash.

Seat belts are considered to be the most effective way of preventing severe injuries or even death during a fatal crash. NHTSA research on the use of seatbelts in 2008 revealed that although the percentage of seatbelt use has increased it is still not high enough.

As car accident attorneys, we can help you in getting rightful compensation. If you or someone you know has been a victim of a car accident call us at (480) 753-4534 for your free consultation.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that each year an estimated 2.6 million passengers are injured due to traffic accidents. In Arizona alone, 1,008 vehicles have been involved in fatal car crashes this year. The NHTSA has found that passenger cars such as sedans and light trucks have the highest number of fatal crashes.

In 2009 The NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System conducted a study of the most common types of vehicles involved in accidents. They found that in Arizona, 5 percent of compact pick-up trucks and 12.3 percent of standard pick-up trucks were involved in fatal crashes. However, four door sedans have the highest recorded rate of accidents among motor vehicles.

Early Thursday morning, a sedan slammed into a pick-up and then hit a parked semi truck in Glendale (AZ Central 3/3/11). The driver of the Ford Crown Victoria sedan died on impact. He was headed west near 127th Avenue on Glendale Avenue around 2 a.m. when he crashed his car into a Dodge pick-up truck and then into the parked semi truck. Although the driver of the Crown Victoria did not survive the crash, the passenger in the vehicle suffered non-life threatening injuries. Meanwhile, the occupants of the Dodge pickup truck did not suffer any traumatic injuries.

It is important when driving to always remember to wear a seat belt, which is often times the most effective way of preventing serious injuries. Seat belts save close to 2,000 lives per year according to The National Safety Council. Almost all states require the use of seatbelts under the “Click-it-or-Ticket” campaign however only 88 percent of people reported using them. If you are amongst the 12 percent that does not wear a seat belt, we hope you decide that now is the time to start.

Continue reading "Man Killed in Glendale Crash" »

Unfortunately, car accidents are not always avoidable—despite all safety precautions taken and all traffic rules being followed, sometimes accidents still happen. In 2005, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recorded 6,420,000 cases of road accidents; 2.9 million people were injured, and 42,636 people were killed. This means that an average of 115 people die each day due to car crashes.

At around 2pm last Monday afternoon, a four-car crash jammed traffic in Scottsdale, killing 2 people and hospitalizing another 2 (AZ Family 2/28/11).

According to the Scottsdale Police Department, the accident happened near 60th Street and Cactus Road. The fatal head-on collision happened when a beige Toyota sedan car was travelling westbound crossing the center lane and hit an incoming gray Kia sedan. The Toyota car also side-swiped a Toyota SUV and a Pontiac sedan before coming to a stop.

The female driver of the Toyota SUV sustained only minor injuries while the driver of Pontiac sedan was uninjured. However, the two male drivers of Toyota and Kia sedans were seriously injured, so the emergency responders immediately transferred them to a local hospital. Unfortunately, they were not able to survive.

Injuries and death resulting from fatal crashes can be very devastating to the family of the deceased. As Arizona wrongful death attorneys, we help these loved ones get through the most difficult time of their lives. We wrote a book to help the survivors survive, called After Wrongful Death, and you can order this book for free by calling (480) 753-4534. We hope you’ll never need it but that you find it informative if in the tragic case that it applies to you.

Continue reading "2 lives Claimed Following Multiple Car Collision in Scottsdale" »

When a car accident occurs from a collision with a pedestrian, road debris, animals, objects, or other vehicles, the result can be very serious injury and property damage. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 6 million car accidents happen in the U.S. every year. Excessive speed is the second most common cause of deadly auto accidents, which accounts for about 30% of fatal accidents. More than 3 million people are injured due to car accidents and more than 2 million of these injuries cause permanent disability every year.

At around 2 pm last Sunday afternoon, two vehicles, a snowplow and a passenger car, crashed on a northern Arizona freeway (ABC15 2/27/11). The number of casualties is still unclear.

The crash happened on northbound State Route 87 at milepost 227 according to the spokesperson of the Department of Public Safety who responded to the accident.

The collision of the two vehicles forced authorities to close the road of northbound SR87 for several hours for further investigation on the accident.

There are many variables that may lead to accidents, such as uneven road pavements, unseen barriers, night driving, high alcohol blood content and vision impairment. In northern Arizona where the weather can cause road hazards, it is important for drivers to be extra cautious around snow plows and on icy roads. Plows travel at a slower speed than most vehicles, so many are tempted to pass them; but plows are also much wider than the average vehicle so passing them can be very dangerous. Snow plows also have blind spots that can put surrounding drivers at great risk, so please be careful when you are approaching snow plows on the winter roads.

Continue reading "Snow Plow Roll Over Accident in Northern Arizona" »

A pedestrian accident involving a former NFL player happened last weekend where the victim ended up in a local hospital after suffering non-life threatening injuries (AZ Central 02/22/2011).

According to police report, the 63-year-old former NFL running back, now working as a commentator on a local football radio show, was not using a crosswalk when the Scottsdale accident happened.

The victim is now recovering from sustained injuries while police continue to investigate the accident.

Pedestrian accidents in the U.S. result in thousands of deaths each year at a fatality rate of about 6 percent; pedestrian deaths accounted for 12 percent of the country’s traffic fatalities in 2009 (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). This goes to show that not only vehicle occupants are at great risk when on the road, but pedestrians as well.

The alarming numbers concerning pedestrian accidents serve as a constant reminder for everyone on the street to never let their guard down especially at intersections; always remember to stop, look left, then right, then left again when crossing; wear something brightly colored when walking or crossing at night; kids at all times should be held by an adult; and always cross at designated crosswalks.

Continue reading "Former NFL Player in Scottsdale Pedestrian Accident" »

According to the United States Department of Transportation (DOT), more than 50% of all biking accidents occur on major roadways. 2% of all traffic injuries and deaths involve cyclists. Despite highway precautionary measures and awareness campaigns, it is still quite risky for bicycles to ride alongside larger vehicles on the roads—mostly due to visibility difficulty.

Late last Thursday in Phoenix, a 12-year-old boy collided with a vehicle within the vicinity of 12 Street and Southern Avenue while riding his mini-bike. Now in critical condition, the boy continues to struggle for his survival as of Friday morning.

The boy was riding in the private property of the said vicinity, when the westbound sedan hit him at around 10:30 in the evening. The boy, still unidentified as of late, was immediately taken to the nearby hospital after the accident.

Meanwhile, the driver of the Chevrolet sedan has been cooperative with the officers and is now currently undergoing evaluation for injury at the scene. However, it was found that impairment did not contribute to the collision according to the Phoenix Police Sergeant. The boy was apparently not riding in a crosswalk.

Further investigation and evaluation is are still going on at the scene.

Vehicular crashes involving motorcycle or bicycles account for about 10 percent of all fatal crashes in the United States. Although comparatively little, Arizona accounts for about 130 to 150 of these fatal bicycle and motorcycle deaths of the 5,000 total in 2008 to 2009. Children and older adults are some of the most at-risk groups for bicycle accidents, so please remember to talk to your children about bicycling safety today—we know we will.

Continue reading "Boy Riding Minibike Crashes with Car, Seriously Injured" »

Alcohol has been blamed as one of the major causes of fatal car accidents across the globe. In the United States, alcohol impaired driving takes its toll by taking away thousands of lives on the road each year. In 2009, approximately 22 percent of drivers that were involved in a fatal crash had a blood alcohol content of .08 or greater; this really reflects on how big of a problem impaired driving is despite awareness campaigns by advocacy groups.

A recent Phoenix car accident occurred where police say alcohol might have been a factor. The crash happened near Seventh and 23rd avenues of Carefree Highway at around 12:40 a.m. Wednesday morning (AZ Family 02/23/2011).

According to the Phoenix Police Department, a vehicle was going west in the eastbound lanes and collided with another vehicle.

The 22-year-old driver of the second vehicle, who remains in critical condition, had to be airlifted to a local hospital after suffering life threatening injuries. The driver of the first vehicle, a 39-year-old woman, suffered serious but non fatal injuries.

The wreck blocked portions of the highway and westbound traffic goers were advised to take Seventh Street north to Desert Hills and then Desert Hills to 27th Avenue, where they can get back on the Carefree Highway.

Continue reading "Alcohol Linked to Phoenix Injury Crash" »

Every day, approximately 32 people in the country die as a result of alcohol-related crashes (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). In a survey conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it was reported that from the total number of 30,797 fatal crash incidents in 2009, 32 percent or 9,813 were due to alcohol-impaired driving.

In Arizona, 28 percent or 196 fatal crashes from 710 were because of alcohol impairment. There were also 219 alcohol-related fatalities, 22 of these fatalities being of those under 21. Moreover, it was revealed that most DUI accidents occurred from 9 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. and 3 a.m. to 5:59 a.m. in 2009.

On Saturday night, a car driven by a 34-year old woman crashed near 45th Street and Baseline Avenue. Police said that the woman was drunk while driving the car with her children before the crash. She fled the scene with her youngest child but left her 8-year old son at the scene injured.

The woman was later found hiding in an apartment complex. Police also said she was driving on a suspended license. She was booked into jail for four felony counts namely: aggravated DUI, aggravated DUI with a passenger under 15, failure to stay at the scene, and endangerment.

2009 saw a greater amount of DUI arrests in Arizona, equalling over 14,000, as compared to the year before with only 10,500. This is the result of the extensive campaign against alcohol-impaired drivers on the roads who often pose dangers to everyone. While the greater number of arrests may seem like a bad thing, it doesn’t necessarily mean there were more people on the road driving drunk; it means the authorities were able to catch more drivers all together.

Continue reading "Two Children Endangered as Mother Drives Drunk" »

A head-on crash typically occurs when a vehicle crosses a centerline or a median and crashes into an approaching vehicle. Oftentimes, head-on collisions happen when a driver travels the wrong way in a traffic lane. Head-on crashes are considered to be worse than other types of crashes. Unlike other types of collisions where only part of the kinetic energy are turned into mechanical energy, in a head-on crash, all kinetic energy of both vehicles involved are converted into mechanical, doubling the amount of force.

Out of the 9,867 collisions reported with motor vehicle in transport by initial point of impact, 5,865 or 32.0 percent were front or head-on crashes in 2009 (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration FARS). In the same year, Arizona also experienced a decline of the total number of frontal collisions from 135 to 106 passenger cars.

Last Tuesday morning in Mesa, a small SUV driven by a 63-year old woman struck another vehicle near Dobson and Guadalupe roads (AZ Central 02/15/11). Although the unidentified woman had to be manually extricated by the Mesa paramedics from her car, she was lucky enough to only acquire non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the other vehicle was treated on the accident scene by Tempe officials.

Based on statistics, most head-on crashes are usually resulting from a number of reasons such as unintentional maneuver by the motorist, distracted driving, or if the driver falls asleep or travels too fast in a curve. Some other common contributing factors include impaired driving and speeding.

Continue reading "2 Injured in Head-On Crash in Mesa" »

Did you know that equipment failure is one of the least common factors that could lead to a car accident (Smartmotorist)? Overshadowed by driver related factors which primarily cause vehicle crashes, equipment failure includes brakes that have stopped working, overheating, or any other malfunctions within the car itself that trigger an accident.

In Yuma, a fatal accident occurred earlier this week, wherein the cause of the accident was attributed to a blown out tire (AZ Family 02/15/2011).

Yuma County Sheriff's Office says that the left front tire of a 1978 Ford pickup truck blew out, causing it to veer into the opposite lanes and crash head on into another vehicle. The collision happened on the highway near County 12 1/2 Street.

The 55-year-old driver of the Ford truck died on the scene while three others, the driver and passengers of the other vehicle, were rushed to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Police believe that alcohol was not a factor in the accident.

Rare as they come, equipment failures can still result to fatal accidents. While no one can truly say that this unfortunate incident could have been avoided, it is strongly advised that as a safety precaution, always have your car checked for possible equipment problems and have it undergo routine maintenance procedures to keep it in good shape.

Continue reading "Tire Blow-Out Causes Fatal Accident" »

Drunk driving endangers not only the health but also the lives of drinking drivers, their passengers, and all others on the road. Drinking alcohol and driving is one very dangerous combination. In the United States, one person is killed every 45 minutes as result of motor vehicle crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver. That is equivalent to 32 people everyday. Statistics also show that one out of every three fatal motor vehicle accidents involves an alcohol-impaired driver.

In 2009, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System (NHTSA-FARS) has witnessed a decline in the total number of fatal crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers from 10,631 cases in 2008 to 9,813 in 2009. This decline was also perceived in Arizona, which has 209 cases in 2008 and 196 in 2009.

Unfortunately, another suspected drunk driver has injured yet another victim in Phoenix. The incident happened around 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday when the victim’s car was struck by a truck driven by a suspected impaired driver at 27th Avenue and Baseline Road.

According to the emergency crews, the man had to be extricated from his car after the crash. The police on the other hand stated that the driver, a woman, was suspected of driving under the influence.

Drunk driving is one of the major causes of car accidents in the United States and being involved in such is a serious, often felony case. Thus, it is always helpful if you cannot avoid drinking, have a designated driver pick you up instead of driving your car alone. In order not to find yourself as a victim of a car accident, always remember the most common causes that lead to it--impaired driving and distracted driving—and look for the signs of these factors in other drivers. Swerving, speeding, tailgating, and drifting lanes are signs of both distracted driving and impaired driving, so give drivers exhibiting these symptoms lots of space, and if you are suspicious that the driver may actually be impaired, be sure to contact the authorities.

Continue reading "64-Year Old Man Injured by Suspected Drunk Driver" »

In 2009, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System found there were 120 pedestrian fatalities in the state. With this most recent report, Arizona was ranked 8th worst in terms of Pedestrian Fatality Rate per 100,000 Population among all other states at 1.82. Overall, pedestrian casualties composed roughly 12 percent of total traffic fatalities in 2009.

On Tuesday morning, a Mesa Arts Center employee was injured after being struck by a car around 7:30 a.m. (AZ Central 02/08/11). The victim was walking across the street behind the downtown Mesa entertainment venue when the accident happened. She was taken to Scottsdale Healthcare/Osborne Medical Center. It was reported that luckily, the victim was responsive although she suffered injuries--a concussion and possible dislocation or break to her shoulder.

Pedestrian fatality is no stranger to Arizona. The government has come up with safety programs that aim to enforce traffic rules and regulations and as well as increase safety awareness among pedestrians of all ages. But often times, we are responsible with our own safety. For pedestrians, it is always important to follow the simple and basic traffic rules, no matter how calm the street appears. Never assume an oncoming driver sees you; Stay alert when walking and crossing the streets.

Continue reading "Mesa Arts Center Employee Injured after being Struck by Car" »

Did you know that in 2008, older adults accounted for 15 percent of all traffic fatalities and 18 percent of all pedestrian fatalities? For 2008, the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHTSA) reported a mind-boggling 183,000 injuries caused by traffic crashes. In 2009, a total of 5,288 persons, or 16 percent, were killed due to fatal road accidents.

Rollover accidents are quite infamous for trucks and SUVs. Such types of vehicles are prone to roll over due to their design and features. SUVs and trucks have high centers of gravity as compared to other types of vehicles thus, abrupt turns of these vehicles can cause rollovers.

A Glendale roll-over accident occurred on southbound of Loop 101 around noon last Monday involving a sports car ( AZ Central 02/07/11). The Ford Mustang went to the center of the median and destroyed the cable barriers. It then rolled over and landed on its wheels. The driver and the passenger of the Mustang, 65-year old and 60-year old were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. It is not known if speeding was a factor in the accident.

With age comes extensive experience behind the wheel. While there may be some risks associated with older drivers as medical conditions may impair driving ability, often they can be overcome with some preparation and equipment.

Eyeglasses play a vital role in driving. Wearing glasses with a current prescription can improve vision while driving on the road. For 60 years old and above drivers, visiting an eye doctor every year to check for cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration and other conditions associated with aging is also important.

Continue reading "Glendale Roll Over Accident Closes Southbound Loop 101" »

Over the years, we have recognized the dangers associated with drunk driving. In the United States, drunk driving has been one of the major causes of fatal road accidents. In 2009, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System reported 9,813 fatal vehicular accidents due to alcohol impaired driving. However, through the efforts of different public and private organizations we have seen a decline in the number of persons injured and killed as a result of drunk driving.

But, as the nation sees this decline, it has also become more aware of the similar threats and dangers that are brought about by drugged driving or driving under the influence of any drug that can affect a person's brain and impair one's motor skills, reaction time, and judgment.

In 2009, a total of 3,952 or 18 percent out of 13,801 fatally injured drivers had drugs reported within their systems after the accident. In Arizona, 82 persons or 19 percent were tested and found to be positive for drugs.

A 14-year old boy was caught driving a vehicle on Interstate 17 on Wednesday evening (KPHO 02/03/11). The Arizona Department of Public Safety officers tried to stop the vehicle but he fled from the officers and exited the interstate on 19th Avenue until the driver lost control of the car and crashed.

Police reported that the boy was extremely defensive and combative when being arrested and was suspected to be under the influence of either alcohol or drugs.

Continue reading "14-year old Boy Suspected for Drugged Driving in Phoenix" »

Motorcycle crashes are considered to be some of the most fatal accidents in the United States. There is a much higher fatality rate per unit distance travelled as compared to automobiles. While there exists some safety equipment that can reduce the severity of injury, they are often cumbersome and uncomfortable, so not all riders choose to wear it.

In Arizona, riders have a choice to wear a helmet or not. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that helmets are 37 percent effective in preventing head injuries (2006). In fact, 1,829 lives were saved by helmets in 2008 according to NHTSA.

Early morning at the end of January, another motorcycle and three other vehicles were involved in an collision on the westbound I-10 at Baseline Road (KPHO 01/24/2011). There were not many details available about the incident except that the motorcyclist who was part of the collision did not suffer severe or life-threatening injuries. It was not stated in the report if the motorcyclist was wearing a helmet or not.

While helmets do help prevent occurances of serious head injuries, they are unfortunately not foolproof. Actually, 56% of motorcyclists killed in crashes in 2009 were wearing helmets at the time of the collisions (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety).

Continue reading "Motorcycle Accident on I-10" »

In 2009, 4,092 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This figure has declined by 322 fatalities as compared to 2008. The Pedestrian Roadway Fatalities Report published by the National Center for Statistics and Analysis reported that from 1975 to 2005, almost 180,000 pedestrians died in all motor vehicle crashes with over 162,000 killed in single vehicle crashes.

This means that on the average, one pedestrian is injured every 8 minutes and one gets killed every 11 minutes due to traffic accident. Moreover, 69 percent of these fatalities are male, and male pedestrian injuries are approximately 58 percent higher than females.

In Arizona, pedestrian fatalities seem to be very close from 2008 to 2009. The number only decreased by one fatality. Data also shows that improper crossing of roadways or intersections result in the highest number of pedestrian fatalities.

Early this Monday, around 5:40 a.m. (01/31/11) another pedestrian was seriously injured after being struck by a car in downtown Phoenix. The 35-year old victim was hit by a car along 3rd Street, just north of Van Buren Road. The woman was reportedly unresponsive and the responders on the scene tried to revive her. She was then taken to the nearest trauma center with serious injuries.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention encourages pedestrians to take extra caution when in intersections. While the pedestrian may have the right of way, oncoming drivers may not see him or her, or not recognize the right of way, putting pedestrians in danger. It is important as pedestrians to wait for acknowledgement from drivers before entering the street.

Continue reading "Pedestrian Seriously Injured after Car Accident" »

In an effort to stop pedestrian accidents, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has come up with safety programs that aim to enforce traffic rules and regulations as well as increase safety awareness among pedestrians of all ages. But despite such programs, reports of pedestrian injuries and fatalities continue to stay at an alarming rate, especially in Arizona, with the 8th highest pedestrian fatality rate in the country.

Earlier this week, a pedestrian was seriously injured after a collision that happened along Broadway road in Phoenix (KPHO 1/27/2011). The 17-year-old victim suffered a severe head injury after almost being hit head on.

Police say the driver did not see the girl walking and stayed on the scene after the accident. The driver will not face any charges as the girl was not in a crosswalk at the time. The victim was rushed to a local hospital and continues to be in critical condition.

In 2008, approximately 12 pedestrians died each day due to motor vehicle crashes, while another 189 more suffered from injuries. Though lower than previous years, these numbers can be pushed significantly lower by practicing basic pedestrian safety concepts. While many pedestrians may see cars coming from a distance away, the cars may not spot the pedestrians until it is too late. Utilizing crosswalks and sidewalks at all times helps ensure pedestrians will stay out of harm’s way. Even if a pedestrian believes he or she is seen by an oncoming car, it is best to wait until the traffic signals change to begin to cross.

Continue reading "Teen Pedestrian Critical After Phoenix Car Crash" »

Impaired driving accidents kill thousands of people every year in the U.S. You may remember only a month ago, a statewide holiday task force made more than 3 thousand DUI arrests in just a span of 5 weeks. But despite admirable efforts of police to curb impaired driving, there remains a number of people who continue to put everyone’s life at risk.

In Phoenix, a woman was arrested for driving the wrong way on the Loop 101 at Cave Creek Rd while under the influence of alcohol early Tuesday morning (AZ Central 01/25/2011). The 42-year-old driver was seen driving east in the westbound lanes and was forced by police to stop. The woman will be facing charges of driving under the influence, endangerment, unlawful flight and criminal damage.

Luckily, no one was reportedly hurt in what could have easily led to another fatal Phoenix car accident.

In 2009, 32 percent of all driving fatalities involved an impaired driver—these fatalities alone reached over ten thousand. Impaired driving is a preventable risk—individuals can make the choice to designate a sober driver, friends and acquaintances can stop others from getting behind the wheel after drinking, and hundreds of free services are available to get drunk drivers home safely without endangering others. As observers and other drivers sharing the roads, we must always be alert to suspicious behaviors such as speeding, drifting lanes, and tailgating and report these risky actions to the authorities to prevent these dangerous drivers from harming more innocent victims.

Continue reading "Impaired Driver Arrested After Driving Wrong Way on 101" »

Did you know that students are 8 times less likely to be involved in road accidents when riding in a school bus than when being sent to school by their parents or guardians (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2002)? In the United States, school buses make nearly nine million trips in a year!

However, recent data released by the NHTSA in 2008 has created doubts on the safety that school buses provide. The data revealed that there were 1,409 fatal accidents involving school buses that year and 1,564 people lost their lives.

A Scottsdale school bus was involved in a road accident on Thursday afternoon on Thompson Peak Parkway (AZ Central 01/20/2011). Based on initial reports from Scottsdale police and fire officials, the incident involved two or three more vehicles other than the school bus.

The authorities estimated that 30 children were inside the school bus when the incident happened and fortunately, there were no injuries reported.

Due to numerous road accidents involving school buses, school transportation safety awareness issues are being more strongly advocated by the National Highway Traffic Safety and other non-profit organizations. School administrations are also becoming more stringent in hiring bus drivers. It is the responsibility of the students to stay seated while the bus is moving in order to prevent falling injuries.

Continue reading "Scottsdale Bus Accident Leaves 30 Lucky Children Unscathed" »

Another life was lost in a freak Phoenix car accident Saturday morning as an SUV crashed into the bedroom of a 30 year old man, killing him in his sleep (KPHO 1/15/11).

In what police suspect to be a case of a drunk driving accident, the 21 year old driver was driving irresponsibly, “doing donuts” with his SUV in the intersection near 7300 W. Roma Ave at 4:30 a.m. when he lost control and hit another vehicle parked in the driveway of the victim, pushing it into his bedroom.

The driver and the passenger, his 16 year old brother, were not hurt in the accident, but fled the scene. The other people inside the victim’s house, children aged 1, 4, 7 and 10, were unharmed.

Investigations reveal that the two were drinking in a nearby friend’s home just before the wreck as confirmed by witnesses. Authorities were able to convince the suspects to turn themselves in after making phone contact. The driver faces charges of manslaughter, leaving the scene of an injury accident, eight counts of endangerment, and criminal damage.

Thousands more fatal car crashes involving alcohol impairment will sadly claim loved ones’ lives this year. Annually, the average number of drunk driving fatalities recorded by the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) is over 10,000. Their latest count from 2009 revealed fatal car crashes for that year involved 10,102 drivers having .08 blood alcohol concentration or greater.

Continue reading "Man Dies after Drunk Driver Crashes Through Bedroom in Phoenix" »

Every year school buses in the United States provide almost nine million trips. Many parents prefer school buses to send their kids to school due to the level of safety and convenience that it offers. In 2002, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that students who ride school buses are actually eight times less likely to be involved in road accidents compared to those driven by their parents or guardians.

But a few recent reports about accidents involving school buses has raised concern among some parents, as they realize that school buses are unfortunately still vulnerable to traffic accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that in a span of ten years, there were 1409 fatal crashes involving school buses and other school transport vehicles, resulting in 1564 deaths (2008).

On Thursday, another fatal Phoenix accident involving a school bus occurred when a man walked directly into a school bus' path (KPHO 1/13/11). The Phoenix police said that the victim was an 18-year old man who exited the Valley Metro bus.

The bus was on its way to school and was carrying around twelve very young students. Police said that fortunately, no students were hurt and none of them saw the actual accident.

Alarmed parents who want to take a stronger stand for child transportation safety can make a difference. Talking to the school board about school bus safety or suggesting even more stringent procedures in hiring school bus drivers are ways parents can be heard. Making the bus driver’s job easier by reminding children to stay seated while the bus is moving can also help since children are likely to fall and get hurt if they are not seated properly, and curbing children’s misbehavior can help by eliminating yet another distraction for bus drivers.

Continue reading "Fatal Phoenix School Bus Accident" »

Efforts to stop distracted driving accidents continue as a company has come up with a device that shuts down texting while the user is driving. TASER International launched what it calls “The Protector,” which has the ability to jam cellular signals rendering cell phones almost useless (KPHO 01/06/2011).

“The Protector” is installed in the vehicle and is triggered as the engine runs, emitting a Bluetooth signal that limits the cell phone’s functions via software that is downloaded directly to the phone. This device targets to save people, especially teens, from fatal car crashes caused by texting and driving.

In the United States, distracted driving still leads the list of factors that lead to car accidents. Cell phone use is one of the most common forms of distractions, along with eating or drinking while driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed that more than five thousand people were killed on U.S. roadways via distracted driving, injuring 448,000 people at the same time (2009).

Of the above recorded cases of distracted driving accidents, 995 fatalities involved cell phone use as a distraction, or 18 percent of fatalities in distraction-related accidents, while the number of people injured reached to 24,000, or 5 percent of injured people in distraction-related accidents.

Continue reading "New Device Aims to Curb Distracted Driving Accidents" »

According to research done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration back in 2002, American students are nearly eight times less likely to be involved in traffic accidents when riding a school bus as opposed to being driven by their parents or guardians to school. School buses are more visible in traffic, and drivers must pass rigorous testing before being cleared to drive a school bus, and additional security testing is required for drivers transporting children.

But despite the impressive reputation, school buses are still vulnerable to road crashes. In a news story reported by KPHO 01/05/2011, a school bus accident happened in Queen Creek Wednesday morning, temporarily jamming an intersection. Luckily, no students were reported to have been hurt in the accident.

The collision occurred at around 9 am at the intersection of Power and San Tan roads. Authorities responded at the scene and confirmed that there were students inside when the accident happened.

School bus accidents are recorded every year all over the country. Many reports include seriously injured passengers and even fatalities. In a span of ten years, there were 1409 cases of fatal crashes involving school transport vehicles, resulting in 1,564 lives lost (NHTSA 2008). Because of this, the NHTSA has been exerting additional efforts to increase school transportation safety awareness.

Continue reading "Queen Creek School Bus Accident Jams Intersection" »

In an effort to eradicate drunk driving accidents, a special DUI task force was formed by a number of police departments in Arizona. The operation, which lasted for five weeks, completed more than 3500 DUI arrests when it ended January 1st of this year.

Included in the wave of arrests was the case of a man involved in a Phoenix car accident Friday last week (AZ Central 01/03/2011). The 19 year old suspect appeared to be intoxicated when Surprise police responded on the scene. Although he admitted to having rear-ended the other vehicle, the suspect was not very cooperative, spitting on and kicking one of the responding officers.

The accident happened at West Greenway Road and 175th Drive intersection at around 7:30 pm. Two people were hurt and were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. The suspect will be facing aggravated assault against an officer, DUI, disorderly conduct, and a few more charges.

Continue reading "Man Charged With DUI and Assault in Phoenix Car Crash" »

A woman lost her life earlier this week after being involved in a Tucson fatal car accident late Tuesday. The 74 year old driver from Tucson reportedly crashed her car into a pond in the 2300 block of North Sun Lake Place (KPHO 12/30/2010).

Responding officers managed to pull her out of the car, which was entrenched in the pond and immediately transported her to a Tucson hospital where she was pronounced dead the next day. Authorities are still continuing the investigations with regards to the factors that led to this fatal car accident.

This unfortunate event serves as a reminder to all of us that driving comes with clear and hidden dangers that we always need to be aware of. As reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), car crashes are the number one cause of death among people aged 3 to 33 in the United States.

Why the high numbers? A lot of factors can lead to car accidents, but did you know that that many car crashes are caused by distracted driving? Using a cell phone, talking to a passenger, rubber necking--how many drivers have you seen guilty of these accident causing activities? Unfortunately these habits are common practice on the roads, which is a big reason why the number of car accidents and fatalities resulting from accidents each year are never low enough.

Continue reading "Fatal Tucson Crash Leaves Woman Dead" »

Did you know that someone gets killed in a vehicular accident involving a drunk driver every 50 minutes (MADD 2010)? This is equivalent to 32 people getting killed every day. In the United States, 11,773 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in 2008. This amounts to 32 percent of all traffic-related deaths that year.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety reported that alcohol is a factor in more than 26 percent of Arizona's crash cost. In 2009, Arizona was ranked third in terms of the total number of persons killed by state and highest driver blood alcohol concentration in crashes according to the data of NHTSA-FARS.

Another suspected drunk driver was killed in a Scottsdale multi-truck accident. Scottsdale police said that the Phoenix man was driving a four-door Chrysler while travelling westbound when he strike a Ford pickup after swerving from the opposite lane. The Chrysler continued forward and crashed into a large truck.

The driver was removed from his car and was taken to the nearest hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police said that alcohol played a vital role in the collision.

More and more public and non-profit agencies have become advocates to get drunk drivers out of the road. However, such advocacies may become useless if we do not start within ourselves. We hope especially on this New Year’s Eve that everyone makes the responsible decision to have a sober ride home. If you find yourself without a ride, try AAA Arizona’s free tipsy tow service. Just call 1-800-AAA-HELP and ask for a “tipsy tow” to have a tow truck come and pick you and your car up. Your consideration is greatly appreciated by all others on the roads.

Continue reading "Fatal Multi-Truck Accident Kills Drunk Driver in Scottsdale" »

Impaired driving is considered to be one of the most persistent threats to public safety in North America. In 2009, NHTSA – FARS reported that 6,957 drivers involved in fatal crashes were under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or medication. This alarming situation triggered many public and non-profit agencies to advocate even stronger towards the elimination of impaired driving.

The alarming fatality count due to impaired driving continues to rise as a car hit two pedestrians while crossing a street in Phoenix last Saturday morning (12/25/10). Police authorities reported that the two victims, ages 52 and 53 were crossing McDowell Road when a Chevy Avalanche sport utility vehicle hit them around 2:30 a.m. The impact was so terrible that it killed the 53-year old man and seriously injured the other. The latter was sent to a local hospital and is in serious condition.

The driver was a 34-year old female. As reported by AZ Family (12/25/10) the driver was travelling westbound on McDowell Road when she hit the two victims. She then lost control and crashed into a traffic signal. Investigators believe that the driver was drunk when the incident occurred.

Phoenix authorities have been exerting monumental efforts to increase traffic safety awareness. For drivers on Arizona’s highways, we hope you will take this tragic event as yet another reminder of the importance of being safe and aware drivers. Please remain vigilant in obeying traffic rules and reporting suspected impaired drivers in our vicinity. If you choose to drink please also make the choice to stay off the roads. Appoint a sober driver or call a service to take you home. AAA is offering once again it’s free tipsy tow service that you can use to get home after too much to drink.

Continue reading "1 Killed, 1 in Serious Condition after SUV hit 2 Pedestrians in Phoenix" »

A special holiday task force has been working hard since the season began at Thanksgiving. There are 4,158 authorities in the Valley participating in this effort statewide. They have already made 2,700 arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs out of their 28,592 traffic stops. As Arizona drunk driving victim attorneys, we applaud this effort and hope it continues to remove impaired drivers from the roadways and perhaps deter drivers from getting behind the wheel while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

An Avondale man is in the hospital after he was involved in several hit and run accidents (AZ Family 12/24/10). He caused an accident at the intersection of Dysart and Sage roads, then proceeded to flee the scene. No accounts of any injuries of those other vehicles’ occupants have been reported yet. The driver then hit several vehicles in a community and rode up on the lawns of numerous homes. The police were able to capture him and after he is released from his unspecified injuries, they expect to take him into custody for the hit and runs and for driving while impaired.

Did you know that one in three people will be involved in an alcohol-related accident in their lifetime (MADD 2010)? Or that this year, 10,839 people will die in a drunk driving accident? As lucky as some drivers are to have not been one of these statistics, it is not difficult to find someone who is. Drunk driving is more common and dangerous than many people believe. We hope you will keep these numbers in mind as the New Year approaches, and make safe choices as you celebrate.

Continue reading "Impaired Driver Suspect for Several Avondale Hit and Run Accidents" »

Underage drinking is a serious problem in the United States. Vehicular crashes are considered to be the leading cause of teenager death in America and one out of three is alcohol-related. Based on the data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA), teens whose age ranges from 15 to 20 years old are the most prone to injuries and death due to car accidents. Moreover, research showed that behaviors are the primary reason for most teen-related crashes. Speed, drinking and driving, distracted driving, and drugged driving are just some of the things that worsen this problem.

A Chandler car accident occured last week when an SUV crashed into two homes around 8:30 p.m. near 128th Street and Riggs Road (AZ Family 12/16/10). A group of teenagers were seen inside the SUV by the witnesses when the collision happened. Two of the teens were injured and was taken to a local hospital while the other one ran away.

Authorities are still figuring out the reason of the crash, but investigators are considering impairment as one of the major factors. There were reports that the driver lost control of the vehicle, crashed into a house and hit the gas line, and then crashed into the second house. There were no reports of injuries on the part of the homeowners but the area had to be evacuated due to the broken gas line.

During this holiday season, the authorities have been even more aggressive in their enforcement of existing laws such as 0.08% BAC laws, minimum legal drinking age laws, and zero tolerance laws for drivers younger than 21 years old. Since Thanksgiving, over 1,300 people have been arrested for driving under the influence, and over 300 were arrested for extreme DUI, which is driving with a blood alcohol concentration of .15 or higher (AZ Central 12/13/10).

Continue reading "SUV crashed into 2 homes in Chandler" »

While pedestrian deaths in vehicle crashes continue to drop in recent years, the numbers are still very concerning. Last year, 4,092 pedestrian deaths were recorded while an additional 59,000 pedestrian injuries resulted from car accidents (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2009). The numbers in 2008 were a bit higher at 4,414 pedestrian deaths and 69,000 injured.

Adding to the list of pedestrian casualties is an unidentified man involved in a Scottsdale car accident at around 8 pm December 20th (AZ Central 12/20/2010). The police report says the man was hit by a Toyota SUV going west while he was crossing the road just east of the intersection. The Scottsdale police spokesman added that the victim was not in the crosswalk when the collision happened.

The victim was rushed Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead. While initial investigations reveal that there was no alcohol or speeding involved, further inquiries are still being made to pinpoint the cause of the accident.
Back in 2008, Arizona ranked 7th in Pedestrian Fatality Rate per 100,000 Population according to the NHTSA with 121 pedestrian deaths. In 2009, not much has changed with 120 deaths and ranking 8th among all states.

Continue reading "1 Dead in Scottsdale Pedestrian Accident" »

AAA estimates that almost 3 million people will be traveling between now and January 2nd (ABC 15 12/15/10). That’s a lot of people on the roads! With the roads becoming more crowded and everyone hustling about to get to their gatherings, it is important to always keep safety in mind to avoid serious injury during this busy time of year.

Can you believe travel in Arizona is up 3% from this time last year? Although the weather is fairly pleasant in the valley well into the winter months, sometimes drivers forget while traveling north the drastic decrease in temperature and the increase of precipitation.

For those of you unfamiliar with driving in snowy or icy conditions, we hope you will remember these few tips to stay safe and avoid serious accidents.

• When planning a long distance drive, please check your tire air pressure to avoid blow outs. Changing a tire on the side of the road could lead to a serious injury accident in poor visibility conditions such as snow, or due to a negligent drunk driver.
• Keep at least 500 feet between your vehicle and any snow plows on the road. Not only are they wider, but they have more blind spots than typical trucks, so they require a lot more room around them, also to account for the spraying snow and/or debris.
• Never get out of your car if you get stuck in the snow except to check to make sure the exhaust pipe is clear of snow and debris. If it gets clogged, you and your family could be at risk of deadly carbon monoxide poisoning.

Continue reading "Tips to Avoid Serious Injury during Peak Holiday Travel Times" »

Did you know that according to the National Center for Health Statistics in 2006, car accidents are the leading cause of fatalities in children ages 3 to 14? In 2008, 4 percent or 1,347 out of 37,261 traffic fatalities in the United States are children aged 14-and-younger. In addition to the over 1,300 fatalities, 529 children were injured in motor vehicle crashes (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, FARS).

Last Thursday evening (12/9/10), a Phoenix wrong-way car wreck happened on the Loop 101 when a car crashed head-on into an SUV from Surprise driven by a pregnant woman (AZ Family 12/9/10). The driver of the car was a 45-year old woman from Glendale. She was driving with her 6-year old and 4-year old sons when the accident happened.

Investigators said that the mother and her two sons were not wearing seatbelts. She was declared dead at the scene and her 6-year old son, who was riding in the front seat, was pronounced dead at the hospital and the 4-year old boy was seriously injured and remains in critical condition. Although investigators suspect that impairment is involved, they will not be positive until the medical examiner’s results are available. Meanwhile, the pregnant woman was reportedly wearing her seatbelt and acquired only non life-threatening injuries.

This incident which killed two and injured one only proves the importance of wearing seatbelts on every ride. Eighty-eight percent of drivers and passengers use seatbelts on a regular basis (National Safety Council 2010). Wearing one can prevent serious injuries in a crash by 50%, and have saved more than 75,000 lives from 2004 to 2008. Refraining from using your seatbelt could result in a traffic ticket or a serious injury in the event of an accident.

Continue reading "Fatal Glendale Accident Leaves 2 Dead, 1 Injured" »

Impaired driving is one of the main reasons of vehicular accidents in the United States. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - FARS, 219 people were killed in Arizona fatal car accidents involving drivers with blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels above the legal limit of .08 (2009).

Did you know that the average alcohol-related fatality in the United States costs $3.5 million (NHTSA)? $1.1 million is for monetary costs and the remaining $2.4 million in quality of life losses. Moreover, the estimated cost per injured survivor of an alcohol-related crash averaged $99,000. This is divided into $49,000 and $50,000 for monetary costs and quality of life losses respectively.

It was early morning of Wednesday when a woman was airlifted to the hospital after being plowing into a mesquite tree in Gilbert (AZ Family 12/1/10). According to authorities, the driver was heading west on Guadalupe Road, into oncoming traffic. Fortunately, her car went directly to the curb and hit the tree instead of another innocent driver. However, the damage of her car was so extensive that the paramedics had to remove the driver from the car as quickly as possible. The driver suffered from serious head and leg injuries.

According to the Gilbert Police Department, there was no sign of impairment or speeding on the part of the driver at the time. Luckily, there were no other vehicles involved and no one was inside the car with the driver when the crash happened. The accident is still under investigation.

Continue reading "Woman Air-lifted After Crashing Car into a Tree in Gilbert" »

Did you know that road traffic collisions are the lead cause of death for people from 15 to 29 years of age? That’s not just a made up statistic to catch your attention. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released this shocking data of 1.3 million global fatalities due to car accidents each year and 20-50 million more individuals left with serious injuries. Furthermore, motor vehicle crashes are expected to rise as the third most serious threat to human health by 2020.

Adding to the alarming numbers above is a Phoenix car accident which occurred this past Sunday, December 5th, causing one vehicle to burst into flames. ABC 15 reports that the car accident left 3 people seriously injured.

Investigations reveal that the first car was on a halt at a red light at 32nd Street and Broadway Road when a second car sped its way and hit the former from behind. The 2 passengers were lucky to get out as the first car caught fire. All three, including the driver of the second car were sent to a local hospital for proper treatment of serious injuries resulting from the crash. Witnesses confirm that the second car was speeding at 70 to 85 mph before hitting the first car.

Continue reading "Fiery Phoenix Car Accident Leaves 3 People Seriously Injured" »

Taking a family bike ride is one of many fond memories of childhood. With these above-normal temperatures this December, many people are flocking outdoors to enjoy the beautiful weather. As Phoenix bike accident attorneys and parents, we love it when our kids are playing outside, but we are constantly reminded of the dangers that threaten serious injury.

Last Thursday a father took three of his children on a bike ride in Phoenix that ended in a very serious and scary situation (Arizona Republic via AZ Central 12/2/10). The family was crossing in a crosswalk, the father towing two small children, ages 3 and 5, and another older child following separately, when an SUV turned into the father’s bike trailer containing the two young children. The driver claimed to have been blinded by the sun and didn’t see the family when he hit them. The children suffered serious injuries and had to be extricated from under the SUV. They were rushed to a pediatric trauma center but thankfully are expected to survive. The accident is still under investigation.

Every year, 275,000 children are injured in bike accidents, and another 140 are killed (Safe Kids USA 2009). Did you know that besides cars, bicycles cause more child injuries than any other consumer product? Although not all injuries can be prevented, there are many ways to use bicycles more safely. Here are some statistics compiled by Safe Kids USA:

• 85% of head injuries and 88% of severe brain injuries could be prevented by wearing a helmet.
• 70% of fatal bike accidents occur between 2pm and 8pm, not only is this rush hour, meaning there are more cars on the roads, but it is also the time of day when pedestrians and bicyclists can be harder to see as the sun sets. This most recent bike accident in Phoenix occurred just after 5pm. Wearing light or reflective clothing and using a head or tail light on your bike can help improve visibility.
• Children under 15 years old are five times more likely to sustain injuries from bicycle accidents. It is important to properly supervise and teach your children appropriate safety precautions while bike riding, like the right way to cross the street, where to ride, and turn signals.

Continue reading "Two Young Children Seriously Injured in Phoenix Bike Accident" »

Seatbelts play a vital role when it comes to surviving a vehicular accident. Some drivers and passengers may forget how important it is. Buckling up is considered to be the most efficient way to shield oneself from serious injuries in a crash. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 75,000 people in the U.S were saved from car accidents because of seatbelt usage from 2004 to 2008. In United States, the percentage of people who are buckling up in 2008 increased from 2007. Although the increase is statistically insignificant, it is still a good sign that more people are wearing seatbelts.

Unfortunately, victims of a two-vehicle collision in Queen Creek were not wearing their seatbelts the morning of Sunday, November 28th (ABC 15 11/18/10). A T-bone collision between a Honda Civic and SUV occurred at the intersection of Power and Riggs. The three passengers of the Civic were a father, a mother, and a 6 year old child, who was wearing a seatbelt. The driver of the SUV was a 28-year old man. The three adults suffered life-threatening injuries while the child is in serious condition.

All of us are aware of the importance of seatbelts. If you don’t already, please try to make it a habit to buckle up as soon as you enter your vehicles, before it is too late. Accidents can happen at any place or time, it is best if we are always prepared. Seatbelts are the best protection against impaired and distracted drivers. Even if your car has airbags, which most do, always remember that the two go hand in hand and not as replacement of each other.

Continue reading "4 Injured in Queen Creek Sedan-SUV Collision" »

Teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are four times as likely to get into a car accident than older drivers (Center for Disease Control and Prevention 10/18/10). Over 350,000 teens were treated in emergency rooms for serious injuries following a crash, and 3,000 more 15 to 19 year olds died in 2009. As our own children approach driving age, we are reminded even more of the importance of teaching our children safe driving practices as early as we can.

Three teens were seriously injured in a Phoenix roll-over accident on Tuesday night (Arizona Republic via AZ Central 11/30/10). They were speeding recklessly in a four-door sedan when they side-swiped a truck heading in their same direction. The collision caused them to lose control of the car, sending them into oncoming traffic, where they hit a pick up truck head-on. The two 17 year olds and one 16 year old were rushed to trauma centers, two others from the pick up trucks suffered minor injuries, and three other individuals were unharmed.

We want to help prevent future accidents like these, saving families the heartache of dealing with a seriously injured child. That’s why we are the Southwest Regional Sponsors of the American Lawyer Academy’s Viral Video Scholarship Contest. The contest is asking students to create a public service announcement video to post on YouTube about safe driving practices. High school seniors and current college students are encouraged to enter the contest for a chance to win up to $10,000 in scholarship funds. Interested students should visit our website at: http://www.breyerlaw.com/viral-video-scholarship-contest-southwest-region.html for the official rules and regulations. The deadline is approaching quickly, so please spread the word to any interested students!

Continue reading "Serious Roll-Over Accident Leaves 3 Injured in Phoenix" »

Did you know that 11,773 people were killed in car accidents involving drunk drivers in 2008 (Center for Disease Control and Prevention)? Authorities arrested over 1.4 million drivers for impairment last year, yet that is less than one percent of the 159 million self-reported episodes of drunk driving. That means there are still millions of drunk drivers out there on the roads. As Arizona car accident attorneys, we ask all driver to please be careful.

Around 9 p.m. on Saturday, a truck hit a wooden power pole head-on at Sage Brush and Schnepf in San Tan Valley, Arizona. The single-car crash was caused by a man whose blood alcohol concentration was around five times the legal limit which is .08. Although he did not acquire severe injuries, he was taken to a local hospital due to his high intoxication level.

The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office reported that the driver had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.374, 4.5% higher than the legal limit. Prior to the said incident, it was also reported that the man had four prior offenses involving drunk driving or driving under the influence of (DUI). He is currently facing aggravated DUI charges for this most recent accident.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has found that the average drunk driver has driven drunk 87 times before the first arrest (2010). With four prior offenses, this driver has probably endangered himself and others thousands of times by driving impaired. It was very fortunate that no serious injuries were suffered by any party.

Not only should this driver and other drunk drivers be held responsible for any damages resulting from over-consumption of alcoholic beverages, but bartenders, bars, nightclubs, and liquor stores can also be liable if they carelessly sell liquor to minors or visibly over-intoxicated individuals. There are many options available to keep these drunk drivers off the roads; please, if you see or know someone who has been drinking this holiday season, get them a cab, drive them yourself, or call a service to take them home.

Continue reading "Truck Hit Power Pole in San Tan Valley, Driver Suspect for DUI" »

Statistics show that millions of people are injured every year because of car accidents; many of these injuries are serious ones. Accidents are often caused by drivers who speed or have blood alcohol concentration levels above the legal limit of .08. In 1999, 38% of traffic fatalities were caused by alcohol.

It was early morning of November 22 when a car-wreck occurred in Phoenix involving four cars. It was reported that three people were injured and sent to the nearest local hospitals. Another three injured victims were treated on the accident scene. This car-wreck occurred in Bethany Home Road at about 15th Avenue.

Of the four cars involved in the wreck, one of them hit a wall, the second hit a pole, and a third ended up in the front yard of a home. According to the investigator from the Phoenix Fire Department, the scene sprawled for about fifty yards. Due to this wide accident scene, traffic was affected, resulting in the temporary closure of Eastbound Bethany Home Road between 13th and 16th Avenues.

Although it was not confirmed that alcohol is the main reason of the 4-car wreck accident which happened early Monday morning, one thing is for sure- careless and distracted driving is a main reason why road accidents happen. The avoid this; drivers must pay more attention on the road while driving. Take a moment to put away your phone and refrain from other distractions when you’re in front of the steering wheel.

Continue reading "4-car Wreck in Phoenix, Three Injured" »

Did you know that nearly one in six fatal accidents involves a drowsy driver in Arizona (ABC 15 11/8/10)? Signs of drowsy driving include excessive blinking, staring, and difficulty recalling preceding events.

Similar to distracted or impaired driving, drowsy drivers will often drift across lanes, have slower reaction time, or tailgate the car in front of them. If a driver nods off to sleep, even if they wake up a split second later, their eyes are off the road long enough to cause serious accidents.

41% of Arizona drivers report having fallen asleep or nodding off while driving, and 55% of those individuals reported this happening on a high speed divided highway (Traffic Safety Culture Index, AAA Arizona)!

There will be 854,000 people traveling more than 50 miles this holiday weekend (KPHO 11/22/10). This means there will be more drivers on the roads who have been traveling for a long period of time, they may be drowsy. Please take a few precautions when traveling this weekend: Plan ahead, get at least six hours of sleep before any big trips, and don’t rely on caffeine.

Continue reading "55% of Arizona Drivers Report Falling Asleep at the Wheel" »

After seeing so many hit and run accidents recently, we started a new statewide hit and run tipline awarding up to $1000 for information leading to the arrest and felony conviction of drivers who flee the scene of an accident. We hope this tipline brings more drivers to justice, especially in situations that do not allow for the victims to report any information themselves.

On Friday in Scottsdale, a hit and run driver fled the scene of a pedestrian accident (KPHO 11/19/10). Luckily the pedestrian was not seriously injured, just seriously upset. He and a few other witnesses quickly jumped in their own cars and followed the hit and run driver to the Loop 101. The police were called to both scenes, but it is not known yet if any arrests have been made.

Not all hit and run victims are lucky enough to be in a condition to catch their own suspects. Most victims are left seriously injured and without witnesses around for immediate help.

We established the Hit and Run tipline in Arizona because we are ranked 8th in the nation for the worst pedestrian fatality rate—many of these deaths are caused by hit and run drivers. Hopefully with the increased chance of being caught will encourage drivers to remain at the scene instead of fleeing.

For more information about our hit and run tipline, click the link below:

Continue reading "Pedestrian Fights Back After Scottsdale Hit and Run Accident" »

Fatal accidents claimed 807 lives in Arizona in 2009 (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System). While this statistic is lower than 2008’s 938 deaths, it is still a large number of people dying on Arizona’s roadways (NHTSA, FARS 2009). As Phoenix car accident attorneys, we hope someday we will witness this number dropping more and more each year.

On Wednesday in Phoenix, a 63 year old woman ran a red light and hit a turning city bus (AZ Family 11/17/10). There were no passengers on the bus, but the woman was killed from her injuries and the bus driver suffered minor injuries. The police are still investigating the accident.

Did you know the leading unintentional cause of death for all ages is car accidents (Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2007)?

There are many factors going into traveling safely. With the Thanksgiving holiday around the corner this week, there will be many more individuals on the roads, traveling to see family now and throughout the rest of the holiday season. We are urging all drivers to take your time, put away the distractions, and obey traffic laws so you can get to your destinations and back safely.

Continue reading "Bus Accident Kills Phoenix Woman" »

Did you know that nationwide, the fatality rate for passenger vehicle occupants is only 10.57 for every 100,000 registered vehicles (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2008)? Yet it seems as though someone in Arizona suffers a wrongful death nearly every other day in a car accident. There were 807 traffic fatalities in Arizona last year, which is a drop from 2008’s 938 deaths (NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System 2009). As Phoenix car accident attorneys, we hope to see these numbers drop even more in the future.

Unfortunately a Phoenix man’s life was lost last Thursday night in a two-car accident (AZ Central 11/12/10). The man was traveling on the highway when his sedan hit a small pick up truck. No other injuries were reported, and the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Additional details regarding the cause of the accident have not been released.

There are situations that can be prevented and others that are impossible to predict. However, the negligence of another party is often to blame when accidents happen. Safe drivers do all they can to get from point A to point B safely, such as refraining from using a cell phone, eating, or participating in some other kind of distracting activity while driving, and of course obeying all traffic laws. Not all drivers are this aware while on the road, and their negligence often leads to these deadly accidents. We hope all drivers make the conscious choice to drive safer to prevent injury or death to themselves and others.

Continue reading "Phoenix Man Killed in Two-Vehicle Crash" »

With all these pedestrian accidents as of late, it sounds like Arizona may be moving up from 8th in its ranking for worst pedestrian fatality rate. A teen was killed on a sidewalk by a hit and run driver, another woman was left for dead in the road, and now yet another pedestrian’s life has been lost. Arizona drivers, please look out for others on the roads and sidewalks!

An elderly man, 96 years old, was hit in a crosswalk and killed on Tuesday morning (ABC 15 11/16/10). The man was in a marked crosswalk when a pick up truck failed to yield the right of way to him and ran him over. Impairment does not seem to be a factor.

For every 100,000 residents, 1.82 will face a wrongful death in a pedestrian accident in Arizona (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2009). Elderly adults aged 65 years and older are the most at risk population, accounting for 18% of all pedestrian deaths, followed by children ages 5 to 9 and pedestrians under the influence of drugs or alcohol (Center for Disease Control and Prevention 6/17/10).

Continue reading "Yuma Pedestrian Killed at Crosswalk" »

In 2009, 630 bicyclists died, and an additional 51,000 were injured due to traffic accidents (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). As Arizona bike accident attorneys, we know this statistic too well.

On Sunday in Phoenix, a 53 year old man lost his life when he was hit by a car while riding his bicycle (AZ Family 11/15/10). The driver then fled the scene but was found about a block from the accident and arrested. She is suspected to have been driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the fatal crash.

Thankfully this woman was apprehended after fleeing this deadly accident or the family of this unidentified older man would be left with no one to hold accountable and no source for compensation of this tragedy unless they had uninsured motorist coverage. We encourage all families and drivers to purchase additional uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage because it will protect you in cases like this, when a driver flees the scene, or if you are hit by a driver without insurance or with inadequate insurance.

We also encourage witnesses to speak up to authorities when they witness a hit and run accident. We have started to sponsor a statewide hit and run tipline and will award up to $1,000 for information leading to a felony arrest and conviction of a hit and run driver. The line is completely confidential. For more information, check out our website:

Continue reading "Bicyclist Killed by Hit and Run Driver in Phoenix" »

Fleeing the scene of an accident is a serious crime. Any injured persons are left unassisted, and precious time is wasted if the authorities are not called immediately. Every time we hear about a hit and run accident it disgusts us. That’s why we’ve decided to do something about it to help bring these cowardly drivers to justice.

Just this past Sunday, a driver fled the scene of a roll-over accident in Glendale (AZ Central 11/9/10). His SUV hit a minivan with three passengers and rolled over. Luckily nobody was injured. The driver climbed out of the wreckage and ran from the scene. The authorities still have not been able to identify him. He is described as an adult male wearing a red hoodie sweatshirt.

If you were in the area and witnessed this accident, or you know someone who was, please help bring this driver to justice by calling our sponsored Hit and Run Tip Line. You could receive a reward up to $1,000 if your information leads to the felony arrest and conviction of the driver!

It’s an easy-to-use, anonymous tip line that relays your information to the appropriate authorities. No one, not even us, will know who it was that provided the information.

If this driver is not found, the passengers of the minivan may be left to pay the damages on their vehicle themselves. It is because of situations like this that we also encourage everyone to add underinsured or uninsured motorist coverage to their auto insurance policy. The extra coverage would protect you in situations of being hit by a hit and run driver, or one with inadequate insurance coverage.

Continue reading "Driver at Fault for Roll-Over Accident Flees Scene" »

In 2008, older drivers accounted for 15% of all traffic fatalities and 18% of pedestrian fatalities (National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration). The bulk of accidents happened on weekdays during daytime hours, and involved other vehicles.

Older drivers are actually found to be one of the safest driving groups, according to AAA because they tend to not drink and drive or text and drive, but there are other risks that older drivers do face (ABC 15 11/9/10). With age, reflexes may slow, and judging speed or distance becomes more difficult. Although there may be difficulties in physical abilities, there are ways to work around or with them to continue to be a safe driver (Courtesy of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and AARP):

• Is your vision is declining? Always wear your glasses with your most current prescription, sit high in the seat to provide you with at least 10 feet of visibility in front of you, and keep your windshield clean to prevent glare.
• Is your physical fitness is impairing your ability to look around? Talk with your doctor about physical therapy or a walking program, and eliminate the blind spot in your car by repositioning the mirror. Lean your head against the window and move it outwards so you can barely see the side of your car on the inside edge.
• Is your reaction time slower? Try sticking to familiar roads, avoid rush hour, and drive during the daylight hours. Also keep extra distance between you and the car in front of you.

AAA Arizona is sponsoring a free Senior Driver Expo on Saturday, November 13th in Peoria for older drivers to learn more tips and tools to become safer on the roads, and enter for a chance to win a $500 gift card.

Continue reading "1 in 10 Drivers will be over 65 within 15 Years" »

As parents we hate to hear of children being hurt in any car accident, especially when the injuries could have been prevented. There has been a fatal car accident recently in Peoria where one woman died and two children ages four and six were hospitalized with minor injuries. The children were in the back seats and were unfortunately not buckled into car seats.

The recommendation from the NTSB in 1996 states that children must ride in booster seats from the time they are 40 pounds up until they are eight years old or 4 ft, 9 in tall. Without a car seat, children are at risk of more serious injury should there be an accident. The seat is designed to raise a child so the seatbelt fits them properly.

Some tips to remember while your child is buckled into a car seat are to be sure that the seats are properly installed. You can refer to the owner’s manual if you are not sure. Also remember to place the seat in the center of back seat and never use the front passenger side especially when there is an airbag.

Continue reading "Fatal Peoria Car Accident" »

One out of every three people will be involved in an alcohol-related accident in their lifetime, according to MADD (2010). Drunk driving is a completely preventable offense that puts everyone on the road in danger.

Four people are injured today as a result of a suspected drunk driving accident (AZ Family.com 11/5/10). The driver, in a small sedan, was speeding around a curve, lost control, and hit a semi-truck head-on. The truck driver is unharmed, but the driver and all 3 passengers were transported to the hospital with broken bones and other injuries. The accident is still under investigation.

Last year in Arizona, 807 people were killed in car accidents—59% of those accidents involved a driver with a blood alcohol level above the legal limit (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System 2009). If nearly 60% of all accidents are caused by drunk drivers, imagine how many more drunk drivers are on the roads not getting caught. Please, as a courtesy to all drivers and all families in Arizona, do not let someone get behind the wheel if they’ve been drinking.

Continue reading "Suspected Drunk Driver Hits Semi Truck, Injures 4" »

As Avondale area car accident attorneys, we see many car accidents in which drivers are rear-ended while sitting at a red light, stopped in traffic, or a multitude of other situations. Depending on the speed of the oncoming car, injuries can range anywhere from nonexistent to serious. We advise to always be alert, even while stopped, by keeping an eye on your rear view mirror for other drivers who may not be doing the same.

On Wednesday morning in Avondale, a police officer was completing a common traffic stop on the side of I-10 when a woman struck his patrol car (KPHO 11/3/10). The officer had been in the car and suffered minor injuries, but both he and the female driver were taken to the hospital. The exact cause of the accident is not yet known.

Rear-end accidents are the most common type of car accident, accounting for 31% of all collisions in the U.S. (Science Daily 5/1/08). Scientists have found that following drivers have a difficult time perceiving the urgency of the need to brake when the car in front of them begins to slow down. Drivers are unable to detect when the car they’re follow is traveling slower unless the speed is a difference of 8-10 miles an hour, which is a fast enough speed difference to lead to an injury collision. The best tip for avoiding rear-end accidents is to keep your distance.

Continue reading "Avondale Police Officer Injured in Rear-end Car Accident" »

On Halloween, twice as many children are killed in pedestrian accidents as compared to any other day of the year (Safe Kids USA 2009). More pedestrians populate the sidewalks during the dusk and evening hours of 5:30-9:30pm, and children are more excited, so they may move unpredictably.

To protect children this Halloween holiday, there will be more officers patrolling the streets in the valley looking for impaired drivers (ABC 15 10/29/10). Drivers are reminded never to drink and drive and to avoid distractions like texting. It is even more important this weekend with the increased number of pedestrians on the roads to be 100% attentive to the road.

Parents are encouraged to also speak with their children before going out to trick or treat about pedestrian safety. Safe Kids USA has also compiled a list of tips for parents and trick-or-treaters this holiday:
• Try to wear light-colored costumes and clothing, and attach reflective tape or other materials to improve visibility in the dark.
• Walk with flashlights or glowsticks so they can see better and avoid tripping hazards as well as be more visible to motorists.
• Only cross the street at corners and always use crosswalks. Look both ways before and while you cross the street.
• Stay on sidewalks, where available, or walk facing traffic as far to the right as possible. Try to stick to residential streets where there may be less traffic.
• Use makeup, face paint, and wigs instead of masks, which can obstruct a child’s vision.

We wish all families a safe and happy Halloween!

Continue reading "Pedestrian Accidents Twice as Likely on Halloween" »

Standard traffic rules are in place for a reason. No-passing zones prohibit passing in areas with difficult visibility, train gates come down to allow a train to pass, and stop signs force drivers to look both ways before crossing an intersection. When these rules are ignored or violated is when car accidents happen.

After blowing a stop sign, a driver of a sedan with one passenger wedged himself under a passing semi truck (AZ Family 10/27/10). Both driver and passenger were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and the truck driver was unharmed. It is not known if impairment was a factor in the accident.

When driving in an unfamiliar area, it may be difficult to spot stop signs, so it is important to always drive on the look out for them. Most accidents are preventable, and oftentimes it only is a few seconds that can make the difference between a safe trip and a destructive one. If you find yourself in an accident, there are a few things you should do while still at the scene:

• Exchange information with the other driver(s), including names, phone numbers, insurance, license plate numbers, and any passengers or other witnesses.
• Never admit fault. That is not your determination to make.
• Always seek medical attention, even if nothing hurts. It may take a few days for the pain to set in sometimes, so the earlier the diagnosis, the better.

Continue reading "Surprise, Arizona Car-Truck Accident Leaves 2 Injured" »

From the time they are born, children are exposed to and taught new things constantly. One activity most children can’t wait to learn is how to drive. As exciting as driving may seem, children must understand first and foremost how dangerous driving a car can be. As Phoenix area car accident attorneys as well as parents ourselves, we hope all new drivers drive safely.

On Sunday in Phoenix’s west valley, a female teenager was driving her car erratically on the highway and crashed through the median of the 101 by 67th Ave, running into an oncoming SUV (KPHO 10/25/10). The SUV was being driven by a 65 year old man; he, the girl, and the girl’s teenage male passenger were taken to the hospital in serious condition.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that teens driving with other teen passengers are much more likely to wreck than those driving with older passengers or alone; the likelihood increases dramatically with the more teen passengers present. To help spread the message of how important it is to be completely attentive while driving, we are sponsoring a Viral Video Scholarship Contest with the American Lawyer Academy. Students are to create a viral video to promote safe driving practices and post it on YouTube to enter for a scholarship up to $10,000. Further rules and regulations are available on our website at: http://www.breyerlaw.com/viral-video-scholarship-contest-southwest-region.html.

Continue reading "Phoenix Teen Driver Causes Serious Injury Accident" »

Probably one of the worst nightmares a parent could have is the one where their child is hit by a car. As parents and Arizona bike accident attorneys, we worry about the safety of our children when they are playing outside. Despite constant supervision, education, and preparedness, unfortunately accidents still seem to happen.

On Wednesday in Maricopa, an 11 year old boy was hit by an SUV as he was riding his bike (ABC 15 10/21/10). He was trying to cross a residential street when the car hit him. He suffered a serious head injury requiring emergency surgery to stop major bleeding in his head, and he remains in critical condition. Our thoughts are with this family during this difficult time and we wish him a speedy recovery. It is not known if he was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

What do you know about bike safety and kids? Take a look at these facts from Safe Kids USA (2009).
• Every year, there are about 140 child bicyclist deaths, and another 275,000 nonfatal injuries—14,000 of which were hit by cars.
• Only about 15-25% of child bicycle riders wear helmets, even though they could prevent 135-155 deaths and 39,000-45,000 head injuries annually.
• If at least 85% of children wore bike helmets while riding for one year, the U.S. could save $134-$174 million in lifetime medical costs.

Continue reading "Maricopa Boy Critically Injured in Bicycle Accident" »

What would you do? You are walking down the street with your friends or family and you see a car or motorcycle heading your way, fast.

For one Mesa teen, the answer was to push his friends out of the way and take the hit, leading to several injuries.

The fourteen year old suffered broken ribs, dislocated and broken jaw, missing teeth, and missing some of his tongue when he was hit by an out of control motorcycle on Tuesday afternoon (KPHO 10/21/10). He and his friends had been walking down the street when he spotted the motorcycle speeding out of control, so he pushed his friends out of the way and was hit by the bike, sending him seven feet into the air. It is not known yet if there are any citations for the motorcycle rider. The teen is recovering at Maricopa medical center and we wish this hometown hero a speedy recovery.

Children ages 14 and under and adults aged 65 and older are the two most at-risk groups for pedestrian accidents (Center for Disease Control and Prevention 6/17/10). Surprisingly, about 83% of child pedestrian fatalities are not at intersections, even though as parents, we stress the importance of crosswalk safety more than most other safety messages to our kids (Safe Kids USA 2009). Safe Kids USA has created a helpful video to share with children about the importance of pedestrian safety, you can check it out at: http://youtu.be/GPxZKI1mfpo.

Continue reading "Mesa Teen Injured after Saving Friends from Motorcycle’s Path" »

Everyday there is a new message out there about safe driving, often a reaction to a recent accident in which a driver wasn’t being so safe. As Arizona car accident attorneys, we appreciate all conscious efforts to improve everyone’s safety on the road, and encourage all drivers to be proactive in their daily commutes to make safer choices.

The Arizona Truckers Association and Department of Public Safety have teamed up this week to launch Operation Safe Driver across the state (ABC 15 10/19/10). Large trucks present dangers on the road for other drivers, sometimes weighing up to 8,000 pounds and traveling at speeds of 75 miles an hour or faster. Police officers around the valley will be starting a “crackdown” this week of aggressive car and truck drivers who speed or follow too closely, as well as trucks with safety equipment violations.

Are you an aggressive driver? Ask yourself these questions:
• Do you multitask while driving by eating, talking, or reading?
• Do you tailgate?
• Do you change lanes frequently?
• Do you run red lights?
• Do you drive over the speed limit?

If you are guilty of at least one of the above 5 questions, you could have aggressive driver tendencies. To combat the symptoms before it turns into an accident, try to leave extra time when you are traveling somewhere, plan alternative routes in case of traffic, use public transportation, or just embrace your tardiness—it’s better you get there late than in an ambulance or not at all.

Continue reading "Operation Safe Driver Week in Arizona" »

Sometimes safe driving isn’t enough to protect you and your family. Other drivers on the road may have unpredictable behaviors, making it difficult to act defensively. Accidents will happen but there are some things drivers can do to make an effort at preventing them.

Nogales police tried to stop a 19-year old male driver, but he did not comply (KPHO 10/17/10). The police officers attempted to shoot the man, but he was only grazed by the bullet, which sent him into the officer’s car and on to hit a car carrying a mother and her two children. The woman and her 14 year old daughter were air-lifted to a Tucson hospital, where they both had emergency surgery, and her 9 year old son suffered a fractured bone.

Our thoughts are with the family and we hope they recover quickly. The accident is another scary reminder of the dangers all drivers face when they get on the road. Unpredictable events may happen, but it is important to be as prepared as possible to deal with whatever happens.

After an accident, there are a few things you must do immediately if you are lucky enough to be uninjured.
• Never leave the scene of an accident, even if it doesn’t look like there is any damage.
• Never admit liability, leave that determination to the authorities and your attorney(s).
• Always seek medical treatment from the accident scene, even if your injuries may not be apparent at the time. It is important to have on record that you sought treatment in connection with an accident so any future pains that arise may be connected back to it as well.

Continue reading "Nogales Mother and Two Children Injured in Car Accident" »

“Go play outside” is the message I was always given as a child, but as a parent in today’s world, this message has more than one caveat. There are many precautions we take before going outside to prevent injury or accidents, such as putting on sunscreen or a helmet, and always keeping a cell phone in your pocket. Parents fear phone calls from a police officer or hospital, but unfortunately the parents of one Glendale teen got that call Wednesday night.

A 14-year old boy was hit by an SUV as he and his friends crossed a Glendale street, sustaining serious upper body injuries (Arizona Republic via AZ Central 10/13/10). Witnesses say the four boys were carrying their skateboards across the street, not in a crosswalk. The female driver of the SUV did not show any signs of impairment, admitting that she didn’t see the boy. The teen was airlifted to the hospital from the accident scene.

This accident served as a scary reminder to us as parents to remind our children how to enjoy sports safely. Skateboarding has been growing in popularity for many years now among children, but it remains a very dangerous sport. In 2004, 18,743 head injuries were reported due to skateboarding accidents (Safe Kids USA 2009). Wearing a helmet can prevent many of these serious injuries. It can reduce the risk of head injury by 85% and save 135-150 deaths of children between 4 and 15 every year (Safe Kids USA 2009). Some state counties require helmets on skateboarders, but Arizona’s do not. Arizona only requires helmets are worn by bicycle riders under 18. Set an example for your family by wearing a helmet, it could save a life.

Continue reading "Skateboarding Child Seriously Injured in Glendale, Arizona Car Accident" »

Children usually go running towards an ice cream van, but in a recent turn of events, an ice cream van ran into a school bus full of children. Car accidents can happen no matter where you may be located or what you may be traveling in, so please be careful!

On Tuesday afternoon in Phoenix, an accident with an ice cream van and a school bus filled with children left one man injured (KPHO 10/12/10). There were 21 children on the bus when it collided with the ice cream van, which subsequently rolled over. The driver of the ice cream van had to be extricated from the van and was sent to the hospital. Luckily, none of the 21 children were injured, but most likely had to find another way home. The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but from the aerial photos, it looks like the accident took place at an intersection.

Intersections are hubs for accidents, so they require more caution as you pass through them. Here are a few tips to avoid car accidents (Courtesy of The Teenager’s Guide to the Real World Online):

1. Before pulling into an intersection, look both ways twice. There may be blind spots in your line of sight that can block the view of an oncoming car. Checking twice will help you identify more threats.
2. When sitting at a red light, remember to look both ways before you proceed when the light turns green. As we’ve seen many times, some drivers may push the yellow light and end up going through the intersection after your light has turned green, which can lead to a serious t-bone accident.
3. Look out for cars or trucks that may be pulling trailers; they may be difficult to discern in oncoming traffic, so try to always assume that a car has a trailer behind it before entering the space after it passes.

Continue reading "Phoenix School Bus and Ice Cream Van Collision" »

Every parent will do all they can to keep their children safe and healthy. Unfortunately there are sometimes situations that can be unforeseen and an injury accident may happen. It always seems to occur in the few seconds that a parent glances away from the child and exactly what a parent fears happens.

On Wednesday in Glendale, a toddler was run over by his grandmother’s car and sent to the hospital in serious condition (KPHO 10/6/10). His grandmother was backing out of the garage, planning on manually shutting it behind her, and in the process, ran over the boy. There was no speeding or impairment involved but the accident is under investigation.

This story is a scary reminder to parents of the extra cautions they must take to keep their children safe. Children often play outside in their home’s driveway using their bike, chalk, or jump ropes, and while the driveway keeps them some distance from the road, it doesn’t mean they are safe from traffic. Because of their short stature, children are often more difficult to spot when driving a car, and because they are often pre-occupied with playing, children may not spot an oncoming car in time to avoid an accident.

Safe Kids USA advises drivers to take precautions before taking off in a car:
• Walk all the way around your car to check for children or anything nearby that may attract a child like toys or animals and remove them before getting in the car.
• Accompany children by holding their hand tightly when walking around cars or getting in and out of them.
• Designate safe play areas for children to play in the driveway as well as a stationary spot for children to wait if cars are coming in or out of the driveway.

Continue reading "Glendale, Arizona Toddler Seriously Injured After Car Accident" »

Now that fall seems to finally be arriving in Arizona, more residents are coming outside to enjoy the cooler temperatures by riding bikes and walking around their neighborhoods. Evening time is not only a beautiful time of day in which the temperatures start to drop and the sun is setting, but it is also one of the most dangerous times for cycling and pedestrian accidents.

In Mesa this past weekend, a man on a yellow BMX-style bike was hit by two cars (Arizona Republic via AZ Central 10/5/10). The bicyclist has not yet gained consciousness and the police are having a difficult time identifying him. He is described as an 18-25 year old white male with dark medium-length hair, 5’10” and 185-190 lbs, wearing tan shorts and dark shoes. If you have any information regarding this victim, you can call Mesa police at (480) 644-2211.

When riding a bike, there are traffic laws to follow just as in driving a car. In Arizona, there are a few important statutes even casual riders should be aware of (Courtesy of Pima Association of Governments 10/5/10):
• Riders must always travel the same direction as traffic.
• For bicyclists that have no turn signals on their bikes, riders should always use their left hand to make the hand and arm movements to signal their turns. Extend your arm parallel to the ground for a left turn. Bend your elbow to a 90 degree angle upwards to signal right. While stopping, make a right angle pointing downwards.
• Every rider must have a regular seat to sit on.
• While riding on the road, stay as far to the right as possible and only ride in a single or double line with other riders, except on bicycle-only routes.
• Always maintain at least one hand on the handlebars.
• For nighttime riding, equip your bike with at least one white headlight that illuminates up to 500 feet and a red rear reflector visible up to 300 feet.

Continue reading "Police Seek Help in Identifying Critically Injured Mesa, Arizona Bicyclist" »

Despite increased education, enforcement, and awareness, sadly, impaired drivers still make it on the road. Lately there have been a few instances in which police officers stopped a driver who was traveling under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, or even prescription drugs with children in the car, but it was luckily before any accidents occurred.

Unfortunately early Monday morning, authorities did not stop one mother before she crossed into oncoming traffic and slammed into a wall, critically injuring her three children in the car, ages 5, 8, and 9 years (KPHO 10/4/10). No other cars were involved in the crash that wrecked the family’s sedan. Police suspect that alcohol was a factor in the crash.

Our thoughts are with the families of these drunk driving victims, and we hope all have a speedy recovery.

Drivers who get behind the wheel under the influence are typically not doing so for the first time. They may not be necessarily addicted to their drug or drink of choice, but they utilize it to a higher level than the average consumer, seriously impairing themselves. The resulting poor choices may lead to medical treatment, either for an injury or addiction treatment. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has been working with hospital emergency departments by teaching alcohol screening and brief intervention (SBI). All patients who enter an emergency room are screened with SBI to identify those individuals who are at risk, and those individuals are given counseling on site to help prevent a recurrent visit for the same or a worse condition. These efforts help reduce the number of impaired drivers on the road.

Continue reading "Drunk Driving Mother Injures Self and 3 Children" »

Whether it is early morning, late afternoon, or mid-day traffic, drivers sometimes have trouble keeping their cool. When traffic seems to appear and disappear without reason, it may be enough to make drivers very frustrated. However, just as a child’s temper tantrum doesn’t help their situation, road rage does not get drivers to their destination any faster. As Arizona car accident attorneys, we encourage drivers to take a moment to breathe instead of doing something that may put themselves and/or others in danger.

A mother put herself and her 15 year old daughter in danger on Thursday when road rage got the best of her, causing her to roll her SUV (AZ Republic via AZ Central 9/30/10). Both were ejected from the vehicle and sent to the hospital with serious injuries. The police officers reported that the SUV and a red Mercedes were stopped at a light and were trying to beat each other through the intersection as the two lanes merged. The SUV had been in front when the Mercedes cut them off and hit the brakes, which led to the mother swerving to avoid a collision, and in turn rolling her vehicle. The other driver kept driving from the scene.

When sharing the road with road-raged drivers, it is best to give them room. Follow posted speed limit signs and traffic laws, and if you’re approached by a road-rage or aggressive driver, get out of the way. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that aggressive driving accounts for almost 1/3 of all accidents and a resulting 2/3 of total fatalities.

If you find yourself starting to lose your cool as you sit in traffic on the 10 or the 202, try taking these few steps to calm yourself:
1. Listen to relaxing music, a comedy channel, or an audio book—Loud, “aggressive” music may increase your stress level.
2. Fake a smile and hold it for 30 seconds—Even though you are consciously faking it, your facial muscles don’t know the difference, and will communicate that to your brain. Don’t be surprised when you feel a little better.
3. Don’t take things personally—When you are cut off or someone is driving erratically, realize they probably aren’t getting a kick out of making you angry.
4. Use restaurant etiquette—Good manners will keep your actions in check. If you are cut in line at the movies or lets a door close in front of you, usually there is no resulting brawl. Apply the same manners to your driving habits.

Continue reading "Road Rage Accident Injures Two" »

With all the accidents on the news everyday, it is no wonder that drivers are feeling more uncomfortable while driving on Arizona’s roads. There are so many distractions and threats to face while driving that take drivers’ focus off the road. As Arizona car accident attorneys, we encourage drivers to remove as many distractions as possible from them while in the car to commit all their attention on the road.

A survey done by AAA Arizona found that 52% of drivers feel less safe on the roads than they did five years ago (ABC 15 9/27/10). Inspired by the seeming increase in distracted driving, the study moved to illustrate how prevalent the practice actually is.

92% of drivers surveys said texting while driving was unacceptable but 1 in 4 of those drivers still do it.

Why drivers text if they know the danger of it is a question that may never be answered, but the dangers can easily be avoided by waiting to read or answer a text until you are off the road. Phoenix is the only city in Arizona that has a ban on texting while driving, and AAA is calling for more cities to follow suit. However, another recent study found that texting bans may actually increase the number of accidents due to drivers trying to hide the texting from police.

Continue reading "52% of Arizona Drivers Feel Less Safe on the Roads" »

As parents and car accident attorneys, we are always saddened when we hear about children being involved in accidents, especially when they are pedestrians. Injuries are typically amplified for pedestrians because there is no barrier to take the impact.

On Monday night, a 17 year old boy sustained a serious head injury after he was hit by a car while crossing the road (ABC15 9/28/10). He and a friend were trying to catch a bus when they ran in front of the vehicle. Police have determined that speed or impairment were not likely factors in the accident.

Traveling at night can be very dangerous for pedestrians, and running into the street without looking can lead to disastrous situations, as shown by Monday night’s accident. The first step to walking safety is to always use sidewalks and crosswalks. At night time, increase visibility by wearing light and/or reflective clothing. Carrying a flashlight also helps both the pedestrian see their path and drivers to see the pedestrian. Driveways or alleyways are typically where visibility is most difficult for drivers, so pedestrians should be extra cautious in those areas.

Continue reading "Car Accident Injures 17-year Old Boy" »

Trying to travel more “greenly” by walking or riding a bike saves gas and lessens the environmental impact we leave on the planet, but it also leaves us more vulnerable in the event of an accident. As Arizona accident attorneys, we have seen how devastating the results of a car-pedestrian or car-bicycle accident can be, and we encourage everyone, both drivers and walkers alike, to share the road safely with those using other modes of transportation.

A Phoenix car-bicycle accident sent five people to the hospital on Saturday night (KPHO 9/27/10). The cyclist was crossing the road at a red light when a car filled with two adults and two children, ages 5 and 8, hit him. He got stuck in the windshield while the car traveled another 100 feet into a light post, then he was ejected to the ground. This accident serves as a scary reminder of the dangers of traveling at night.

Walking or riding a bike at night can be very enjoyable due to the cooler air and lit-up storefronts. However, it is important to upgrade your safety equipment if you plan to ride your bike at night. The stock reflectors that come on most bikes are not sufficient to make you visible to drivers, as they only become visible at certain angles, at which point it may be too late. Even if you feel you can see adequately due to the ambient light in the area, you should get a helmet or handlebar lamp so others can see you. Wearing light and/or reflective clothing also helps you be more visible at night.

Continue reading "Five People Critically Injured in Car-Bicycle Accident" »

Speeding is an all-too common practice on the highways. Arizona’s famed straight-aways and scenic curves tempt some drivers to push their cars’ limits. However, the highways are only designed for cars to travel at the posted speed limit, so unfortunately these speeders meet a tragic end. As Arizona car accident attorneys, we hope every driver out there follows the posted road signs to keep us all safer.

Early this morning in Phoenix, a speeding driver was killed on the scene when his car hit a tree (KPHO 9/24/10). His passenger was also injured but luckily he will recover.

Drivers traveling over the speed limit are not only breaking the law, but putting themselves and all other drivers in danger. Owning a fast car may pose a temptation to speed on the roadways, but there are safer alternatives. Non-profit organization Keep it on the Track (KIOTT) is pushing to spread the message of keeping racing on the racetrack. Famed son of Hulk Hogan, Nick Hogan, was in a serious speeding car accident which permanently injured a friend in 2007 and since then has been the spokesperson for KIOTT. They sponsor controlled racing events across the country to support safer driving for car enthusiasts. These events provide safe outlets for drivers to experience racing and keeps them from speeding on the streets.

Continue reading "Speeding Causes Fatal Car Accident" »

As Arizona car accident attorneys, we see too often the effects of not having enough car insurance coverage. Without adequate coverage, bills might not get paid, and claims might not be awarded.

If the at-fault driver has no insurance, which unfortunately happens frequently, there may be no way to pursue compensation. It is important to be prepared in case this happens to you by purchasing underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage. By purchasing this extra coverage, you are protecting yourself in the event that you are hit by an uninsured motorist. Your insurance may be able to cover your needed compensation.

If you use your car for work purposes, such as for making deliveries, there are a few other things of which to be aware. After an accident that happened while you are on the clock, worker’s compensation will typically become involved if you are not at fault. Your personal car insurance will cover you in almost any case if you are at fault. If most of the driving you do in your car is for work purposes, it is a good idea to let the insurance company know how many miles a month are driven and to possibly have an umbrella policy.

Continue reading "A Few Things Everyone Should Know about Car Insurance" »

Motorcycle riders have found a near paradise in Arizona. With over 300 sunny days a year, combined with cool mornings and evenings, Arizona has great riding weather. Unfortunately the nice, clear weather does not mean fewer motorcycle accidents. As Arizona motorcycle accident attorneys, we hope all drivers are aware of their surroundings and share the road with bikes.

On Tuesday morning, a motorcycle rear-ended an SUV and was ejected from the bike (ABC 15 9/21/10). He was pronounced dead at the hospital. The rider had been wearing a helmet but authorities are investigating as to whether or not it was secured properly. The cause of the accident is not yet known at this time. Our thoughts go out to the rider’s family.

The dangers of motorcycle riding are well known. There are some safety precautions that some riders take before taking off for a ride. In Arizona, licensed motorcycle drivers over 18 are not required to wear a helmet. However, there is a hidden precedent/case law regarding helmet usage that frequently leads to denied compensation for riders injured in an accident. Negligent drivers can get out of paying for damages or medical bills if the motorcyclist’s injuries could have been prevented by wearing a helmet. Even though the law does not mandate helmets be worn, riders can get punished for their choice in the event of an accident.

Continue reading "Phoenix Motorcycle Accident Kills One" »

The Move-Over law in Arizona requires drivers to slow down and change lanes away from authorities assisting others on the side of the road. Driving past vehicles on the side of the road can be dangerous for the driver and those pulled over. As Arizona car accident attorneys, we advocate that drivers always move over for authorities for their own protection.

An early Saturday morning family drive ended in injury for two children (AZ Central 9/18/10). The cause of the accident is not yet known. Luckily the children will be okay. The family was driving in Mesa when they were hit by a truck. Then, the police officer on the scene was rear-ended by another car. None of the drivers or adult passengers were injured in any of the other cars.

Changing lanes to move away from authorities stopped on the road not only protects you but also those who are stopped. Frequently there are people opening the doors to go into and come out of the stopped cars, and walking around the scene. Moving over helps prevent pedestrian injuries. Also, if the cars passing by are at fast speeds, it only takes a small miscalculation, as shown in this recent accident, to hit a parked car.

Continue reading "Seven-person Truck Accident in Mesa Injures Two Children" »

One of a parent’s worst nightmares is to see their child be hit by a car. As Arizona car accident attorneys and parents ourselves, we hope all parents have the pleasure of watching their children live their lives to the fullest.

While crossing the road with his father, a 7-year old boy was hit by a car that then fled the scene (ABC 15 9/14/10). He was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries and is expected to go home soon. The police have still not found the suspect.

Any mode of transportation could pose danger for the participants, but it is usually thought that walking may be one of the safest ways to travel. Pedestrian fatalities only accounted for 12% of all traffic fatalities in Arizona in 2008 (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Center for Statistics and Analysis 2008). However, injuries sustained were disproportionately those ages 65 and older or 16 and younger. Time of day also plays a factor in pedestrian accidents. Evening, night time, and weekends are the times during which most pedestrian accidents happen.

Pedestrian accidents are very dangerous because there is no protection to take any of the force from impact. A car or bike accident at least has the vehicle to take some of the hit but with pedestrians, there is no barrier.

Continue reading "Hit and Run Accident in Scottsdale Injures 7-Yr Old Boy" »

Arizona is one of the states that have a “Move Over” law. It is designed to protect police officers and emergency vehicles as well as other drivers on the highways. When an officer has pulled someone over on the road, you should move to another lane or at least slow down. At high speeds, it is easy to misjudge the distance between your traveling car and a stopped one, and it could lead to a deadly accident.

Last week, two Tuscon police officers narrowly missed being seriously injured in a 2-car and motorcycle accident (KOLD 9/10/10). One motorcycle officer had pulled a car over and another had stopped to assist. A truck came and hit the squad car, which hit the motorcycle, and the stopped car. Luckily no one was injured, but one of the officers had been standing close enough to be braised by the bumper of the car. The impact moved the cars nearly 45 feet from their original positions. If the officers had been standing in-between or in front of the cars, the results could have been deadly. Charges are pending against the truck driver.

Continue reading "Tucson, Arizona Police Officers Involved in Crash on I-10" »

T-bone accidents are nearly always very serious, many times causing permanent injury or death. When a truck is involved, the severity escalates due to the additional weight of the vehicle. As truck accident attorneys in Arizona, we want to take a moment to remind everyone again to be aware of their surroundings while driving.

Unfortunately a Gilbert woman lost her life in a t-bone accident on Tuesday evening (AZ Central 9/14/10). A pick-up truck t-boned her car on Tuesday, and the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Her husband, who was driving, was sent to the hospital but is expected to be fine. The driver of the pick up truck and his son did not have any injuries. The cause is not yet known. Our thoughts go out to the family of this woman at this difficult time.

Many times, t-bone accidents are caused at intersections during light changes. Some people try to rush to make a yellow light before it turns red, but don’t always make it in time. Drivers from the opposite direction sometimes proceed at a green light without looking left or right because they have the right of way, but by not doing so, put themselves and their passengers in danger of other speeding drivers trying to beat the light.

Continue reading "Fatal Gilbert Truck Accident Kills One Woman" »

Driving under the influence of any drug or illegal substance, including alcohol, prescription drugs, or marijuana, is not only dangerous for all drivers on the roadways, but for the actual driver and any passengers in the car as well. We are proponents of sober driving as parents, Arizona highway drivers, and car accident attorneys.

A Mesa father was pulled over last Thursday for speeding and driving erratically and it was found that not only was he driving while high on marijuana, but his 20-month old son was also in the car (AZ Central 9/10/10). Luckily the police officer stopped him before any accident occurred, but we can imagine how much worse the situation could have been.

Marijuana causes impairments similar to drinking alcohol. While the individual effects vary, general reactions consist of impaired coordination and perception, weakened problem solving and critical thinking skills, and marred memory (National Institute on Drug Abuse 2009). All these skills are indispensable while driving a car. Impaired critical thinking skills mean when quick thinking is needed to avoid an accident, it may take two minutes instead of two seconds to react, which is enough time to cause a serious wreck. Coupled with impaired coordination, the skills needed to turn the wheel quickly to get out of the way of oncoming traffic is not there under the influence of marijuana.

Continue reading "Mesa, Arizona Father Drives under the Influence of Marijuana with Infant in Car" »

We are so sorry for the loss of a great Arizona talent, comedian Robert Schimmel. He passed away September 3rd after a car accident on the 101 the week before (AZ Central 9/4/10). His car was run off the road by an out-of-control SUV, the driver of which fled the scene but was later arrested. His daughter, who was driving at the time, was seriously injured and remains in the hospital. The other passenger, his 11-yr old son, was not luckily not seriously injured. We hope Aliyah recovers quickly and our thoughts go out to the entire Schimmel family.

The full cause of the accident is not yet known but Arizona residents, including ourselves, know the dangerous speeds at which drivers travel on the 101 and the surrounding highways. There may have been a distraction in the car or maybe the driver swerved themselves to avoid an accident. In an SUV, high speeds combined with a quick jerk of the wheel can lead to disastrous situations. The driver was lucky the car didn’t roll over. The way SUVs are designed makes them very top-heavy. They fit a lot of people and things but the aerodynamics are not well-conducive to handling. A quick turn at a fast enough speed will cause the car to topple due to the weight distribution and momentum.

It just goes to show how important it is to be fully aware of your surroundings on the road at all times. If you drive an SUV, always take turns cautiously and try to avoid jerking the wheel to keep all four wheels on the ground.

Continue reading "Comedian Dies after Scottsdale Car Accident" »

As Arizona car accident attorneys, we are thrilled to hear this latest information from the U.S. Transportation Department via the Associated Press, who reported that the number of highway deaths has dropped to the “lowest level since 1950” (AP via AZ Central 9/8/10).

The decrease is amazing especially considering the increase in miles traveled in 2009. Numerous factors have contributed to this statistic, including more standardized safety features in cars, widespread and consistent use of seatbelts, and a stronger police presence to enforce impaired driving laws (AP via AZ Central 9/8/10).

The Associated Press says the new focus of the Transportation Department is to reduce the number of distractions while driving, such as prohibiting texting while driving or other habits that take a drivers’ attention from the road.

We are excited to hear that the roads are becoming safer, but realize there is a long road ahead of continued improvement. Distractions while driving can be even more dangerous than driving impaired.

A Car and Driver report was conducted on reaction times and distances using two test subjects, comparing their abilities while texting and while driving drunk. At 70 miles an hour, while driving drunk, it took an average of 4-11 feet more to start braking than they did with no impairment (LeBeau 2009). The same test subjects, while texting at 70 miles an hour, took 70 and 9 feet more to brake (LeBeau 2009). That’s enough time to cause a serious wreck. Bottom line is, if you must use your phone while driving, use a hands-free device or pull over to complete your task. It keeps us all safer.

Continue reading "Fatalities from Highway Car Accidents Fall Nationally in 2009" »

As Arizona motorcycle accident attorneys and sports fanatics ourselves, we were relieved to hear that Iowa Hawkeyes football player, Josh Koeppel, was not seriously injured in a recent accident he had with a truck. The Associated Press reported that Koeppel with struck by a truck while riding his scooter on his way to class (Meredith 2010). A viral video of the accident has spread across the internet showing Koeppel unharmed after the sudden incident.

Koeppel was lucky, especially because he wasn’t wearing a helmet. Many motorcyclists do not face such a harmless outcome after an accident. Helmets prevent serious brain injuries in the event of an accident. Wearing body armor also lessens the extent of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident, but many riders do not wear such protective devices.

Although helmets are not technically required in the state of Arizona, having one and choosing not to wear it may reduce the amount of compensation you would receive should you have an accident. If the injuries could have been prevented if the rider wore an available helmet, the other driver may have less responsibility to pay resulting medical bills. It is more beneficial to the rider to wear a helmet than to not.

Continue reading "Truck Accident Leaves Football Player Unharmed" »

In Arizona over this past Labor Day weekend, an amplified effort by state officers arrested over 1,700 people for driving under the influence (Arizona Republic 9/6/10). As Arizona personal injury lawyers, we thank the officers for their hard work to make the roads safer for us all this past weekend and appreciate their continued efforts.

Driving under the influence is a very serious offense as it puts all others on the road in danger. It is important as a safe driver to always be aware of the signs of impaired driving, such as excessive speeding, impulsive braking, and exaggerated turns.

Drivers who are impaired are potentially subject to punitive damages as well. Punitive damages allow victims to collect damages against the negligent party above and beyond compensatory damages. Punitive damages are meant to punish the wrongdoer. To collect for punitive damages there are certain elements that must be met in a court of law including showing that the wrongdoer acted with an "evil hand and evil mind."

Continue reading "Labor Day Brings Increased Number of DUI Arrests" »

In Arizona, crosswalks give pedestrians the right-of-way, but oftentimes there will still be traffic turning right or left into the crosswalk space. It is important to cross as quickly as possible and always look both ways as you walk.

Recently in California, a mother was walking her two children in a stroller when she was hit in a crosswalk by a tow truck, and her children dragged under the truck for ¼ mile (Ventura County Star via KPHO 9/3/10). The children suffered critical injuries and the mother had moderate injuries.

As parents ourselves, this story is very scary to us. Especially with the Arizona weather cooling, it is more comfortable and enjoyable to take our children out for a walk.

Always stay on the sidewalk and keep children close when walking. If there is no sidewalk, stay to the right of the road at all times. When crossing the road with your children walking with you or in a stroller, it is even more important to be aware of your surroundings, not only immediately but also in the distance. Cars driving at excessive speeds will approach more quickly than you anticipate. While walking at dusk or in the evening, be sure to carry a flashlight and/or reflective clothing so you are visible to cars driving past. Visit SafeKids USA for more tips to share with your children on pedestrian safety.

Continue reading "Pedestrian Crosswalk Caution" »

The Arizona Republic reported on 8/30 that a suspect was arrested for his involvement in a fatal crash in Surprise. He was found with illegal narcotics on his person. Though it has not yet been proven that he was under the influence at the time of the crash, this kind of event only makes it more apparent that you must always be aware of your surroundings.

While driving, always watch your mirrors for erratic driving around or behind you. Changing lanes without signaling, speeding, and swerving are signs that a driver may be impaired by drugs, sleep depravation, or even by using a cell phone. Drivers who are not paying 100% attention to the road pose hazards to other drivers. Always maintain a distance from cars with drivers exhibiting this type of behavior to prevent any accidents.

Continue reading "Watch for Impaired Drivers" »

As car accident lawyers we received many calls each day seeking advice regarding auto accidents. Many times we are told that the caller asked the insurance adjuster what they should do in terms of handling the case on their own or if they should contact a lawyer. It is the job of the insurance adjuster to give out as little as money as possible. Everyone should remember this. This is not to say that all cases do need a lawyer just it is our advice that all people should consult with a lawyer. Or, I should say that you should not be looking to an insurance adjuster for legal advice.

Insurance companies deter people from seeking help from a lawyer and many times scold them for thinking about hiring a lawyer. Think about it why would an insurance adjuster be so adamant in a claimant not hiring a lawyer. The insurance adjuster wants to prolong as long as possible for the claimant to hire a lawyer.

Insurance companies use every strategy to make sure you don’t receive the fair settlement that you deserve. It has been statistically documented from an insurance company investigation that you have a higher chance of reaching a higher settlement when you hire an attorney. For these reasons, it is important to hire an Arizona personal injury lawyer to advice you in the steps you need to take to receive your full compensation from your insurance company. Investigations by insurance companies have shown that claimants with a lawyer receive higher than a third more than claimants who are not represented. Typically attorneys charge a one third contingency fee agreement. That means that attorneys earn more than their fee and that ultimately the client ends up with more money. This does not even include the liens that attorneys negotiate for clients which puts even more money in their pocket.

If you have been hurt in an Arizona car accident, you can feel free to call us for a free consultation or you can read our Arizona car accident book, The 13 Biggest Mistakes Than Can Destroy Your Injury Claim. We detail the 13 ways that you must be careful not to destroy your claim. We do all the work for you by providing the do’s and don’ts for tackling your accident claim. And best of all, it’s free! Remember, Mark is a certified specialist in injury and wrongful death law and there are only 2% of attorneys in the Valley who are considered experts by the State Bar of Arizona. It is important not only to talk to an attorney but to choose someone who is knowledgeable and will have the correct answers for you.

In many Mesa motorcycle accidents, motorcycle riders typically sustain terrible permanent injuries and many times they sustain fatal injuries. Although most witnesses do not agree, the fact is that many times in car accidents, it isn’t the motorcyclists’ fault that the crash even occurred.

Mesa motorcycle accidents as well as motorcycle accidents all over the worlds usually occur because the other involved driver was not paying attention to the roadway. In many instances, the adverse driver was not paying attention to the roadway, including examples such as texting while driving, talking on their cell phone, looking down and going through documents, looking at the radio, or the cd player, among other things other than looking at the roadway. It can even be for a split second that the car driver is not looking at the roadway and then they collide with the motorcycle rider.

The problem for motorcycle riders is that when the other driver is at fault and collides with the motorcycle, the motorcycle rider has limited protection and usually gets seriously injured. The most careful rider can be severely injured because they are completely exposed. For what may be a minimal impact between two cars, between a motorcycle rider and a car it is a total different situation, much more likely to result in serious injury for the motorcycle rider compared to the person riding in the vehicle. If you are a motorcyclist who was hit by a car in a Mesa accident, there are several necessary steps you must take to make your case have the best chances of settling for the maximum value.

First, do not speak to any investigation firms, especially any investigator from an insurance company. A representative from an insurance company may call you to try to get a recorded statement. This is very typical. Do not let them convince you that you have to give a recorded statement. You do not have to give a recorded statement.

Second, avoid any solicitors at the hospital or ambulance who try to get you to consult a law firm, especially if that person comes to your hospital or home. Often these solicitors are not lawyers and are investigators or people who are paid by lawyers who are looking for new clients. This is not a good way to choose an attorney.

Third, go ahead and take the time to find an attorney and go through the internet. You can check the State Bar of Arizona to search for advice on what law offices are best qualified to handle your serious injury claim. We suggest to look on the internet and research whether the lawyer you are thinking about hiring has tried similar cases to yours. Also, check if the attorney you are thinking about choosing has a good reputation your community.

Fourth, you should to take pictures of all your injuries or bruises that were caused by the motorcycle accident. Of course after a serious collision and significant injuries, it may be impossible for you to take pictures of the scene of the accident yourself. You can have family members take photos or the police will often take photos of the scene and any other vehicles involved in the accident. Pictures you take of your personal injuries and bruises can be used as essential evidence to prove the seriousness of your injuries.

Fifth, talk to an experienced Mesa car accident attorney as soon as possible. As qualified lawyers who have worked with many motorcycle accident victims, many with very serious injuries and many who have sustained fatal injuries we are ready to help you and answer any of your questions.

Feel free to give us a call anytime and we can give you honest answers to your questions.

Continue reading "Mesa personal injury lawyers - Mesa Arizona - 3707 E. Southern Avenue, Mesa Arizona 85206" »

Mesa car accidents and truck accidents require very different follow up when you have been an injured victim. One of the differences between a car accident and a truck accident, is that it is absolutely necessary for the victim or their attorney to submit to the trucking company a spoliation letter. A spoliation letter tells the trucking company that they have to hold onto the evidence and are unable to destroy anything. In many cases, trucking companies destroy the actual truck involved in the accident, or any other pertinent evidence, to get rid of any proof that they know would show that they were at fault for causing the accident. Therefore, sending the trucking company a spoliation letter would thereafter hold the trucking company accountable for keeping the evidence. A spoliation letter also requires the representatives for the trucking company to hold all necessary documents that prove that the truck driver was responsible for the accident. We have had many cases where spoliation letters made the entire different in the case. Many times when we send spoliation letters the trucking company will still destroy the evidence however when we are able to show that the trucking company received the spoliation letter we are then able to get evidence into the courtroom that we may have otherwise not been able to.

The question becomes why do trucking companies want to go as far as destroying evidence from a car crash when they know that it will come back to haunt them. Many times, the trucking companies will get away with destroying the evidence because they do not receive a spoliation letter or because the spoliation letter is not effective and complete. Many times trucking companies destroy the evidence because they bank on the fact that juries often times will not believe or be persuaded that the trucking company deliberately destroyed the evidence. Having the spoliation letter though signed by a trucking representative that they received it further helps to show that the trucking company on purpose destroyed the evidence.

After a car crash, especially when someone is seriously injured, it is important to have a complete and legally valid spoliation letter sent to the trucking company. Every case is different and typically each spoliation letter will be different as well.

Do you have an experienced Mesa Arizona car accident lawyer on your side? It is vital if you are seriously injured in a trucking accident to make sure you at least speak to an experienced injury lawyer in Arizona. If you do hire an attorney, make sure to ask the lawyer for a copy of the spoliation letter so you can review it to make sure that all the details are accurate. Some attorneys who take trucking accident cases are unfamiliar with the important or legalities for spoliation letters. If you have been seriously injured it is important to make sure you are hiring someone with the experience necessary to handle your serious injury claim.

When a minor is involved in a Arizona car accident in Arizona, the procedures are entirely different. During the negotiation stage, it is important to always make sure to account for the future injuries that may occur with a minor. Many times, it is unknown what will occur exactly. That is OK but a minor can recover damages for personal injuries that are likely to occur. People think many times that the threshold is that you have to absolutely know and predict the future. In fact that is not the case. When proving and collecting upon a personal injury claim for future damages, and this is true whether it is a minor or not, a person can collect for future damages by showing that it is more likely than not that the future damages or future medical care or future medical bills will be incurred. Thus, the standard is more likely than not. In criminal cases, the standard is beyond a reasonable doubt. When it comes to a car accident the standard is not as high a threshold as with a criminal case.

Fast forwarding to the settlement process. Typically, a minor’s settlement will have to be approved by a Judge. The Judge will listed to the lawyer, the guardian and the minor. Sometimes the minor does not have to appear for the Court hearing but if the minor is above 10 we encourage the parents to have the minor attend. Both parents must have notice that the court hearing will take place.

The Judge will listen to the fact and will either approve or disapprove the settlement and the disbursement of the settlement. At that time, it should be very clear to the minor and the parents what the minor will receive. Usually, either a restricted account is set up at a bank account or an annuity is purchased for the minor. The minor cannot touch the money until the minor reaches age 18. At that time the minor will have to petition the court to release the funds. This is an easy process to have the funds released but it is necessary to have a court hearing.

If you have any questions on a settlement regarding a minor’s injury or if your minor child has been injured, contact the husband and wife law team to help with your claim.

Mesa car accidents happen every day but they do not happen every day where they are intentional. Today I got a call from a man who sits on a homeowners association board and a homeowner ran him over with his vehicle. This type of behavior is astonishing. The caller wanted to know what was the best way that he could proceed.

Under motor vehicle law in Arizona, there is a big difference between intentional acts and criminal acts. In fact this is probably true with most civil cases in terms of whether or not insurance will cover. Of course, you can pursue the negligent person whether or not there is insurance, but typically when an Arizona lawyer is involved it is because they are going after an insurance policy.

A lot of what an attorney does is find different policies when someone is seriously injured from a motor vehicle accident in Arizona. Above that, attorneys also negotiates liens, talks with doctors, requests specific reports, preserves evidence, and deals with insurance companies who treat people unfairly.

Many people do not realize as well that the prosecutor actually has the say so in whether or not a person gets pursued criminally. The victim has no say in whether or not the prosecutor initiates criminal charges against the perpetrator. With that being said, we still always recommend that the injured person call the prosecutor to let the prosecutor know that they were injured.

You do have to remember though as a victim person if the person who hurt you is found to be criminally negligent that may void out any liability on the part of their insurance company paying. Most insurance policies say that they will only pay for negligent acts not purposeful and intentional acts. Therefore, when you are injured you will have to decide whether their act was negligent or whether it was intentional. Typically the cases that we deal with, the acts are negligent and therefore we can recover the monies from the insurance. Even when it has to do with an assault many times, the act is still negligent even though the person might have swung a fist or something like that. The reason it is still considered negligent under the law is that someone might swing a fist to hit another person, for example, but they do not intend to hurt the person seriously. That is, it is all about the person’s intent.

In this particular case it does appear that the person who hit the man with their vehicle was doing so with intent to hurt but even then it is hard to say without getting more evidence.
Our office serves all of Arizona.

We are known as The Husband And Wife Law team and we handle car accidents in Mesa and are motor vehicle accident attorneys in Arizona. We also handle motorcycle accidents throughout the Valley as well. We have an office located in Mesa for motor vehicle auto accident victims so that they have easy access to come to our office.

We also have an office located in the east valley in the Chandler, Ahwatukee, Tempe, area that is closer for people who have been in an accident in these areas in the easy valley, such as Ahwatukee, Chandler, Tempe, Maricopa. We started as Ahwatukee car accident lawyers in 1996. Our first office was in Ahwatukee.

We still have an office currently in Ahwatukee as well. Insurance adjusters know that we are car accident lawyers in Chandler and car accident lawyers in Tempe as well. Our Ahwatukee office is just a few minutes from Chandler and Tempe Arizona. If one of our offices is not close to you or near you and you are seriously injured, we are able to visit you in the hospital or come to your home as we understand that when you are seriously injured because of an accident it is difficult to come see a lawyer.

Many of the cases we accept are in the Glendale area as well. As Glendale car accident lawyers, we receive many calls each day from people on the west side who have been injured. As lawyers in Avondale who handle car accidents in Avondale Arizona we have help a lot of people in this part of the west side as well. We do have an office in Avondale Arizona and can meet people there if they live close to this area and this is more convenient. Peoria car accident lawyers and Sun City car accident lawyers we are available as well to help people who live in this area of Arizona. Recognized through out the Valley as Arizona car accident lawyers, we also help people in Scottsdale, Phoenix, Paradise Valley and Fountain Hills.

Although there are a lot of Arizona car accident lawyers, Mark has received recognition for Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Arizona and has received top ranking from Martindale-Hubbell which is a renowned legal source for more than 100 years. There are also many Scottsdale car accident lawyers and we are available to help those who have been injured in an auto accident in Scottsdale as well as all the other cities listed above. We are not near Bullhead City, but we still consider ourselves Bullhead City car accident lawyers, as we have clients who have been injured in Bullhead City.

Many clients who are injured in Bullhead city are brought to Vegas Hospitals. We have visited clients in the Vegas hospitals before. If you believe that you need an accident attorney to protect you, give us a call even if you have been hurt in Bullhead City. Do not let the distance from Phoenix scare you as we can still come to you. There are many car accidents in Gilbert as well. Our Mesa office is located near Gilbert so as Gilbert car accident lawyers we are still able to help protect your rights as well.

Remember when you are looking for an attorney, you are not going to spend a lot of time in your attorney’s office regarding your car accident claim. The most time you will spend is the initial visit and then after that you will mostly have telephone appointments. Certainly, for our office we encourage clients to call and come by but it is not necessary.

It is most important you pick an excellent lawyer that you have trust in and know that those Arizona injury lawyers will do a great job for you rather than pick an auto accident attorney just because they are a few minutes from your house. The outcome of a personal injury claim can be life changing so it is very important that you feel very comfortable with your injury lawyer and that you trust that you have made a great decision when you hire the attorney.

Mesa car accidents often result in drivers and passengers being seriously injured in auto accidents. Many car crashes often result in the wrongful death of an innocent person by the negligent of another driver.

When you or your loved one is involved in a serious car accident in Mesa Arizona it is important to consult with an experienced lawyer. Mark Breyer has top rating by Martindale-Hubbell, a renowned lawyer source for more than 100 years. He also has top ranking from AVVO, a legal ranking company. Mark has recently received an award by ATLA for Top Trial Lawyers In Arizona. Mark also is an expert in injury and wrongful death law as certified by the State Bar of Arizona.

The State Bar of Arizona has certified less than 2% of attorneys in the Valley, including auto accident lawyers in Mesa, Arizona. To be certified as an expert in injury and wrongful death law by the State Bar of Arizona you must show high qualifications, pass an exam, receive ratings by Judges and other attorneys in Arizona, as well as show the requisite amount of trial experience and cases handled in injury and wrongful death law.

As The Husband And Wife Law Team and car accident lawyers in Mesa, Arizona, we pride ourselves as giving our clients the Breyer Law Experience. All our clients receive top notch legal service as you would expect from a certified specialist as well as the client service that they deserve. We offer a no fee guarantee for all cases that we accept. We only handle serious injury and wrongful death claims but can help you if you call and set you in the right direction.

Unlike most law offices, even if we cannot help you we will try to find an attorney that can help you or give you a free consultation on your claim. We also have an injury book that we offer free to all Arizona residents. We do not charge a fee unless we settled your claim and we advance all costs. We have the resources necessary to hire the best experts and process all of our cases to the fullest to receive the best settlement. Call us anytime. We are here to help. Call Now!

Mesa auto accidents and motorcycle accidents happen every day. We currently have an office in Mesa, Arizona but we also have offices throughout Arizona. We serve clients Statewide. As Accident lawyers in Mesa and in Arizona, we began our law practice in 1996. We originally began our office in Ahwatukee, Arizona. Our office has grown because of our successes. We however still stay true to our original concept when beginning our office, which is to give the best client service with the best legal service as well.

Whether you are involved in a car accident in Mesa, Arizona or anywhere throughout the Valley, we are able to help you. We do not just hand off your automobile or motorcycle case to an associate or a paralegal, we take the lead in the case and always speak with our clients. Of course, we have excellent experienced paralegals that we work with but when you need to talk to a lawyer, you will speak to us and not have trouble reaching us.

As attorneys who practice injury and wrongful death law in Arizona, Mark Breyer is a certified specialist by the State Bar of Arizona. This signifies that the State Bar of Arizona has certified him as a specialist and expert in Arizona injury and wrongful death law. Auto accident lawyers in Mesa Arizona can help injured victims get their fair compensation. Less than 2% of attorneys in all of Arizona, not just car accident lawyers in Mesa, Arizona are certified specialists in injury and wrongful death law. Therefore, this is an amazing accomplishment by Mark. It shows the success that we have had but more than that it is a testament by Judges and other attorneys around the Valley that Mark is a competent lawyer who has the trial experience and experience to handle injury and wrongful death claims.

If you have been injured in an accident in Mesa, Arizona or just have questions please do not hesitate to give us a call. Although we are selective in the injury and wrongful death cases that we are able to handle, we will give you advice and point you in the right direction.

We serve all of Mesa Arizona and all cities statewide in Arizona. We handle car accident claims in Mesa and if you are unable to come to our office in Mesa we can come to your hospital or to your home. We recognize that when you are seriously injured it is difficult to come to an attorney’s office.

We offer a no fee guarantee and you can reach us 24/7. Feel free to call anytime. We are here to help and you can rely on the "Husband And Wife Law Team."

After an Arizona car accident, whether it be in Mesa, Chandler, Tempe, Maricopa, Apache Junction, Scottsdale, Glendale, Sun City or any other place in Arizona you must file a claim with the adverse party, and I (Alexis) recommend that you file a claim with your own insurance as well.

I have had many people through the years call me after their statute of limitations has run for their Arizona car accident only to learn that filing a claim is not the same as filing a lawsuit. Filing a claim for an auto accident means that you talk to the insurance company, given them all the information, and let them know that you were injured in the auto accident. Usually, the insurance adjuster will call you for status of your medical care or they may discuss your claim with you. As I always say, it is important to remember that the insurance adjuster is not your friend. This is an adversarial relationship. You want what is best for you and the insurance company wants what is best for them. What is best for the insurance company? To settle a case for as little as possible.

Filing a claim is just that – talking to the insurance company. There are many different statutes of limitations. The statute depends on the type of claim. Some car accidents have a 180 day statute of limitation, some a 1 year statute of limitation and some a 2 year statute of limitation. For other injuries the statutes can vary as well. When a minor is involved the statutes can differ also. It is important to always consult with a lawyer to make sure you at least get an evaluation of your deadlines for your case.

If you are simply negotiating with the insurance adjuster and the statute is arising, it does not matter. You have to file a lawsuit or settle the claim before the statute of limitations. If you are negotiating and the statute is coming up, it does not matter. Negotiating with an insurance adjuster on a car accident claim does not stop your obligations from dealing with the statute of limitations.

Under the law, a person who makes an injury claim in Arizona is held to the standard of knowing all the laws. It is not enough to say as someone recently did when they called me that they were not aware of it. The person who called said no one warned her of the statute and she didn’t know. Unfortunately, this is not a defense to missing a statute of limitations.

Technically based on the Department of Insurance, an insurance adjuster is supposed to tell you the statute of limitations, but many times they tell you in a letter immediately following the auto accident in Arizona so people do not really understand what this letter means. Also, the problem is that even if the adjuster or insurance company does not tell the person who was injured in the car accident in Arizona, there really is no recourse against the insurance company as there is no legal punishment for the adjuster. Therefore, the bottom line is do not rely on the insurance adjuster to tell you what your statute of limitations are for your case. The truth is many times the adjusters don’t even know so once they hand the file over to an attorney, the attorney might make a legal argument that the adjuster did not even know about.

Filing a lawsuit is where you actually have papers that are filed with the Court. This is the only way to preserve and protect your claim in regards to the statute of limitations. You can file a lawsuit and not continue with it, but it is necessary to continue negotiations to show the adjuster that you have filed the lawsuit. When filing a lawsuit, it requires a fee, a cover sheet, a summons, and what is called a certificate of compulsory arbitration. These documents all need to be filed with the clerk and when filed the clerk will stamp them and give the case a number. This is the number an adjuster will be looking for once the statute of limitations date passes.

If you have any questions about your statute of limitations and want a deadline review of your case, feel free to call our office.

Mesa Car Accident Lawyers is part of what we are. We actually serve the entire Valley. I focus on Mesa in this blog because I received several calls today asking where our law office was in Arizona. So there you go. The above is our address. We have other offices through out the Valley so if you have any questions just let us know.

Do you know what a certified specialist in injury and wrongful death law means? In short, the State Bar of Arizona awards certain lawyers as being a certified specialist in the area of injury and wrongful death law when they have proven that they have had ample trial experience, recommendations from Judges and other lawyers in Arizona, as well as passing a specialist exam. Also, certified specialists do not maintain there specialist certification forever. They have to reapply and continuously show that they are litigating cases and have an active practice in personal injury law. To find about more about the qualifications of a lawyer being awarded a certified specialist distinction visit the Arizona State Bar. There are only about 2% of Arizona attorneys who are considered specialists by the State Bar of Arizona. In fact, if you are not a specialist you are not considered an expert by the State Bar.

Mark Breyer of the Husband and Wife Law Team is a certified specialist in injury and wrongful death law. It is a great accomplishment and a testament to our successes! If you have been involved in an auto accident in Mesa or anywhere in Arizona do not hesitate to give us a call. We help injured victims and are injury lawyers in Mesa and we also help individuals throughout the State of Arizona. To find out more about our office, call for a free consultation or visit our website.

An Arizona car accident occurred in 2006. It involved a young girl who had just turned 18 years old and another driver, who had run a read light. As car accident lawyers in Mesa, Chandler, Avondale, Peoria, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Scottsdale, Glendale, Sun City, Phoenix, and as you know we serve injured victims through out the Valley - many of the claims we handle deal are with drivers running a red light. Running a red light causes many car accidents in Arizona. In fact I have never done the statistics of our own cases in terms of what types of car accidents cause the most claims in our office, but off the top of my head I would probably say running red lights and failure to yields. Of course, car accidents in Arizona come in all sorts of ways.

So back to the story. A young girl is driving. An innocent driver when all of a sudden she is stuck by a driver who has not only run a red light but is totally drunk. The police come to the scene of the accident. Luckily some witnesses stay, but most of the people who witnessed the car accident in Arizona left the scene. As a side note, if you ever do witness a car accident it is so vital to stop and let the police know. We have had many cases where the driver says he had a green light or did not fail to yield, whatever the case may be, basically where the driver at fault denied liability, and if it were not for a witness the police would not deem anyone at fault. Regardless of what the police determine, as personal injury lawyers in Arizona, it is a lot harder to prove fault when a driver does not admit they are at fault and there are no witnesses. At that point sometimes, it can become a he said-she said dispute in proving who is at fault for the auto accident. That is when accident reconstructionist experts and other experts come into play to prove to a jury or judge that our client was not at fault.

The police are at the scene of the auto crash in Arizona and the young girl is seriously injured. She cannot get out of the vehicle. She is trapped in the vehicle. She is in serious pain. She will face many surgeries and as much as physical pain she will undergo just as much, if not more, emotional pain, from dealing with all the physical injuries. Meanwhile, the drunk driver gets taken away from the scene. He at least admits fault, of course, he is drunk. He is taken into custody. Both vehicles are towed from the scene and the young girl gets taken by ambulance to the hospital to face all her surgeries while the drunk gets taken to prison. Prison, a place he had already been and should have stayed from causing other car accidents in Arizona.

The injured girl’s vehicle is taken care of. Her parents called the insurance company and ultimately the vehicle was totaled. It didn’t really matter because the girl would not be able to walk for many months but at least the vehicle was not sitting in storage and accumulating charges against the injured victim.

The parents talk to their daughter and tell her to hire a lawyer. They explain to her that she needs to be protected. She has a high amount of medical bills and had no surgery. The daughter tells her parents that she is not ready to file a claim. She tells them emotionally it is all just too much and she doesn’t want to deal with it. The parents do everything they can to convince her to hire an injury attorney but since the daughter is 18 it is ultimately her decision as she is not a minor. The daughter says she doesn’t want to talk to an accident lawyer in Arizona because she has already talked to the prosecutor and it is all taken care of so she is set. The parents again plead to have her just consult a lawyer but she refused. Eventually, the parents give up and all through the while they have continued to support their daughter.

Fast forward four years. The girl still cannot walk like she used to. She has been through multiple surgeries. Emotionally she is a mess but much better than she was at the time of the car accident. It just took her a long time to get back to her emotionally stable point. Now she is ready to consult with an Arizona personal injury lawyer. Now she wants justice.

She decides to call an injury and wrongful death lawyer in Phoenix and guess what she reaches our office. She asks can she pursue a claim. She is crying through out the conversation because it is still emotional for her, as would be expected. When I tell her that it is too late she is shocked. How can it be too late? She tells me the prosecutor told her that the prosecutor was pursuing her claim for her. I go over the statute of limitations for car accidents in Arizona with her and try to see if there is any way that the statute could not have passed. There is simply no way. She could have hired a lawyer. She could have got to the Court house to file a claim. She was not a minor. She herself had no insurance so it was not a matter of underinsured just the claim against the adverse driver for causing the collision in Arizona. Such sad news to tell someone that now when they are ready to pursue justice, they cannot because they waited too long. That her parents were right – nothing a daughter wants to hear. I know as a parent myself those are the last words kids want to hear – that their parents were right!

Anyways, as an injury lawyer in Arizona, I bring this scenario to everyone’s attention because it is a perfect example why all injury victims should consult with Arizona personal injury lawyers. This girl has been misled or mistakenly understood that the prosecutor was filing the claim for her. She was unaware of the statute of limitations and now sits with thousands and thousands of dollars of medical bills because she did not simply talk to an injury lawyer. I do commend her for focusing on her emotional pain and doing everything she could to heal and not having that feeling of running out to get a lawyer. The thing is because of the adversary relationship with injured victims and insurance companies, in order to protect yourself as an injured victim of a car crash in Arizona it is necessary to seek a consultation with an injury lawyer. This is my attempt at letting everyone know the important of just consulting with a lawyer, especially after a serious car accident. Also, for all those claimants out there that think the prosecutor is filing your claim – almost always that is not correct. Prosecutors handle criminal investigations and matters, and yes it is true that they will prosecute the drunk driver for the injured victim. When it comes to a civil case against the driver though for pain and suffering that is what a personal injury lawyer in Arizona handles.

Arizona car accidents often cause people to be unable to return to work. This blog post focuses on getting lost wages paid for when you have been hurt in an accident in Arizona.

Some people are able to return light duty, some people cannot return for a long time to their original occupation, and some will never be able to return to their occupation at the time of the accident. So what happens when you have a situation where you have been injured from a car accident, motorcycle accident, trucking accident, or maybe even as a bicyclists or pedestrian. How do you make sure that you get your lost wages paid for and how does it work with the legal system in Arizona?

Many times after an auto accident if a person is in the hospital obviously they cannot work. There are different levels of injuries and different levels of not being able to work. Although we only handle seriously injury and wrongful death claims in Arizona, we still like to inform everyone if their rights and how to make sure they are protecting themselves. As a reminder, if any one at any time ever has questions on any type of claim, even if it doesn’t have to do with a car accident or motor vehicle accident injury, still feel free to call our office.

If you are in the hospital and are discharged make sure that the doctor gives you a note to remain off of work. The note should indicate that because of the accident you are unable to work and also should indicate what date you can return to work. Once you get discharged from the hospital, you should follow up with your family doctor and if that doctor also thinks you cannot work, have that doctor write another note. If the doctor thinks you have to stay out of work longer, then the doctor should write a new note with new dates to remain off of work.

At the same time, you will need to get a note from your employer that indicates your job responsibility, your job position, hw long you have been employed, and how many days you were out of work. Also, should be included your pay rate and number of hours worked each week. This scenario is for someone who is hurt but can go back to their job responsibilities. For however long if you are able to go back to your job responsibilities you must get continued note. Of course, if you have an Arizona personal injury lawyer they would get these documents for you.

If you get discharged from the hospital and can return light duty, a different type of note is necessary but still a note from the doctor and your employer. The note from the doctor will indicate you can return to work light duty and what limitations you have when working. The note from the employer will indicate what job responsibilities you could not do or at the very least that you were on light duty.

If you get discharged from the hospital and your injuries are such that you will never be able to do your job then as injury lawyers in Arizona we look to different things. I should say that the reason an injury victim needs to get all of this lost wage documentation is not because lawyers want it, it is because of the auto insurance carriers. If a victim does not have all of this information, the insurance adjuster will deny the lost wages. Also, many times a Judge will not let certain evidence into trial if the lawyer does not have the documentation to show the jury.

If it were up to Arizona injury lawyers, we would just have the doctor testify or the injured victim testify with maybe a note from work, but unfortunately that is not an option with insurance companies, and if a case cannot settle, not an option with a Judge and the rules of evidence in an Arizona court of law. I (Alexis) tell many people when we meet with them that in many cases it is like getting a permission slip as if you were in high school. I mean do you really need a lost wage note from a doctor when you are on crutches and you are say a truck driver and can’t drive. One would not think so but our legal system and the adversarial system with insurance companies makes this the case.

Back to the scenarios, if you are never able to return to your job occupation again, then a vocation expert will be required to be hired to prove what your lost wages will be over the course of your life time. When someone is killed because of a motor vehicle accident, a similar expert and lost wage evaluation would be completed. For people who cannot return to their job may be able to get reeducated in a different field. Some people may be able to find another occupation but will make less money in which case a different kind of expert could calculate the difference in lost wages. Some people may never be able to work again at any job in which case the calculations would be based on total loss of earnings.

No matter what the case all along it is necessary to get specific documentation from the doctor and employer. There are cases when an injury case is in litigation that instead of having this documentation a doctor could testify to the lost wage claim and the employer could testify to the loss of hours and wages or inability to perform the job responsibilities. Many times however in order to collect on the claim, as lawyers we need this documentation – again, all because of the adversarial position.

Some of the time this makes sense. Other times I think it makes not sense at all. If an injured person is in the hospital clearly they cannot work. What about doctor’s appointments, clearly you have to take time off from work and lost out on wages. Even if you get vacation pay this is still time off from work or benefits that the insurance company is responsible to pay.

This is a small glimpse into the documentation that one needs when proving a lost wages claim. An accident lawyer spends much time just making sure that all of the documentation is in the file and that as the months go by supplemental documentation is added as that is what is necessary to show the insurance company and jury maybe one day. Of course, there are some adjuster and some juries who do put all the pieces together but most of the time especially when the defense counsel is arguing that the plaintiff does not have the evidence, it is most beneficial and most successful for a case to have the documentation.

Arizona car accidents hurt innocent people every day. Our Arizona Accident Book details the legal system for people who have injury claims in Arizona. As Arizona personal injury lawyers and since our practice is limited to only very serious injury and wrongful death claims we thought we would put information in a book to help others. Even those who need a lawyer, the book helps them understand more about the legal system, the adversarial relationship with the insurance adjuster, and the 13 biggest mistakes that can destroy your Arizona Accident Claim.

Arizona Injury Book - FREE

The reason I bring up our Arizona Injury Book is because I got a call this week from a man who was very seriously injured in a car accident. The car accident had happened about a month ago. Nothing had been done with his vehicle. He was self employed and was unable to go back to work. The adverse insurance company was not calling him back. His daughter had ordered him a copy of our book and had given it to him. It was obvious that he never read it though because he had already given a recorded statement to the adverse insurance company, which is something you shouldn’t do! He had not got a lost wage statement from his doctor, which is necessary to collect lost wages! He had left the car at the tow yard and an abandoned title had been applied for by the tow yard and the tow yard was requesting almost a thousand dollars in storage fees.

If you don't know the answers to these questions think what this means

I asked him some further questions about his own insurance. Did he know if he had medical coverage? Did he know how to handle Medicare? He was on Medicare and with Medicare you need to get a conditional lien amount – and then a final lien amount – to settle your claim. He had no idea about this – Of course, he didn’t he’s not a lawyer. He didn’t know that he could use his underinsured from his two different automobile policies. He had another separate auto policy that did not have underinsured on it and he didn’t know that the insurance company is required to have a person sign off on different documents and that he might be able to get more underinsured coverage. Of course, he didn’t know this either because he’s not a lawyer and knows nothing about insurance coverage.

Lawyers know how to look for additional coverage

Most importantly, the adverse driver was in on a cell phone for what appeared to be a work related call. This means that the company insurance may apply even if the adverse driver was not in his own vehicle.

At the end of the conversation, the man was still convinced that he could handle the Arizona car accident claim on his own. This is what I don’t understand. This man had a life changing very serious injury. He should be protected and will have no idea how to protect himself. Maybe it is that some people still feel bad hiring an attorney for a car accident claim. Maybe that is it. I have talked to some people who have said that they felt bad hiring a lawyer or that it was something that they did not feel comfortable doing. Some people have told me that for religious reasons they felt like they could not file a claim against someone who caused the accident.

I respect everyone’s opinions and it is an individual choice for each auto accident, motorcycle accident, pedestrian accident, trucking accident, whatever the motor vehicle accident or any other injury victim for that matter – it is their individual decision what to do. I just think that when you are seriously injured or have a loved one who has been killed by the negligence of another individual that it is necessary to consult a lawyer in depth to find out all your rights. Some car accident cases do not require a lawyer. But other cases do require a lawyer. We all pay for car insurance. Many of us pay thousands of dollars each year for car insurance. So shouldn’t we all be protected if we are injured to make sure that the car insurance company pays the most that they have to. Why should as a victim if you lose wages you want to give the insurance company an advantage to not have to pay everything that they are entitled to?

As I got off the phone with this man who was confident that he could handle his case on his own, I reminded him to go read the book. At least if he was not going to hire a lawyer, he could get some pointers on what not to do. His son was smart to order the book and his son understands that there are a lot of dynamics to an injury claim that lay people do not know. If you are in a small car crash and the injuries are not too significant then even though you may do better with a lawyer, ultimately it is not a life changing amount of money so it does not have as big of an impact.

Serious injuries from a motor vehicle accident

When you are seriously injured from a car accident though and have injuries that are permanent, or excessive lost wages, or excessive medical bills, there is simply too much to lose by trying to handle a claim on your own. At least that is my opinion. Of course, I see insurance companies day in and day out deny claims to people who tried to handle it on their own so I come from a completely different perspective. I know that insurance adjusters on not on the injured victims side and we try to get this point across to victims, but at least on a positive note many people still have trust in others. I guess in that way these people are to be commended because they trust that others will look out for them and do the right thing even when it is an adversarial position.

Insurance adjusters are not your friend

The simple fact is an insurance adjuster is not going to point out that they have more coverage, is not going to tell you to get a lost wage note, is not going to tell you the ramifications of leaving your car in storage, is not going to tell you that you may have additional underinsured coverage, is not going to inform you that the person driving might have a company policy because they were on the phone and the list goes on. Bottom line, when you are in a car accident it is an adversarial situation and as a victim it is in your best interest to be protected.

Arizona car accidents are happening all over the Valley. I received a call yesterday from a sister whose brother had been seriously hurt in a motor vehicle accident about 15 months prior. The brother had been T-boned by another vehicle and was taken by ambulance to the hospital. Since the time of the accident, the brother was not able to work because of the injury. The brother had ordered a copy of our book and was calling for more information.

Our Arizona Accident book was actually written to provide people with information. Many people are unaware as to how the claims process works so we just wanted to give people more information on what happened when you are involved in a personal injury claim in Arizona. The book does not just go over car accidents, but many other injury claims as well. The book is not meant to be in place of a lawyer or a consultation with a lawyer but was just meant to let people know how insurance adjusters process claims and what mistakes to look out for. The book talks about the 13 biggest mistakes that people make in pursuing their claim. When I got off the phone with the sister she told me that her brother had fallen trap to a few of the mistakes we had talked about in the book. Needless to say we may still be able to help the brother, but the brother has to call so we can go over more details.

In any case, the reason I bring this up is what I have noticed more and more is that our book does not just give people information about our legal system and dealing with adjusters but in explaining the legal system it seems to explain to people why it is OK to file a claim. Many people who call our office at first felt guilty about filing a claim for an injury out of a car accident or motorcycle accident in Arizona or any other personal injury claim. After they read our book, even the most religious, tell us that they are really glad they read the book because they have a better understanding of the legal system in Arizona and also understand that it is OK to file a claim and it does not make a person a bad person to file a claim. This is what our legal system is all about. Further, this is why we all buy insurance. Lastly, in filing a claim you let the person or company know that they need to stop the behavior or fix the behavior and make it right so that no one else gets hurt.

Not all claims are legitimate. We certainly recognize this. Not all claims are worth pursuing. Not all injuries are serious. For those people who have sustained serious injury remember that people pay for insurance in case they hurt someone by accident. Also, the only way a person or company will drive safer or put steps in place to hire safe drivers or other reasons that accidents are caused is if the people or families of the injured people stand up for their rights and let the negligent people know that they were hurt and that they need to make whole as much as possible the injured person. If people do not stand up to the person or company who caused the harm then other people will continue to get hurt.

Our recommendation is not that all people file a claim or file a lawsuit, but that all injured people talk to an Arizona personal injury lawyer and go over their options to make sure that their legal rights are protected. Most injury lawyers in Phoenix, and all over the Valley include Ahwatukee, Glendale, Chandler, Tempe, Apache Junction, Scottsdale, Maricopa, Laveen, South Phoenix, Avondale, Sun City – did I miss any where? We get calls from all over the Valley even Tucson so I want to let every one know that most Arizona injury lawyer, certainly our office, offer free consultation and a no fee guarantee where we will review your case – especially it is important to review your deadlines for your case – and let you know what you have to do to make sure your rights are protected. It is my goal by this blog entry to just entice people to review their legal options with a lawyer to make sure their rights are protected. I am not saying you have to go run out and file a lawsuit or file a claim, just make sure your rights are protected.

The sister who called me by speaking to me found out that when a person is injured they have to file a lawsuit or settle their claim within one year – which the brother did not do! If they do not file a lawsuit or settle the injury claim within one year and they have workers compensation, then they need to get a reassignment from worker compensation as in the second year of an injury claim where there is a workers compensation claim as well, the claim becomes that of the workers compensation claim. So now the brother will know that he needs to get a reassignment before going any further and then a lawsuit or settlement can be had with the adverse driver. Further, we discussed that a potential underinsured claim may exist as well and that underinsured claims have different statute of limitations than when dealing with an adverse party. These are just some of the deadlines for the brother’s personal injury claim that we reviewed. At least the brother should know the deadlines and then have the option of deciding whether or not to pursue a claim. Had they not known they could have let the statute go and never have known about the need for a reassignment. In fact, a workers comp carrier does not have to give a reassignment so if the brother does decide to pursue a claim, he will still need to hope that the workers comp carrier gives him the reassignment.

Don't forget to check our more information on our injury book and the mistakes that you can make when pursuing a personal injury claim in Arizona.

Phoenix car accidents happen every day of the week which is why our office is always accessible. As you know we have 7 kids. I (Alexis) just came back from 1 baseball game, 1 soccer game, 1 basketball practice, 3 basketball games and Mark just left to take our oldest son to his basketball game! What a busy day already! Oh and I forgot we took 2 of the kids to a chess tournament in the morning. Anyways, it’s always nice I think to have some insight into the weekend lives of the attorneys you might currently be trusting or may one day be trusting to handle your serious accident claim.

Caller Case Scenario

In between games I received a call from an Arizona resident who had just been involved in a car accident. He actually rear ended another vehicle. He said the person in front of him sped up then slowed down and so he rear ended her. He said there was minimal damage to her car, he was guessing about $200.00. The person he hit was complaining of neck pain. The police never came and they moved their vehicles about a half mile from the scene. He gave me all these facts and said, “What do I do?” The one thing he was most concerned about was his license was suspended and he wanted to know what effect that would have on the case.

Can A Person Who Drives On A Suspended License Make a Personal Injury Claim?

Most people think that if you get in a car accident in Phoenix and you are driving on a suspended license that you cannot make an injury claim or that you will immediately be deemed at fault. Many people who are illegal in this country think they can’t make a claim either. Actually, all these people are wrong. The fact that someone is illegal or driving on a suspended license – or no license at all – has no relevancy in a personal injury claim in Arizona. Actually, I should say almost no relevancy. Every Arizona personal injury claim is different of course. If the person wants to make a lost wage claim and they are an illegal immigrant then the lost wage claim gets a little complicated. If they however just want to make a personal injury claim the fact that they were driving with no license or a suspended license will never come into Court. At least by the rules of evidence it will should never come into Court.

How Does Evidence Get Into The Arizona Courts?

In order for it to come into Court someone would have to prove why driving on a suspended license had anything to do with how the accident happened. Typically, there is no evidence that can be proven to correlate fault and driving on a suspended license so that is why driving on a suspended license or being an immigrant never comes into evidence.

If You Get In An Arizona Car Accident Should You Call Your Insurance company?

With respect to the above callers case, he should call his insurance company and they will take it from there. The fact that she only had $200.00 of property damage is something that the Arizona insurance company will pick up on and will most likely use to argue that the person who was rear-ended was not in fact hurt. In this scenario, it may very well be that the person was not hurt, but many times even when there is a couple thousand dollars worth of damage or more and the vehicle does not look like it sustained that much damage, the insurance companies use the lack of serious vehicle damage to their advantage.

Does the amount of property damage have to do with how serious a person is injured?

It does not always correlate the amount of damage to the seriousness of the injuries. There have been many times that this has worked for us and again us. In one case we had many years ago where we went to trial, a tow truck cut off the roof of our client’s vehicle. Obviously, showing big pictures of our client’s vehicle with the roof cut off makes an impression. In the opposite, this has been used against us where our client was hurt but the vehicle did not look like it sustained a lot of damage. It is just something to keep in mind that just because a car is totaled does not mean the people inside of the vehicle were hurt and likewise just because a car did not look like it had serious damage, does not mean that people inside the vehicle cannot be hurt.

Always get the advice of an Arizona personal injury lawyer - What you know can't hurt you but what you don't know can hurt you - and destroy your injury claim

In any case, if you are ever at fault for an accident, it is almost always a good idea to immediately report it to your insurance company. In fact, some insurance policies say if you don’t report the accident immediately they may not cover the damages incurred. Let the insurance company deal with the injuries to the other person. If you are seriously hurt in a car accident in Arizona and are driving on a suspended license or are an illegal immigrant remember you still have rights to a personal injury claim. Whether you choose to pursue these rights and be protected by an attorney is up to each individual person. Some cases are worth pursuing and some personal injury cases in Phoenix are not worth pursuing. What is best is to talk to an Arizona accident lawyer and get some good advice!

When you are involved in a Phoenix car accident it is important to always make sure that the police come to the scene of the accident before you leave. Let me tell you about a call I received today. A woman called me who was a passenger in a vehicle and her husband was the driver. Another vehicle in front of them was driving a vehicle with a big camper attached. Somehow the camper became undone and rolled backwards into the caller’s vehicle. The car accident happened in Phoenix and it had happened about 7 days prior to her calling.

The caller indicated that her daughter was having a lot of emotional anxiety because of the car accident. Her husband had a lot of soft tissue pain and she had over all body ache pain as well. The camper had gone backwards at a pretty good rate of speed and their vehicle had incurred a significant amount of damage but was drivable.

She said they wait for 2 hours for the police to come and the police never came so the driver of the car carrying the camper told the caller that he knew a repair shop and to follow him there. The caller followed the adverse driver to the repair shop and a person at the repair shop was going to do an estimate. An estimate was done and the at fault driver told the caller he would call them.

He didn’t give any of his insurance information. The police never came. The caller and her family are hurt but never went to the doctor because they thought they would get better. And Guess What? The caller has been calling the adverse driver and he won’t answer the phone at all and she has no other way to contact him other than his name and number. She called because she wanted to know what she can do.

Well no use crying over spilled milk but in the future always wait for the police and always make sure a police report is completed. Call the police again if they don’t come. Luckily for this woman she has her own insurance and they were not that hurt. Whenever there is a delay in treatment it makes the claim very difficult to prove especially when the delay is when the person never went to the doctor until a while after the accident. This is not a case that we would accept anyways because we handle seriously injury and wrongful death claims in Arizona; however, I gave her some tips on how she can locate this guy and what needs to be done to get her car fixed.

This scenario is just a reminder to everyone that if you are involved in a car accident make sure to get as much information as possible from the driver and make sure the police come down to complete a police report. Double check that the police get as much information as possible as well from the adverse driver. As always if you have any questions on an Arizona car accident call our office. We are Arizona car accident lawyers and personal injury lawyers and wrongful death lawyers. We offer a no fee guarantee which means that we do not charge anything until we win your case. Stay tuned for further real case scenarios.

As Arizona injury and motorcycle lawyers, we have many clients who have been seriously injured in motorcycle accidents. I was talking to a client who came in on Friday to sign his settlement documents who had been involved in a motorcycle accident. In his accident he was travelling through an intersection when another vehicle did not stop and ran the stop sign and collided with our client. The client said he saw the wife of the driver put her hands on her head anticipating the collision. Unfortunately, she was not able to let her husband know prior to him running the stop light and colliding with our client.

One thing that we were discussing is that this was not a motorcycle accident. In technical terms this was a motorcycle accident but it was not a motorcycle accident in the way that most of us picture what a motorcycle accident is when we say those terms. I (Alexis) think most people when they say motorcycle accident think the motorcycle driver was the cause of the accident. For some reason drivers of automobiles do not like motorcycle driver or bicycle riders for the majority either. Most witnesses we see on police reports say the motorcycle rider or cyclists “came out of nowhere.” I think it seems like the rider came out of no where because many times the driver is not paying attention enough to see the motorcycle rider or the cyclists. It takes extra special attention when driving.

I think the client is right though that we have to remember this Arizona deadly motorcycle crash was not an Arizona motorcycle accident, it was innocent motorcycle riders stopped at a red light when another driver just rammed into them. There was no accident about this Phoenix motorcycle crash and as injury lawyers and people we need to remember that this was not an accident.

Many more facts will start to come out as in all Phoenix motorcycle cases. When it comes to a fatal motorcycle accident in Arizona, it can take months for the police to conduct a full investigation and issue the police report.

At this time, it appears that Michael Jakscht, the driver of the dump truck, was found to be on illegal drugs at the time of the accident and his bail has been set for what we heard was $1,000,000. he is currently held at the 4th Avenue jail in downtown Phoenix.

Initial police reports are indicating that the toxicology reports showed Jakscht had drugs in his system at the time of the motorcycle crash.

Victims and victims’ families are starting to speak out. Jason Anania suffered from a shattered leg, bruises back and sore shoulder. One paper quoted him saying that his physical pain is difficult but his emotion pain is difficult as well. This is not uncommon for victims of motorcycle accidents to feel. Physical pain is visible to others but emotional pain is something that is just as serious.

Many of our clients who are involved in motorcycle crashes in Arizona have emotional injuries that are very difficult to overcome. Many clients request that they seed the help of a doctor who can help them with their emotional injuries. In fact, one doctor that we work with actually takes victims out on the roadway again as one of the emotional factors besides feeling guilty for being a survivor is having a hard time getting back on a motorcycle or in an automobile after a serious motor vehicle accident.

We cannot bring all these innocent motorcycle riders back to be with us and our legal system is not a tooth for a tooth and an eye for an eye, but if all of the reports are correct, it sure seems that a legal system like that would be fair. Drivers cannot use illegal drugs and kill innocent people and get a slap on the wrist. This driver needs to be severely punished as he has killed innocent people, seriously injured others, and torn apart families’ lives forever.

It does not appear that this is Jakscht’s only offense either. It has been reported that he was cited in 2005 for operating a vehicle with too much weight and cited in 2006 for having parts that were in an unsafe condition. Last year, while driving the same truck from the Blue Sky Sanitation Company, he was cited for not having a fire extinguisher, no pre-trip inspection and failure to inspect emergency equipment.

Although clearly the driver was at fault for the motorcycle crash, I wonder what responsibility the company holds as well. Did this company know that Jakscht was using illegal substances? What did they do about these tickets he was getting? Did they do anything to make sure he had the proper equipment on his dump truck. Did the company know something was wrong with the truck and that it could possibly cause fire?

These are some legal aspects I think are important for everyone to know as well. Of course, Jakscht is responsible because of his actions and deserves the upmost punishment but at the same time I would advise these families of those fatally injured and the surviving victims to look into the role that the sanitation company had as well.

Again, our thoughts are with these families and innocent injured victims.

After being involved in a Phoenix car accident where he was rear ended, a young fellow called today to seek some legal advice. He was concerned because he needed a vehicle and the adverse insurance company was still investigating liability. He had called the claim into his insurance company but was unsure of what to do because his vehicle was at a storage lot, he needed a vehicle to get to doctor’s appointments, and had not heard from the insurance company.

Generally, in these situations if you have car insurance, especially rental car insurance, we advise that you make a claim through your own insurance company. Many people when they have been involved in a Phoenix car accident don’t want to make a claim against their own insurance or they are concerned that their rates will go up. According to the insurance regulations, your rates cannot increase unless you are at fault for the accident. Of course, the insurance company can increase your car insurance rates for something else but if you are not at fault for an accident and choose to use your own insurance, your rates should not go up.

If you do make a claim and use your own rental car coverage or even if the adverse party puts you in a rental car do not get the additional insurance offered by the rental car company. If you do purchase additional insurance after you have been in a car accident in Arizona, you will not be reimbursed for the amount of money each day you spent on insurance, and generally the additional insurance amounts to about $12.00 extra a day and can vary depending on what type of car you rent.

When calling your insurance company we do not advise not to give a recorded statement – at least to wait until you have spoken to an attorney. Also, when you ask that you be provided a rental car the insurance company will probably direct you to a rental car company. Tell your insurance or if you receive the rental car from an adverse insurance that you want a direct bill. A direct bill will serve so that the bill goes directly to the insurance company. You may still have to put your charge card down for identification but this way your card should not be charged and the insurance company will be billed directly during the time that the investigation is being completed and the status of your car is being determined.

Over the course of the next few blog entries, I (Alexis) will talk more about property damage and how you can make sure that you are not stuck with a big bill. In terms of making an insurance claim on your own insurance though, again, if you are not at fault for the car accident then your rates should not go up by using your own insurance. If your rates do go up you should ask your agent or insurance company to show you why they went up. If they do not have reason as to why they went up, they can be reported to the Arizona Insurance Department of Regulations and/or they should be lowering your rates.

Every once in a while what will happen if your rates do increase it will be because your insurance company coded the accident as your fault when it was not. Sometimes it is just a simple phone call to make sure that the accident was not codes as your fault. Still, we have only had one circumstance where our client was not at fault where her rates went up and it was just because they coded it wrong and immediately her rates went back to where they were.

Feel free to ask us any questions on Arizona personal injury and wrongful death law.

The fatal motorcycle accident last week that claimed the lives of 4 innocent victims and others who were injured is becoming more tragic as the investigation proceeds. According to reports the driver, Michael Jakscht, of the dump truck had methamphetamine’s in his system at the time of the motorcycle crash.

Driver of deadly motorcycle accidend found to have drugs in his system on day of crash

At first, police thought it was an accident from the driver shuffling papers and not paying attention, but now news reports are indicating that the driver had illegal substance in his system at the time of the motorcycle crash. Further, it is reported that the driver had received two speeding tickets a couple of days before the motorcycle crash and his driving record indicates that he has had five tickets in the passed, some for carrying too much weight in the truck.

Thoughts and prayers go out to the families of this fatal motorcycle crash

My thoughts and prayers again go out to these families. This is certainly a tragic accident. Some motorcycle accidents are just accidents. When reports were that he was shuffling papers I thought that is very careless driving behavior but in some respects in it an accident – still deserving of punishment but something a lot of drivers do is get distracted and do not pay attention.

Justice must be served

Given the current reports and if they are true, I think this driver deserves to be convicted of every count that he is charged with for killing these Arizona motorcycle riders. Of course, we are all innocent until proven guilty, but if these reports are true this man was driving while under the influence of illegal substance and has ruined the lives of many families, which extends to probably hundreds of people when you consider the spouses, parents, children, siblings, friends, and even grandchildren.

Innocent lives have been destroyed

In reading some of the obituaries, it reminded me again how fragile life is. This man has destroyed lives of beautiful families and justice must be served. We can never bring back these motorcycle riders, but these families need to make sure that they have lawyers on their side fighting for them and that this driver is punished for what has been done.

Punitive Damages

In reading that the driver received citations for carrying too much weight, it makes me think that the company might have some liability as well regarding why the truck caught on fire. I will admit this is all assumptions and speculation based on all of the prior cases we have handled, but I wonder if there was too much material on the truck and that is why the truck caught on fire. This needs to be looked into right away.

Legal experts must be retained immediately

An expert regarding trucks, weights, and accidents, needs to look at the biomechanics of this accident and truck to see if there is any liability on the company for carrying too much weight. There may be others responsible as well. This is not to say that the driver should not be held accountable, I just wonder if there are other factors out there that make others responsible as well.

Spoilation of evidence

The first thing that needs to be done is that this truck needs to be kept in a place where the evidence is no spoiled. The truck needs to be examined and put in a place – storage area – where experts can look at it and investigate further as to why this truck caught on fire and if anyone else is responsible for taking the lives of these innocent individuals.

A letter needs to go out immediately to the company owners and the insurance company for the spoliation truck letting them know that if the truck is tampered with the parties will look to the spoliation law in Arizona, which basically says when you are put on notice not to tamper with evidence, if you do tamper with that evidence the Court can instruct the jury to look at the tampering of evidence in a negative light.

Arizona case law for those lawyers who are looking for authority on spoliation of evidence

There are a long line of Arizona cases that indicate the Court should instruct a jury that it can draw a negative inference against the party who fails to preserve evidence. For those injury and wrongful death lawyers that may follow this blog for legal tips, if anyone wants to check our an Arizona case on point it is State v. Willits, 96 Ariz. 184, 393 P.2d 274 (1964). Other legal cases that can be reviewed for destruction of evidence include Souza v. Fred Carries Contracts, Inc., 191 Ariz. 247, 955 P.2d 3 (App. 1997), Nat'l Ass'n of Radiation Survivors, 115 F.R.D. at 557 (citing Cecil Corley Motor Co. v. General Motors Corp., 380 F.Supp. 819, 859 (M.D. Tenn. 1974)) and Alexander v. Nat'l Farmers Org., 687 F.2d 1173, 1205-06 (8th Cir. 1982), cert. denied, 461 U.S. 937, 938, 103 S.Ct. 2108, 2110, 77 L.Ed.2d 313, 314 (1983).

Expert Arizona injury and wrongful death lawyer

Of course, I am biased since all we do is practice injury and wrongful death law in Arizona, but especially in this fatal motorcycle accident, it is imperative that these families hire the best motorcycle accident lawyer that they can find. If you have questions about this article or accident, call our office and we can review with you how the law affects this case.

Expert Arizona Injury and Wrongful Death Lawyer on Arizona Motorcycle Accidents

Mark Breyer is a certified specialist in injury and wrongful death law in Arizona, which only 2% of all lawyers in Arizona have achieved as awarded by the State Bar of Arizona. He has been names Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona by ATLA and has achieved top legal ranking for legal ability and legal ethics from Martindale-Hubbell, a renowned legal source for over 100 years known throughout the United States. We offer a no fee guarantee and can assure all clients that we represent you will get the representation that you would expect from a top Arizona injury and wrongful death law team with the communication you would expect from a husband and wife law team. We are a top notch legal team and Mark has achieved his awards from getting the results and justice that our clients deserve.

Society should never forget the innocent victims of fatal accidents

Most importantly our thoughts are with these families. It is clear that this was a special team of motorcycle riders and that justice needs to be served. All of these riders are very special and as a society we all have to work together to make sure that innocent victims of fatal crashes like these are not forgotten and that society understands the dangers of driving while distracted and that those who are driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be punished by the full extent of the law. There is no tolerance whatsoever for this type of chosen driving behavior which kills innocent victims.

Eliseo Viramontes was killed in a car accident on Friday. News reports are indicating that his son was driving the vehicle and that his son had his permit. It appears his son was in critical condition as well. Seeing that I am an Arizona personal injury lawyer, I have read much news reports and comments about this accident and want to bring some things to light about the law in Arizona.

Before we talk about the law, our prayers go out to this family and everyone involved in this accident. No matter whose fault this car crash was a horrible tragic event has occurred and people involved will never be the same. In our line of work we see this every day and deaths due to car accidents are always very difficult to see, even as the Phoenix car accident lawyer who represents the families.

It is always an emotional time after a car accident for families of loved ones. As far as the boy and his father, I have seen a lot of reports blaming the boy and sometimes the father. At this time, I do not think anyone should comment on who was at fault. It may be the other drivers and it may be the boy but no one knows until a thorough investigation has been completed.

Arizona law

With respect to the law, when someone gets a failure to yield ticket it does not mean that they do not have a legal claim. As a passenger, a passenger always has a legal claim as they cannot be at fault. Well, I should say almost always a passenger will have a claim because they are not the driver and typically as a passenger you cannot be at fault for an accident. I can only think of some very limited circumstances that a passenger would be liable. In the same sense though, just because someone is cited with failing to yield does not mean the car accident is all their fault. In fact, in a court of law the citation of failure to yield does not even come into evidence.

In Arizona, we have a comparative fault state which means that a person can collect for pain and suffering the amount of percentage they are not at fault. In other states, they have different laws such as maybe you have to prove that you are at least 51% not at fault or in other states proving that you are 100% not at fault. Arizona’s law is that a person can collect for whatever percentage they are not at fault.

An example of comparative fault

For example, if you are 50% at fault for an accident you can collect 50% of the total value of your claim. If it is a fatal car accident and the person who died was 90% at fault, they still have a claim for 10% of their damages. In a fatal accident, 10% of damages can still be a significant claim as it is still 10% of someone's life, 10% of someone's lost wages, 10% of the entire claim.

How to prove someone is at fault for an Arizona car accident

In proving that a driver was at fault or not at fault you have to look at the skid marks on the ground, the police report, the witness statements, the vehicle themselves, along with other evidence. Many times we have to hire an accident reconstructionist to examine the speed limits of the vehicles, the light sequence, and other vehicle information. Sometimes a case can come down to which lawyer hires the best expert.

An accident like this is always very difficult where injuries are involved and a death is involved. At the same time, it is probably that these families will begin to get calls from the insurance companies. We recommend not talking to the insurance company. It is usually best to have a family member or a friend talk to the insurance adjuster. That is because many times it is difficult for a loved one to talk to the insurance company during such an emotion time. If you are seriously injured, it is not a good idea to talk to the insurance company either because then your pain and discomfort may get in the way of having a complete conversation.

Never give a recorded statement

Also, a recorded statement with the insurance company can only hurt a claimant as the insurance company will use this statement against you even if you believe that you told the truth. For example, if you say I’m doing OK the insurance company can take that one sentence totally out of context.

Setting up insurance claims

I would recommend that the people involved in this accident have a family member set up the claims with all the insurance companies of the vehicles involved. Assuming there are vehicles in storage steps needs to be taken to have the vehicle removed from the storage facility as soon as possible so that the owners of the vehicles do not incur storage charges. Pictures should be taken at the scene of the accident if they have not already been taken by the police and photos should be taken of the vehicles as well. These are just some preliminary things that need to be completed. Most important, our thoughts and prayers are with all of the families and victims involved in this tragic Arizona car accident.

Continue reading "Tragic Phoenix Car Accident Claims The Life of a Phoenix Arizona Man" »

Most people are not involved in Arizona car accidents. Most people never have to talk to an Arizona injury and wrongful death lawyer. Most people will never have to know what is involved to make an injury or wrongful death claim with the insurance company. These are the lucky people.

Unfortunately, there are many others who are involved in Arizona car accidents. These people may have either been seriously injured or lost a loved one from a fatal Phoenix, Arizona car accident. Maybe it wasn't in Phoenix, maybe the car accident was outside of Phoenix, such as a car accident in Chandler or Ahwatukee or Tempe, or all the surrounding areas that are in Phoenix, Regardless of where the accident is, these are the unlucky people. It is better to be ignorant of the law and the insurance claims but unfortunately many people are forced to learn about it and forced to seek out an experienced Arizona accident and injury lawyer.

Currently, the insurance companies have been successful in convincing society that people who are injured and seek money damages are greedy. I (Alexis) want to tell everyone about a situation that recently happened with one of our clients and you tell me who is the greedy one!

Our clients were involved in a car accident and let's call him "Joe" who was the driver. Joe was very seriously injured. He was transported by ambulance to the hospital where he remained in ICU for a couple of weeks. During this time, his wife was at home caring for their children and trying to go back and forth between the hospital and tend to all the kids at home. Meanwhile, Joe's vehicle was towed from the scene of the accident while Joe was being taken to the hospital with life threatening injuries. Joe's car was old so he did not have collision coverage on the vehicle. The insurance company of the person who was at fault who hit Joe's vehicle would not do anything because they said they had to get in touch with their insured first and investigate as to whether or not their insured was at fault. Where was their insured? In jail. Their insured had been taken to jail from the accident scene because he was driving drunk and was found to be at fault for the car accident.

The insurance company took 8 weeks to investigate the car accident and talk to their insured. After 8 weeks they admitted liability and said they would pay for Joe's total loss. Sounds fair? I suppose that part is fair. But here is the unfair part. Joe's vehicle sat in storage the entire 8 weeks because the insurance company would not move it out of storage. They told Joe to move it himself. Yes, Joe who was in ICU for part of this time. If not Joe, then his wife they expected to take care of it. Joe and his family could not afford the storage charges, the towing charges, and where would thye have had their totaled vehicle moved to - Joe's family would have had to move their totaled vehicle to another tow yard place that would also have charged for storage charges.

This makes absolutely no sense - does it? But these are the types of things that insurance companies try to get away with it. They won't get away with it here though because Joe hired our office and we sent the insurance company multiple letters indicating that they had to remove the vehicle or they would be responsible for the storage charges. If the insurance company doesn't pay for Joe's storage charges plus Joe's loss of use for his family not having a rental vehicle what will happen and what can you do as an accident victim?

You file a lawsuit. Some Arizona injury lawyers might not want to file a lawsuit but that is exactly what we do. You have to file a lawsuit to show these insurance companies that they cannot bully you and your clients around. We have had some cases where insurance companies try to do this and we have received 3-4 times the value of the vehicle in the end because the insurance company has to pay interest and so many other charges when they are found at fault for their actions.

The bottom line is this is an excellent example of how an innocent person can be taken advantage of by the insurance company. Next time someone tells you a person who pursues an injury claim is greedy tell them this story and let them know that if you've never been involved in an Arizona car accident and been hurt and had to make an Arizona injury claim or had to hire an Arizona injury lawyer to get what is fair then you do not know what our legal system is all about. Remember this story and how the insurance company is the one who is greedy.

When people are involved in an Arizona car accident many times they are seriously injured. When we represent clients who are seriously injured in an Arizona car accident, many times we see that they have trouble paying their mortgage, medical bills, utility bills, etc. This is to be expected because when a person is injured they are unable to work and therefore they have trouble paying all of their expenses. For many, all of these issues are why people look into hiring the best Arizona car accident lawyer.

Getting An Advance on Your Arizona Injury Claim

There are companies out there that will make an advance on an Arizona injury claim. Typically, they require a lot of forms and will only pay a minimal amount compared to the value of the settlement. In order for these companies to decide if a person can qualify for an advance on their settlement claim, they will talk to the injury lawyer, review the police report, ask about liability, request to see the car photos, and any other evidence that the attorney may have. The funding company has to be very conservative in the amount of money that they lend out because they will be lending this money out and it will be totally dependent on the outcome of the settlement. Therefore, the funding company will be taking a great risk when they lend out money to personal injury individuals.

Why as Phoenix Injury Attorneys Do We Recommend Against Injured Victims Getting An Advance On Their injury Claim?

Typically, we recommend against any of our clients getting advances on their injury claims. Why is that? The reason is because funding companies charge an enormous amount of interest when giving out a loan on an injury claim. By a lot of money it can come out to as much or more as 50% in interest and fees. In other words, if you get a loan on an injury claim in the amount of $10,000 you will need to pay back $15,000 out of your personal injury settlement. Also, as the months go by, the interest will continue to increase at a high rate. Many times to make sure you get the best settlement possible it will take longer and you do not want the taking out of a loan to affect whether you can hold out on settlement.

When May A Client Need An Advance on Their Injury Claim

There are some times where we do understand why clients need to get an advance on their settlement. Of course, as lawyers we listen to our clients and do anything needed to address what they would like out of their settlement claim. Therefore even if we do not agree with the client taking out an advance on their settlement, we will still do everything we can to help the client. The times that we understand that the client needs an advance is where they have tried everything possible and are just so behind that the extra interest will not make a difference. We had a client once who was going to lose his home because he could not work and getting an advance on his settlement was the only way he could save his home.

It is important to try to do everything you can to avoid an advance on your claim because of the high interest rates and fees that go along with getting an advancement on a personal injury claim. We do understand why the funding companies have to charge such high rates and that is because if the case is lost they will not get any money so the funding company is taking on a lot of risk.

If you have any questions on an Arizona injury claim, feel free to give us a call. As Arizona personal injury lawyers, we are able to answer all your questions and if we cannot help you, we will point you in the right direction so you get the help and care that you need.

I find it very interesting that people who are involved in an Arizona accident will call our office and say how they don't want a McDonald's case verdict or anything like that but they do want to be compensated. What is interesting about that is 1) many people know nothing about the McDonald's case and 2) it is amazing how influential the insurance industry is to convince everyone how bad it is to file a claim or lawsuit against someone.

McDonald's Coffee Injury Case

With reference to the McDonald's coffee case, most people only know what they have been told by the media which mostly comes from the insurance industry as only their insurance industry has enough money to go on TV and do all sorts of other stuff and alter facts about a case. What really happened in the McDonald's coffee case is that an older woman was burned by hot coffee because of McDonald's choices. You see McDonalds decided that they would create a campaign to let everyone know that their coffee was the hottest. In doing so, they made the coffee so hot that many people were getting burned. All of these people, society never heard of but McDonalds and the others knew that the coffee was too hot - so hot that it would cause injury sooner or later.

Real Facts Of Case

As a result, the woman was severely burned. It was not just a little burn, but very significant burns on her body. When the case went to Court, the Plaintiff's lawyer asked for what we call "punitive damages." Punitive damages is where a company or individual acts such that their conduct is seen with an "evil mind." When a Plaintiff's lawyer ask for punitive damages the jury can award money damages to punish the Defendant for their egregious actions. The way the media portrayed the McDonald's case is that some woman got burned because of her own actions and millions of dollars was awarded to the Plaintiff. That is not what happened at all.

What happened was that McDonalds knew that they should not be serving coffee this hurt because others had complained of the temperature and being hurt... a little. As a result, McDonald's was warned to lower the temperature of their coffee to avoid future injury and McDonald’s chose to not do so and keep the coffee at the hot temperature because they didn't care who got hurt, they only cared about sales.

Injury Case Goes to Court

When the case went to Court, the Judge found that there was enough evidence for the Plaintiff's lawyer to argue that McDonalds acted with an evil mind. The jury found that as well and awarded one day of coffee sales to the woman as a punishment. That is where the millions of dollars comes in.

Did you know that the Judge has the power to reduce the award a jury gives? So when you are on a jury, you actually do not have final say, the Judge does. In this case, the Judge did lower the amount of the award in fact and the woman did not get the amount that the jury awarded her.

Perception of Society When Pursuing An Injury Claim

The perception of society now is that it is bad to make a claim when you are in an auto accident or have received personal injuries from the negligence of another individual. As Arizona lawyers who help individuals everyday who have been hurt by the negligence of another individual we here time and time again that people don't want a McDonald's coffee case verdict or they just want their vacation pay paid back, or they just want their medical bills paid.

Arizona Injury Law

The law is set up so that the only way a person who is hurt by another individual can get back to square one is through making a claim. That doesn't necessarily mean you have to file a lawsuit but you do have to make a claim. We all pay insurance companies thousands of dollars and as a whole billions and billions of dollars to insure us. In my opinion, and of course I (Alexis) am bias as I am a personal injury lawyer, but in my opinion that is exactly why we have insurance. We have insurance so that if an innocent individual is wronged, the insurance company will pay.

Auto Accident and Other Personal Injury Claims

If you are injured in an auto crash in Arizona and you incur medical bills and lost wages, you should be entitled to compensation of your medical bill and lost wages, but also for all your pain and suffering. It is the pain and suffering that makes our system as it is and people should know there is nothing wrong with pursuing what is fair, which includes money for pain and suffering, future medical bills, permanent injuries, and all the other elements that make a person not whole when they have been hurt by another individual. This is why we have insurance and people who are hurt should not be made to feel that making a claim is the wrong thing to do.

Arizona Lawyers Who Can Help

With that being said, not all injuries are worth pursuing and there certainly are some people out there who bring frivolous cases but there are a whole lot more people who are injured because of someone else’s negligence and deserve fair compensation. If you are someone who doesn’t know if you have an injury case and are looking for Arizona personal injury lawyers who can help, feel free to give us a call. We have offices Valleywide and we can come to you. Call us Valleywide at 602-267-1280. You will not be disappointed in Arizona’s Husband and Wife Law Team’s client communication and legal abilities.

If you have been in an accident in Ahwatukee, call the Ahwatukee Car Accident Lawyers who are right in your neighborhood. Although we have other offices throughout the Valley, our first office began in Ahwatukee back in 1996.

Mark is rated Top 100 lawyers in Arizona by ATLA, top ethical and legal ratings by Martindale-Hubbell, Top rankings by AVVO, and he is a certified specialist in injury and wrongful death law by the State Bar of Arizona. Only about 2% of lawyer sin Arizona have been deemed an expert by the State Bar of Arizona.

You can find out more about us in the Ahwatukee newspaper or come by our office which is located near 46th Street and Chandler Blvd - our office in Ahwatukee. If you work in another part of the Valley most likely we have an office near your work as well. If we do not have an office near you, we will come to you.

Feel free to call anytime as well at our East Valley number. As Ahwatukee auto accident lawyers we are here to help. We also handle other areas of personal injury as well. Give us a call and get your free consultation. We are confident you will trust our office and get honest answers to all your questions.

People who are involved in a car accident are often convinced that only personal injury clients who are at fault for the accident have an uphill battle in proving their claim. In fact, in my (Alexis) opinion every personal injury victim in Arizona has an uphill battle? Why is that?

Whether you are at fault for an accident in Arizona or not are an injury victim, you face an uphill battle fighting against the insurance companies. Of course, that doesn't mean we don't win. it just means that the fight against the big goliath insurance companies is always an uphill battle as the insurance company adjuster or opposing counsel will do everything in their power to try to minimize the injuries sustained to a personal injury victim.

We have had rear-end car accidents where the opposing counsel argued liability. We had a case go to trial where our client was parked on the shoulder of the road with his hazard lights on because his car broke down. The opposing counsel argued to the jury that our client was at fault for getting rear ended because he knew his car had some mechanical problems now and again and therefore he should not have driven the car and had he not driven the car he never would have been on the shoulder of the road. These are the arguments that attorneys use when arguing the value of a claim for a car accident victim in Arizona.

When a person is seriously injured in an auto accident in Arizona, they not only face the wrath of being judged by the insurance adjuster and insurance company but also the jury. Currently, the tend of public thinking is that people who are in a personal injury claim are just in it for the money. Some people think that the seriously injured who pursue claims are quitters or just looking for a quick fix. In actuality, it is just the opposite. People who are seriously injured and stand up to the justice system to get a fair settlement or take it to trial to get their day in Court are very strong individuals. Going through a personal injury claim can be quite difficult because of the judgmental opinions brought on by others many times when evaluating the injured person's decisions.

Having the courage to face up to the insurance adjuster or opposing counsel and to continue to fight for a fair settlement is one of the reasons it is important to pick the best car accident lawyer in Phoenix, Arizona. Injured victims needs to take their time in finding an attorney and make the best decision the first time around.

It is so important to hire an attorney that you feel comfortable with to guide you and to give you the continued strength to fight for a fair settlement and to get what is fair. It is important that you hire a lawyer who you can trust and that you know will fight for you.

So the next time someone reads about a personal injury lawsuit, consider the real life experiences of these individuals who have had their lives forever changed by injuries that they did not cause. Rather than thinking about how a person should not pursue an injury claim, think about how hard it must be to stand up to people who are telling you that you should not have been driving because you knew your car had mechanical problems, or you should have gone to the doctor rather than waiting a week, or you should have gone back to work even though you had two broken legs and were on pain medication all day, or you should have lived with the pain rather than getting the surgery that made you feel better. I could go on and on about these stories. Being questioned about the path you took in your medical care, or why you couldn't work are things that are very difficult. Being called a liar when you did nothing wrong is very frustrating and difficult to take and understand why our legal system is such.

This is why though when you have the best Phoenix, Arizona injury and wrongful death lawyers on your side, the lawyers can give you the confidence necessary to pursue your claim and to get a fair settlement. This is why it is important to trust the lawyers that you hire as the best injury lawyers will always make an accident victim know that they are doing the right thing in pursuing their claim. When another driver kills an innocent driver, the right thing is to pursue the at fault driver for what is fair so that the family who lost a loved one is compensated. After all, this is our legal system.

The injured people who pursue a claim or the family who lost a loved one due to the negligence of another individual did not choose for this to be our legal system for car accident victims. This is the system and everyone should honor the system - for good and bad. Further, think about it, we all pay insurance so that in the time of need it is there. If this is our legal system then it would make no sense for injured people to not pursue a claim when they are hurt by the negligence of another individual because this is exactly why people buy insurance.

I am not talking about frivolous claims either. I am talking about claims where people are rear ended and need surgery, or a person drives drunk and kills another individual, or a person fails to yield at an intersection and seriously hurts another individual. These are the types of claims that I am speaking about. Even people who are hurt in a lesser fashion however are still entitled to a fair settlement.

Of course, there are people who lie and I recognize that but I stand by my thinking that most people who pursue a personal injury claim in Arizona are not liars or exaggerators. Sure that is what the insurance industry has made it out to be because they want people t get on the jury and award small numbers. That is why the insurance industry spends so much time and money to make people think that everyone who files a claim is a liar or an exaggerator. The fast majority of claims are real and the people are honest. We never will get rid of liars but they should not ruin the fair settlements for all other individuals.

If you or someone you know has been in an accident that resulted in serious personal injuries and would like to speak with a Phoenix car accident injury lawyer - Phoenix, Arizona personal injury attorney - that has fought for the rights of many others who have also suffered similarly, please give us a call at Breyer Law Offices, P.C. We can provide answers in your fight for justice. We offer free consultations and a no fee guarantee which means we do not get paid unless there is a settlement.

If you have been in a Phoenix auto accident chances are you have property damage. The first thing that you should do is report the claim. Many times people who are involved in a car accident are being rushed to the hospital so the car status of the vehicle is not that important. What is important is that the claim is reported. We tell people to have family members report claims if they are able to do so. Many times it is better for a family member to report a claim because if you are hurt your adrenaline may be going high and you do not pay attention to all of the questions that are being asked when you have to report a claim. Also if you have been seriously injured, you are not capable of reporting a claim.

When you have property damage, if you have insurance, you should consider reporting the claim to your insurance company as well as the adverse insurance. When you have a property damage claim don't let the adverse insurance convince you that you have to use their repair shop. In Arizona, when you have a property damage claim from an auto accident, you are allowed to choose whatever shop that you want to. Insurance companies prefer that you use their repair shop but I am not so sure that is the best way to go because repair shops that work for insurance companies have incentive to fix your case for as little as possible and to not use the best parts.

While your car is being repaired, you should be entitled to a rental vehicle. You can either rent a vehicle or you can be entitled to loss of use for each day you are without a rental. If your vehicle has a substantial amount of repairs needed you can try to get your vehicle deemed a total loss. If the insurance company will not deem it a total loss, you can ask for loss of value for your claim. Generally, loss of value requires an expert to determine the amount of value that the vehicle has lost from being damaged.

No matter what it is important that you get your vehicle out of the tow year as soon as possible. If the insurance company will not remove the vehicle from the tow yard, then you either have to take steps to have it removed yourself or hire a lawyer because otherwise you will incur a significant amount of money in costs. Do not let the insurance company tell you that it is all about mitigating your damages either. The insurance company often will not want to move the vehicle while they are investigating liability. If you do not have any insurance and liability seems clear, you have to let them know that you have no way to mitigate your damages and request in writing that the insurance company have your vehicle towed to a lot that does not charge anything - which would be one of their own lots. '

When it comes to property damage claims, we recommend highly that everything be put in writing when speaking to the adjuster. If it isn't in writing, it never happened is how the old saying goes.

If you have been seriously injured and need the help of experienced Arizona personal injury lawyers, feel free to call our office. We handle the property damage claim complimentary when we are helping people with the injury claim.

If you are involved in a Phoenix car accident, it is important to hire an experienced injury lawyer. Every Arizona lawyer is different. The key is to hire an experienced auto accident attorney so that they can help you with your case and get your case settled. Depending on what lawyer you chose will be dependent on the case value of your case and whether or not your case settles or goes to litigation. it is important to also find out if the car accident attorney you are considering hiring is afraid to go to trial. What happens if you get an unfair offer from the insurance company? You need to know that the lawyer you choose will fight for you. If your case does go to litigation one of the first things that will happen is that the opposing counsel will want to take your deposition. As Arizona personal injury lawyers, we also notice depositions.

What is a deposition in an Arizona car accident case?

A deposition is a time where the lawyers come to a meeting spot, generally a conference room, and ask questions from a specific person. Only parties to the lawsuit are allowed in the deposition unless the attorneys agree otherwise. There will be a court reporter present taking down every word that is said. if you are ever deposed one of the first things that the lawyer taking the deposition will say is the rules of the deposition. Typically, this will include that there is a court reporter present and that the court reporter can only take down words so it is important to speak rather than shaking your head.

How does a Notice fo Deposition work in an injury case?

When a lawyer wants to take a deposition they will have to send a Notice of Deposition. This is required by the Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure, Rules 26 and 30. The Notice must require the name of the person being deposed, where they will be deposed and the time they will be deposed. The lawyer is required to sign the notice and the notice will be sent to the opposing lawyer and to the court reporter. Arizona does not require the notice to be sent to the Court unlike some other states.

Length of depositions in car accident cases in Arizona

A deposition by rule can last up to 4 hours but many times depositions go longer. There are many attorney we have dealt with that have literally started by asking the client where they lived when they were in elementary school. I'm not sure why this is important but generally speaking lawyers have a great amount of leeway when deposing people. There are been many instances when we have to get the Judge involved or when we will not allow our clients to answer questions. When we are asking the questions and are deposing a person many times we will want our clients to be at the deposition. It is always a good idea to get an understanding of your claim by asking if you can appear at a deposition that your attorney is taking in reference to your case. there many be times that the lawyer does not want his client at the deposition and that is something that will vary from case to case.

It is important to never lie in a deposition. If you do not know the answer it is important to say, "I don't know." You always want to be careful about guessing during a deposition. With reference to a Phoenix car accident, the lawyer might ask you to estimate your speed or guess the time of night. These questions are questions you want to be careful for in guessing. if you do have to guess tell the lawyer who is asking the questions that you are just guessing. If you know for sure then of course answer the question.

Part of a deposition is an opportunity for the lawyer to size up the deponent and see how that witness will present at trial. It is important to dress nice as you would for court and be very respectful to the person who is asking you questions.

As Arizona Personal Injury lawyers, we welcome any questions you may have. We offer a free consultation and a no fee guarantee. Feel free to call any time with your questions. If you are not sure about the attorney you are considering hiring, you can look up their credentials at AVVO or at the Arizona State Bar.

So as a Phoenix car accident lawyer, I (Alexis) get a lot of really interesting calls but today I got a particularly interesting call. Many people have a negative impression of Arizona personal injury lawyers but the truth is that Arizona injury lawyers help a lot of people and save a lot of other people from future injuries.

In any case, the woman called because her husband had been driving down a major highway when a dog got loose off his chain and darted out into the highway. The husband tried to avoid the dog but there was really no way to do so because if the husband went to the left he would have caused an accident with another motor vehicle and if he went to the right he would have hit pedestrians that were on the road.

The dog was hit by the motor vehicle. The owners were there and they darted out in the road also but luckily no other vehicles were impacted and all of the people were safe as well. The dog appeared hurt but seemed like he would be OK. The owners took the dog to the vet and made contact with the husband (the driver) later on that day.

The police came down to the scene of the accident but did not do a complete police report. I have been receiving many calls lately that the police are not completing police reports. Many times when the car accident is on private property in Phoenix and surrounding areas in Arizona the police will not do a police report. Typically, they will get information from the people and have the drivers or people involved exchange information but they will not do a full police report.

In the case of the above car accident I was describing, the driver of the vehicle brought his vehicle into a repair shop later that day. it turned out that there was near $1,500 in property damage to his automobile. The automobile was almost brand new and had just been purchased a couple of months prior. The husband called the dog owner to find out how the dog was doing and also to find out if the dog owner would pay for the damages to the vehicle. This was an emotional situation for the driver of the vehicle because he felt extremely bad about hitting the dog but at the same time he did not think it was fair that he had to pay for these damages to his vehicle when it was not his fault the dog got loose and there was basically no way he could avoid hitting the dog as otherwise he would have caused an accident with another motor vehicle.

The dog owner responded to him that she was not going to pay anything and she was not going to tell him any information about her insurance. She said that it was his fault that he hit the dog. At this point, this is when his wife called our office. What do you do when you are in a motor vehicle accident and this happens? Luckily there were no serious injuries - unlike many car accidents in Phoenix Arizona. yet still, why should they have to pay almost $1,500 for damages to the vehicle.

I advised her that she had several options.

1) She could just pay the damages for the vehicle and be thankful there were no serious injuries to her husband although this doesn't seem fair
2) she could call her insurance company and pay a deductible. In this case, you would have to make sure that she did not have her husband responsible for the car accident as her car insurance could try to raise her rates
3) she could send a certified letter to the dog owner indicating that she needed their insurance information and see if the dog owner responded
4) she could file a small claims suit

The question in this car accident case is a decision for each person involved to decide at what lengths they feel comfortable taking. There is no right or wrong answer. The dog unfortunately did die from the injuries which is very sad. My guess is that the dog owner did not have any insurance and because of the fatal injuries caused the dog owner would probably fight having to pay for the vehicle damages.

In short, I thought this was an interesting case with much legal analysis. Many calls we receive each day are challenging and are not just a simple two car motor vehicle accident. Although then again as Phoenix auto accident attorneys we do get a lot of calls regarding motor vehicle accidents. Remember if you have any questions on auto accidents in Arizona feel to give us a call.

3 Reasons you do not need a Phoenix car accident lawyer:

1. You are not hurt at all
2. There is no property damage to your vehicle
3. The accident was all your fault

As Phoenix car accident lawyers we cannot create miracles. If you were not hurt in the motor vehicle accident then realistically you do not have a claim worthy of hiring a lawyer - at least a Plaintiff's personal injury lawyer. If there is little damage to your vehicle and you were hurt a tiny bit, lawyer probably can still get you more money than you could have otherwise got yourself for all your inconveniences but it is not worth hiring a lawyer unless there are extenuating circumstances.

If you know for sure that you were 100% at fault for the accident then there is probably nothing a lawyer can do for you. Arizona personal injury law does allow for a victim to get compensated for whatever percentage the victim is NOT at fault. Therefore, if you were seriously injured and 90% at fault you may still have a case worthy of hiring a lawyer depending on the circumstances of the accident and the injuries.

I (Alexis) was going to add some more reasons to the list but really they are sarcastic! One of the things I would add to that list is that you do not want the best settlement possible. Many people do not hire lawyers because they think they can handle their case all on their own. It's funny because I wonder why people think they can handle a legal case all on their own when they do not know anything about the law. Think about it, would you try to conduct surgery on yourself. Of course, not. For some reason though innocent victims get hurt twice because of another person's negligence and then because they try to handle their own claim. Usually, down the road those who are seriously injured see that it is just too much and that the law is in fact complex. My one advice point that I tell people over and over again is consult a lawyer right away after an automobile accident. It does not mean you have to hire a lawyer, it just means that you get all the facts and put yourself in a position where you know what you are up against.

Innocent Arizona car accident victim misses statute of limitations

I had someone call the other day who was involved in a Phoenix car accident. She had actually been negotiating her claim with the insurance company and she called the insurance adjuster back the next day and the adjuster told her the statute had passed and he was no longer offering her anything on her claim. I felt very bad for her. She had no idea that there was a statute of limitations she was about to let pass and that her claim would be forever gone. She thought since she had been negotiating with the adjuster that the adjuster would pay for her personal injury claim. That is not how it works though. Probably as you read this you may think to yourself that would never happen to me, but you would be amazed how many people this happens to and how many calls we get each week about people who want to pursue claims who are told by the insurance adjuster the deadline has now passed.

Continue reading "3 Reasons You Do Not Need A Phoenix Car Accident Attorney" »

When you are involved in a Phoenix Car Accident it is important to understand how a phoenix car accident lawyer reads the police report. Of course, if you hire an attorney right away you can just let the lawyer read the police report but I (Alexis) try to educate our clients to understanding how to read the police report so they understand.

Many times when people call our injury office for the first time they do not have the police report yet as the officer is still drafting the report. When it comes to serious Phoenix car accident injury claims it can take a couple of weeks for the police report to be completed. When it comes to a fatal accident in Arizona, sometimes it can take up to 6 months to have the police report completed.

We had a case once where the claim was against a city entity and the caller had spoken to another lawyer who did not practice just Arizona injury and wrongful death law, and the attorney told the caller to wait until the police report came out. It apparently was an attorney that the caller had trusted and the attorney was trying to help but the problem was the lawyer did not practice just injury and wrongful death law and failed to explain or maybe he didn't even understand the law so the caller missed a statute of limitations. How did that happen? The caller waited until the police report came out which was at about 200 days after the accident since it was a fatality and there were a lot of complex issues involved in the car accident in Arizona.

The police report came out and at that time the caller called our office. Unfortunately, the fatal car accident was in part caused by a negligent roadway design wherein the city where the accident took place would have been at fault. The caller was never explained that she had a 180 day deadline that she could not miss if she wanted to make this claim. She never was told about the deadline so she felt she could just wait until the police report came out. By the time the police report came out the deadline against the city had already passed. That was an atrocious accident wherein there was a serious road design defect that caused the fatal accident.

The accident was so severe that the car was set on fire and exploded. The only way that the family could know it was their loved one inside of the vehicle was by dental records. A lawsuit would never bring the loved one back but it could have shown the city that they should not have had the road blocks where they had them and that there was a defective design that should have been corrected so that other innocent drivers in Arizona are not hurt or killed at a later time.

How to read a police report:

1. The date is on the top line along with the time
2. Usually the person who is listed in the top position is usually deemed to be at fault
3. Section 2 lists the person’s injuries. A number 1 for injuries usually means the person is slightly hurt. The number ratings go up to 5 which is for a fatality.
4. The driver’s name and owner’s name and address will be in the boxes along with the insurance information and all the information on the vehicle. If the insurance is left blank that does not meant here is no insurance. Often times the person does not have the insurance with them or it is unknown so the police leave that area blank.
5. Passenger information is listed in Section 5. Often times the police will cross out the date of birth and phone number and just leave the name. If a passenger is not listed and there is evidence that the passenger was in the vehicle the police report may be amended but often times the police will not amend the report once it is completed so it is important to call the police right away if there is a problem with the police report. Again, the police usually will not change the police report once it is completed.
6. Section 7 lists the witnesses. If there is ever a comparative fault car accident in Phoenix, Arizona it is important to contact witnesses as soon as possible to get affidavits or recorded statements. Witness statements sometimes can make or break a case.
7. Section 8 had the office’s information. Many times it is difficult to read! The officer might need to be contacted to find out more information about witness’ names or to talk to the officer to get the information before the police report is completed.
8. On the back side of the page under section 11, it tells if any skidding occurred. This is important to Phoenix car accident lawyers because they can tell a lot about how a car accident happened depending on the skidding that is noted by the officer.
9. Section 12 indicates the citations. Just because you are cited does not mean that you do not have a Phoenix personal injury claim. In Arizona we have a comparative fault state so you are able to collect for personal injuries for whatever amount of percentage you are not at fault for the accident. Especially in comparative fault accidents where there are serious injuries we recommend people speaking to a Phoenix car accident lawyer to go over their options and the deadlines.
10. Section 13 contains a description of the car accident taken down by the police officer.
11. On the second page of the police report will also include different sections about the lighting, the weather conditions and more information about how the Phoenix car accident occurred. This is important to a lawyer because there are different things that we look at in this section especially when there is comparative fault. In this section it will also listed if the driver was driving drunk. Driving drunk may result in a claim for punitive damages. Other things that we can look for in this section that may lead to punitive damages is if the driver fell asleep, was on drugs, was working over the federally mandated hours, among other things.
12. The last page usually contained a description or drawing of how the Arizona car accident took place.

Continue reading "Phoenix Auto Accident Lawyers Explain How to Understand An Arizona Police Report" »

Choosing doctors that are well qualified and understand the importance of medical documentation after their patient has been involved in a Phoenix car accident is very important. As Phoenix car accident lawyers, many of our clients do not have health insurance and need help finding medical doctors who will give them the medical care that they need when they have sustained injuries in an Arizona car accident.

Part of what we do besides the legal aspect of the case is help our clients find doctors who are reputable but are willing to wait for payment. In fact, many times we have to get involved in this aspect of the client's medical care because even doctors on their health insurance plan will not see them because they were involved in a Phoenix car accident. I (Alexis) have gone so far even to call some of these doctors and ask them why they are refusing to see a patient just because they have been involved in a car accident. Basically, the doctors do not want to take a chance that they get involved in litigation so they refuse innocent people who need medical care just because they are scared that they will one day be called to testify. I understand this line of thinking however it is simply not fair that innocent people who are injured in a car accident are refused medical care by doctors on their health insurance plan.

There are many clinics out there that advertise that they help car accident victims and some of these are good but some are simply just mills of medical care. By that I mean that they do not actually care about the medical care given to the patients. They have the patient come in a lot of times and pad the bill so that it is really expensive and expect to get paid thousand and thousands of dollars for giving very little medical care. There are other doctors that are very hard working and listen to the patient and take time to give them the best treatment and the best advice. We work with some of the best medical doctors in Phoenix who understand that we are most concerned with our client's medical status and that they get better as soon as possible.

As Phoenix car accident lawyers, we take the position that it is our job to help our clients not just with the legal aspect of hte claim but to be there for them in other areas as well. Finding the most qualified doctors is an example of this other area that we help our clients with when they comes to us as an Arizona car accident, or other way that they wer einjured due to someone's negligence. To be the best lawyer it is part understanding the law and part understanding all of the other legal needs that clients need help with when they are entering a legal system through no fault of their own.

If you have questions regarding an Arizona personal injury claim or Phoenix car accident that you have been involved in do not hesitate to give us a call. Although we only help those who have been seriously injured we make ourselves available for all callers and welcome any calls where we can help people and point them in the right direction to get the best settlement possible for their claim and get cared for by the best medical doctors in Arizona as well.

If you are in an Ahwatukee car accident or a car accident in a part of Arizona for that matter, the first thing that you should insist on is the police coming down to the scene of the accident. Typically, the Phoenix Police will come down to an accident scene when the accident occurs in Ahwatukee. Although Ahwatukee is a small community, it is still part of Phoenix, Arizona.

The only time the Phoenix Police will not come down to the scene of an accident when it is in Ahwatukee or another area in Arizona is when the car accident occurred on private property. Even then many times the police will come down and investigate but might not write an actual report. It is very important to have an accident report if you are involved in an accident because it given an opportunity for the police to write down all the details, such as the date of the accident, the time of the accident, the cars involved in the accident, and the people who are involved in an accident. Many times when there is no police report at all, the parties involved can deny that the accident happened at all and it makes it harder to prove on various levels.

Once you have the police report, you should call the insurance company of the other driver. Filing a claim is not difficult, but we do recommend that if you are the injured person that you have your car accident lawyer call in the claim for you or that you have another person, whether it be your friend or a family member call in the details of the claim. Usually a person is startled after a car accident in Arizona and even if they are not seriously hurt they still have a lot of adrenaline going so they may not answer all the insurance company's questions correctly.

When you call in a claim for a car accident, you should have as many details as possible in front of you. The insurance company will ask you the following:

1. the police report number
2. the date of the accident
3. the intersection where the accident occurred
4. how the accident occurred
5. your name, date of birth, address, phone number
6. the other driver's name, address, phone number
7. the cars that were involved, including license plate numbers and vin numbers
8. the insurance company of the other driver and the policy number
9. the phone number of the other insurance company
10. the witness' names
11. if any citations were given at the scene of the accident
12. the amount of damage to each vehicle
13. the injuries
14. the names of all passengers in the vehicle
15. be ready for other questions as well!

If the injured person does call in the claim be ready to answer all of the above questions and more. If the insurance adjuster asked questions about your Ahwatukee car accident be sure to request that the conversation NOT be recorded. Also, you should know that as Ahwatukee car accident attorneys, we always request the 911 tapes right away. Often times when filing a claim the insurance company will ask if 911 was called. 911 tapes typically have to be ordered within 30-90 days otherwise they will be destroyed. In some of our cases, having the 911 tapes played a pivotal role in the car accident claim.

After speaking to an insurance adjuster, we always send a confirmation to the insurance company regarding the whereabouts of the vehicle, especially if the vehicle is in a tow yard. You want to make sure that when filing a claim you let the adjuster know if you think the car is totaled or if it is repairable, and the exact location of the vehicle. At the time the claim is being report, it is a good idea to let them know whether or not you will need a rental vehicle and to even try to gain information about the adverse insurance's policy limits especially if there were serious injuries involved in the car accident.

Continue reading "Ahwatukee Car Accident Lawyers Discuss How To File a Car Accident Claim in Arizona" »

When you have been involved in a Phoenix car accident or any other type of injury claim in Arizona, if the negligent part is a government entity you must file a Notice of Claim within 180 days. It is important to understand that does not mean 6 months but 180 days. I say that because many people have called at the 6 months mark and said they thought they had six months to file the Notice of Claim but actually 180 days is a few days short of six months so it is important to note. There are also certain requirements that must be met in the Notice of Claim for the Notice of Claim to be valid.

The requirements of a Notice of Claim include;

1. Listing the individuals on the Notice who are to receive the Notice - You cannot just put anyone down on the Notice of Claim. The Notice has to be served on the people who are by law required to receive these legal documents on behalf of the person that caused the negligence. So if you are hit by a driver who is driving a bus you do not necessarily serve the bus driver but the people who are responsible for receiving the legal documents. As a lawyer to be safe, I would also serve the bus driver.

The notice of claim is very complex so this paragraph and guide is only to give people an idea of the background of what is required for a Notice of Claim to be valid but not to be relied upon for legal advice. I strongly recommend that no matter what the claim people speak to an attorney when a government entity is involved so they do not miss a deadline or file the notice of claim inaccurately and lose their claim.

2. Claimant information- A notice of claim should include the name of the person who was hurt, the address, phone number and date of birth. It is always better to give more information than not enough information. We recently started giving even the claimant's email address.

3. Details of the accident - By this we mean details of the incident, the location of the crash or injury, the date, the description of all the facts pertaining to the Arizona car accident. Remember Notice of Claims do not just apply to car accidents in Phoenix they also apply to any negligent action caused by a governmental entity/employee that results in a person getting hurt. The notice of claim should include the injuries, the extent of injuries, the future prognosis and medical treatment along with details of the accident itself.

4. Amount of the claim - In the notice of claim an amount must be stated for the notice of claim to be valid. This is usually a very difficult thing to do because many times the injured person is still in the hospital or still undergoing therapy or rehabilitation so the exact amount of the value of the personal injury claim may not be known. The notice must contain as much information about the injuries and the amount of the claim should be a number that is reasonable and can be justified but at the same time is not a number too low that does not take into account all of the unknowns about the injury.

5. Explanation of damages - In this section all medical bills should be detailed so that it is understood the extent of the medical bills. This part is sometimes also difficult because many times there are going to be a lot more medical bills incurred but because of the short time frame of 180 days it may not be possible to have all the medical bills. This section is just to give the entity an idea of what the bills may be.

6. Supporting documentation - As much supporting documentation should be attached to the notice of claim as possible. We attached all medical records and billing statements that we have in our file. It is also a good idea to attach things like the Arizona police report. When it is involving an Arizona fatal accident many times the police report will not even be ready within the 180 days so that a lawyer may not be able to attach this type of supporting documentation.

Conclusion

If you have been involved in a Phoenix car accident claim or any other type of personal injury claim in Arizona where you think the Defendant that is responsible for your injuries was working for a government entity you should strongly consider consulting a lawyer so that you do not ruin your claim because you did not know the requirements of the notice of claim statutes.

Continue reading "A Guide For Phoenix Car Accident Victims To Understand The Requirments Of A Notice Of Claim" »

If you have been in a car accident in Arizona there are a few things you should do before anything. First, if you are hurt you should immediately go to the doctor. Why is that? Many people tell me (Alexis) they are hurt but don't want to go to the doctor. The necessity for going to the doctor after a Phoenix car accident is that if you do not have medical documentation the insurance company will most likely deny your claim. Without showing proof of your injury the insurance company will most likely say that if you were hurt you would have gone to the doctor.

Second, take pictures! Pictures can be of your vehicle, your body, items damaged inside the vehicle, the other vehicle, skid marks in the road, your hospital room, etc. The old saying "a picture is worth 100 words" is probably more true in proving a car accident injury claim than anything else. When a lawyer is explaining to an adjuster the trauma you went through, having a picture to show the trauma makes the claim that much more understandable.

Lastly, if your vehicle is in a tow yard steps must be taken immediately to try to remove it from the storage yard as the facility where the vehicle is being stored will charge storage fees for each day which can get very expensive. Some facilities charge as much as $50.00/day. You can make a claim through your own insurance company is liability is still being investigated. If you do not have collision coverage on your vehicle, specific letters need to be written to the insurance company indicating that you do not have the means to move the vehicle. In Arizona there is a law that says an injured victim has the duty to mitigate their damages. What that means is that an injured person has to take steps to move the vehicle. Therefore, when we represent clients we show all the steps that were taken. Another old saying which is very true for when dealing with insurance companies is "if it isn't written, it didn't happen." We recommend that all communications with insurance companies be in writing. If you are writing to the insurance company then one day those documents can be used as exhibits. Telephone calls cannot be used as exhibits and can be denied.

Continue reading "Your Guide What To Do After Being In A Car Accident In Arizona" »

Do you really need a Phoenix Car Accident Lawyer? Here is a list of 10 items that can help you decide if you really do need a Arizona car accident lawyer. Not all cases require a lawyer and it is important for you to know whether or not you really need a lawyer. Of course, you always can call an attorney for a free consultation as well. So here is my (Alexis) top 10 list as to whether or not you need an injury lawyer for your case.

Top 10 List for if you need an injury lawyer due to a car accident:

1. You were seriously injured: If you are seriously injured in a car accident, you should consult a lawyer. A serious injury for this purpose would include broken bones, being in ICU, needing surgery, having to be off work for a long period of time, having to be on disability, and having a permanent injury. These are the types of elements that should lead a person to consult a lawyer. You may not need a lawyer still but if you have these types of injuries or similar then you should do yourself a favor and talk to an attorney before you destroy your Arizona injury claim by missing an important deadline.

2. Liability: If the insurance company does not put you in a rental right away and admit liability, you should consult a lawyer. If the insurance company tells you that they need to speak to their insured or the accident is still under investigation then that is a sign that they might deny liability. Even if the person who caused the car accident was cited it still may be that the insurance is going to play games and deny the claim.

3. The person who hit you was a government employee: That is they work for the state, city, or any corporation that is a government entity. Why does this matter? This matters because the laws against suing a government employee who causes a car accident are much different than suing a private individual. For example, a "Notice of Claim" must be filed with the Risk Management. The Notice of Claim must be served on the correct people. It must be completed correctly. The Notice of Claim must be served within 180 days. After the Notice of Claim is filed correctly, a lawsuit has to be filed within one year. There are just too many complex law that when your claim is against a government entity the injured victim needs to understand how to protect their rights.

Continue reading "Top Ten List To Decide If You Need a Phoenix Arizona Car Accident Lawyer?" »

As Phoenix car accident lawyers, we see that many people are involved in car accidents throughout the Valley and do not know what to do after they are in an auto accident. This is a brief guide for you if you have been involved in a car accident and are confused as to what to do to protect your rights or if your family member has been in an auto accident, is in the hospital, and you want to help but you do not know what to do.

Most people who have been seriously hurt because of the negligence of another individual really are not able to do much after a car accident because of their injuries. Maybe the most important thing to know is do NOT to talk to anyone. I (Alexis) would advise you to report your claim to your insurance and the adverse insurance, but even then I would recommend that you let someone else report the claim because the adjuster will start to ask you questions and you may be confused due to your discomfort. Never give a recorded statement to any adjuster unless you first speak to a lawyer.

Take pictures of anything you can think of that will pertain to the auto accident. Examples of this are pictures of the car, pictures of the car that hit you, pictures of property in the vehicle that was destroyed, pictures of your injuries or of your family member that is injured and pictures of the hospital. You want to take pictures of anything that could later be destroyed or contested. Another example would be debris in the roadway or skid marks where the Phoenix crash took place.

Sometimes it can be uncomfortable to take pictures of a loved one when in the hospital however these pictures will be invaluable to proving an injury or proving the extent of damages in a car accident claim. Many times you are not able to take pictures at the scene of the accident but someone can go back to the scene to take pictures of the roadway. If a family member is in the hospital, a loved one could go to the tow yard or wherever to take pictures of the vehicle.

Follow your doctor’s advice. Many people who are injured in an accident ignore their doctor and do not seek follow up care. It is important that you follow your doctor’s orders and continue with medical care when you are hurt.

Documentation is the key to a car accident claim. If you can take a picture, take the picture, if you are given doctor’s advice, follow the advice or seek a second opinion. if you are unable to work make sure the doctor gives you a note saying to remain out of work. A note from your employer is going to be needed as well.

Lastly, do not speak to the insurance company, especially do not give a recorded statement, and do not sign a medical authorization from the insurance company or any other documents regarding the insurance company obtaining your medical records. This is a brief guide and is just meant to give you some pointers. If you have questions for Phoenix Personal Injury lawyers, feel free to give us a call.

Ahwatukee is a small part of Phoenix Arizona. Although as Phoenix Car Accident Lawyers, we have offices all over the Valley and even in Tucson, we began our law practice in Ahwatukee.

Ahwatukee is located in the southeast corner of the City of Phoenix. Ahwatukee is a great place to raise a family and is probably most known as a safe and affluent community. As one of Phoenix’s 15 urban villages, Ahwatukee has a population of about 85,000 people in its stretch of 35.8 square miles. For those of you who are not familiar with Ahwatukee, Ahwatukee is bordered on the east by Interstate 10, by South Mountain Park on the north, by the Gila River Indian reservation on the south, and by state owned land on the west. Just like most neighborhoods throughout Arizona, unfortunately Ahwatukee has its share of personal injury incidents. In the last few years, there have been many accidents on Pecos Road, which is a relatively new road. Pecos Road seems to attract more accidents because of the lack of lights at some intersections and because it is a wide open road and drivers are likely to speed. Since first built Pecos Road now has speed limits signs up more frequently, cameras to reduce speeding, and more intersection lights have been installed. Nevertheless, it seems this road is one of the road where most accidents in Ahwatukee take place.

In the event that visitors and inhabitants of Ahwatukee suffer injury as a result of another individual’s negligence, either due to a car accident, truck accident, work accident, or another kind of personal injury accident, a skilled Ahwatukee car accident lawyer can be of assistance.

As I (Alexis) am writing this article, we have had our office in Ahwatukee for 14 years. We are a big part of the Ahwatukee community as it has always been very welcoming to us as people and our office.

As we have many clients from Ahwatukee since I believe we are the only team of injury lawyers in Ahwatukee that practice solely injury and wrongful death law, I believe that the most frequent type of injury claim in Ahwatukee does car from car accident. We have seen first hand what the negligence of drivers can do to our neighbors in Ahwatukee. Remember though as car accident victims, you do have rights. It is important that you speak to a lawyer to make sure that your rights are protected. That does not mean you have to hire a lawyer, it just means that we advise you to speak to an attorney to make sure your rights are protected. In doing so, you will make sure that your rights are protected and you will be holding the negligent people responsible for their actions.

Continue reading "Ahwatukee Car Accident Lawyers - Do you need an Injury Lawyer Close to Your Home in Ahwatukee?" »

Phoenix Car Accidents are happening every day. I read about a car accident last night and this morning I by passed an accident. What occurred to me were several things. First, when someone is involved in a car accident many times you cannot tell the extent of their injury. The girl in the car accident this morning was walking around; however, you could tell the extent of her pain on her face and by the people around her. Of course, I was going by at a fast rate of speed so just caught a fast glipse but it is amazing how many times an adverse lawyer will point to the medical records and argue that the person was not injured because basically they were able to move. My point is just that many times you cannot tell the extent of someone's injuries when they are in an accident and that the medical records or police report many times do not reflect the extent of injury as well.

Second when driving by the accident this morning, I thought to myself that although the general consensus is that we are a society full of litigation, the fact is that our system is generally fair. What is most fair currently is that injured victims have access to lawyers now. It used to be if people who were injured could not afford representation, they were unable to hire a lawyer. Now, Phoenix Car Accident Attorneys offer free consultations and contingency fee agreements. A contingency fee agreement is basically where a client and lawyer engage in an agreement by which a lawyer will be owed a percentage of the settlement. Usually the percentage is 1/3 but we have seen many some attorneys charging more and some attorney, who boast to be discount attorneys, charge less.

Let me warn you about discount attorneys. With all due respect, think about it. Would you go to a discount doctor? A discount surgeon? A discount dentist? Most people when it comes to discount services do not feel comfortable. When it comes to products of course everyone wants a good deal. Services though are different. I don't think anyone would feel comfortable if the discount surgeon were going to do brain surgery on you. Is that the doctor people would really choose. Of course, not.

For some reason though discount attorneys still have clients flocking to them. I think the reason is that people think that isurance companies will offer the same amount to any attorney. This is not true. The value of a claim is based on the documentation and the processed by which the attorney has gone through to "prove" the client's claim. If an attorney does not get a witness statement, does not talk to the doctor, does not advise the client correctly, or any other mistake, the client will not get the settlement deserved. Picking the right attorney does make a difference and generally speaking it is my opinion that discount attorneys do not have the time to work up a case compared to other attorneys. I am not saying this is true for every lawyer but generally speaking I think people should be wary of discount attorneys. Further, look carefully at hte contingency fee agreement. Many attorneys will increase their fee at litigation, Our policy is to keep the fee the same whether the case settled or we have to file a lawsuit. You do not want to be put in a position as a client where the attorney has an incentive not to settle your claim.

If you would like an evaluation on your claim, we are happy to speak to you and give you a free case evaluation. As Phoenix Car Accident lawyers, we give free phone consultations and want to make sure that people have a clear idea as to whether they have a case and how it needs to be pursued.

Mark Breyer, Phoenix Car Accident Lawyer, Receives Honor of Being Named Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona

Just wanted to include in this blog an award/honor that Mark has been given by the American Trial Lawyers Association. Mark has been named Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona. This is a very special award especially considering how many attorneys practice injury and wrongful death law in Arizona.

I understand that this is a little more of a press release than a blog post, but that being said, I think it deserves an entry on the blog especially considering that this is a blog about Phoenix Car Accidents.

So there you have it - Mark is a nationally recognized lawyer for his legal abilities. He has received other accomplishments as well but I think he is particularly proud of this one. Of course, as his wife, I feel that I can boast for him and let everyone know what a great accomplishment this award is for Mark and our whole office.

We have been practicing serious injury and wrongful death attorney together since 1996. It all started when we were in a little office and had just 1 child. Now, we sit with our own office building, long standing staff members, a thriving law practice, lots of awards for Mark and 7 children. What an accomplishment!

Mark has also attained the high distinction from the State Bar of Arizona as a certified specialist in injury and wrongful death law. This honor has been awarded by the State Bar to less than 2% of all Arizona attorneys. While any lawyer can claim they are a personal injury lawyer, less than 1 in 50 lawyers can prove their specialty has been demonstrated to the high degree required to achieve “injury specialist” designation from the Arizona State Bar.

That's all for my boasting... So if you need anything in reference to a personal injury claim, feel free to call our office. All of our consultations are free and we are always happy to help.

As a Phoenix car accident lawyer, I (Alexis Breyer) receive calls every day from injured victims wanting a case evaluation. What is interesting is that almost every day in one of those calls the caller tells me that the insurance adjuster told the caller not to get an attorney. As of this morning, I have already talked to two callers who told me that the insurance adjuster told them that they should not call or hire an attorney. The first caller was told that she shouldn’t hire an attorney because the adjuster would offer the same amount to the caller regardless of whether or not she had an attorney. The second caller was told that he shouldn’t get an attorney because why would he just want to give a third of his case to an attorney.

Do Not Trust An Insurance Adjuster Without Speaking to An Attorney

In talking with these potential clients, I do not blame them at all for not calling an attorney until they did. Basically, they trusted the insurance adjuster and until the adjuster did not return their calls and gave them very low offers they had no reason to really doubt her. Until you have been through this experience as an accident victim or have been told horror stories, you probably would have no reason to believe that you should not trust an insurance adjuster.

Unfortunately, now these people are left with low ball offers and in one case hardly getting the medical bills paid, and will probably not be able to find an attorney. Now, let’s look at this in a little more detail. Is there any proof that lawyers get more money and how do lawyers get more money. What’s the secret?

First, I am not sure whether insurance adjusters really believe what they say to injured victims or if they are just lying. My best guess is that adjusters actually really do believe that they would give the same offer to a victim regardless of whether or not they are represented. So no I don’t think adjusters are liars.

An Insurance Adjuster Is Not Your Friend

In terms of proof that lawyers get better results than unrepresented victims if you use common sense it would seem this would be true. Think about it, as the caller I talked to today said, he answered the adjuster a lot with “I don’t know.” Of course, you don’t know. You are not a lawyer and lucky for you, you have never been through this before. In contrast, the adjuster has been through this before and is trained by someone to know all the ins and outs. In fact, think about it.

An insurance adjuster is trained not to give a victim more money but quite the opposite. Why is an insurance company in business? Not to give victims more money that’s for sure. An insurance company is in business to give out as little money as possible and that is their goal in every case that they handle. So keep that in mind if you know someone who is injured or if you are ever the unfortunate one to get injured. Bottom line, is the insurance adjuster is not your friend and never will be. The insurance adjuster will never have your best interest in his thoughts. His/her only thought will be how do I get this file to a point where I can give out as little money as possible.

Hiring An Experienced Auto Accident Lawyer Means You Have a Trusted and Loyal Guide On Your Side

In contrast, when you hire a lawyer and let’s assume if you are seriously injured you hire an experienced attorney who knows what they are doing not someone who is practicing family law and saying they practice injury law! Assuming you consult with an experienced attorney (of course, like our office!) assuming this, you have an experienced guide on your side. Once you hire a lawyer who is experienced in Arizona injury and wrongful death law, you can be worry free.

I am pretty sure that most experienced lawyers know much more than any insurance adjuster. Lawyers know the law. They won’t get pushed around by the insurance adjuster. Lawyers don’t trust insurance adjusters when they say things as they already know what is true and what is not. Lawyers are going to know how to process a claim to get the best settlement. Lawyers will have the injured victim get the documentation that is necessary to get the best possible settlement.

So maybe the adjuster believes they would give the same settlement, but the fact is with an experienced attorney you would not be comparing apples to apples because an experienced attorney would have at their disposal much more information to prove the claim in comparison to an innocent victim who has never been through the legal system before.

Insurance Industry Study Showed Unrepresented Victims Got Less Money In Their Pocket Than Victims Who Hired A Lawyer

In addition, there has actually been an insurance industry study as to whether or not unrepresented victims get more money by handling their own claim compared to those who hire an attorney. Guess that they study found? The study found that those represented by lawyers had a higher rate of recovery for themselves than those who chose not to hire lawyers. That is, claimants who hired lawyers got more in their pocket than claimants who chose to trust the insurance adjuster.

Handling a personal injury claim is complex. Ask yourself do you know what coverage’s apply, do you know what subrogation means, do you know what balance billing liens are, do you know how to hire an expert, what happens if you get a low ball offer how are you going to file a lawsuit, if you aren’t a lawyer can you even threaten a lawsuit, how do you know how to negotiate your claim, and there are so many more questions. I thought the caller I spoke to earlier made a good point though and that was once I said, “I don’t know” so many times it then occurred to me I should consult a lawyer.

Take Advantage of an Attorney's Free Consultation

The great thing about injury lawyers now is that most of us offer a free consultation. So injury victims have nothing to lose but a few minutes of their time talking to a lawyer. You may think from this article that I think all injury victims should have a lawyer. Actually, that is not true. I am only an advocate that all injury victims should speak to a lawyer before they pursue their injury claim. It is important to know what hidden deadlines to beware of and what to watch out for when speaking to an insurance adjuster. Most seriously injured victims I do think are most better of by hiring a lawyer, but the bottom line is everyone should have a free consultation with an experienced attorney so that they have all the information necessary to decide how to pursue their claim. As Phoenix Car Accident Attorneys, we offer free consultations so if you ever have questions feel free to call our office. What you can expect from our office is honest answers with experience behind every word.

Phoenix car accident lawyers are called every day because car accidents are happening at a high rate in Phoenix and thousands of people are injured each year in the Phoenix metro valley area . In most auto accidents there is someone who has made a mistake that has caused the accident. In legal terms when someone makes a mistake it is called "negligence."

When someone is at fault for a car accident, that is they are "negligent", that means that the injured person is entitled to compensation for their injuries. It can be compensation for more than just their present injuries. For example, an injured person can be compensated for their medical bills, pain and suffering, future lost wages, etc.

When someone is injured due to the fault of another driver, the injured person should seek a consultation from a Phoenix car accident lawyer. It is important to know that just because you decide to have a consultation with a Phoenix car accident lawyer it does not mean that you have to hire them. Many attorneys, like our office, will offer free consultations to evaluate your claim. When individuals call our office, many times, we let them know they don't even need an attorney and explain why we feel this is true. The bottom line is that we recommend all car accident victims speak to a Phoenix car accident lawyer sooner than later just to make sure that their rights are protected and that they are aware of all the statute of limitations and deadlines for their claim.

So how do you decide to hire a Phoenix car accident lawyer? Hiring a car accident lawyer is a very important decision. You don't want to hire someone just because you saw them on a billboard or because you have been hearing their commercials for years. You want to hire a lawyer who is experienced in injury and wrongful death law and has the credentials to get you the best possible settlement for your claim. After all, you only have one chance to settle your injury claim and of course you want to make sure that you get the best settlement possible.

I (Alexis Breyer) have created a brief guide below that addresses how to hire a Phoenix car accident lawyer. If you would like more details you can order our Arizona Injury Book ($15.95 value but we offer it free to all Arizona injury victims) which goes into a lot more details on this Guide to Hiring a Phoenix car accident lawyer.

Step One - Ask questions to make sure you will get top royal treatment

When choosing the Phoenix car accident attorney that you are going to hire, you must remember that you will have a very close relationship with the lawyer you choose. You want to make sure that you feel very comfortable speaking to the lawyer and asking questions. You don't want to have a relationship with the attorney where you feel like you are asking dumb questions.

It is very important to make sure that you will receive what we call top royal treatment from the attorney that you choose to hire. You can know this by paying attention to the person who answers the phone, asking if they offer free consultations, and seeing how long it takes to set up an appointment to speak to the attorney.

When you do meet with the attorney ask them how many cases they take in each year. Ask them if you will be just another number. See what kind of policies they have in place to make sure that all your questions are answered. It is important to have a working relationship with the attorney and to also know the paralegal that you will be working with as well. Make sure that the law firm employs top notch paralegals. Ask what your relationship will be with the paralegal as well as the attorney. Ask about the policies that are implemented throughout the entire case so that you can make sure you can always get your questions answered. For our office, we feel that there are two aspects to every case. There is the legal aspect and the client-attorney relationship. When you come to our office, you will experience "The Breyer Law Difference." That is, you will not only get the best possibly representation but you will also see that client service is a top priority in our office.

Step Two - Suggestions of Questions to ask an attorney you are considering hiring

When you to speak to a Phoenix car accident lawyer, the attorney will ask you many different questions so that they can assess your injury claim. For our office, it is important that we have a clear picture of how the accident happened and the injuries sustained in the accident. We also may ask a lot of questions about prior accidents and prior injuries. The reason for this is that it gives us a better understanding of the whole pictures of your claim. Understanding the whole picture of your claim will lead to better advice for each individual person.

At your initial consultation, you should ask the attorney just as many questions as the attorney ask you! At least you should feel comfortable asking as many questions as you need to ask. Hiring the best Phoenix car accident attorney for your claim is very important and you must ask certain questions to make sure you are hiring an attorney with the best credentials.

Below are the questions that we recommend asking the attorney you are considering hiring:

1. Do you practice only injury and wrongful death law or other areas of law as well?

2. How long have you been practicing injury law?

3. How many Phoenix car accident cases have you handled?

4. How many cases have you handled and what is your success rate?

5. Are you a certified specialist in injury and wrongful death law?

6. What percentage of your cases settle and what percentage goes to trial?

7. Are you successful at trial?

8. Do you have a contingency fee agreement?

9. Have you received any awards based on your legal abilities?

10. Do you have any other accomplishments to prove you are the best - such as speaking at seminars in the community or written a book in injury law?

These are the questions that we think are very important to ask when interviewing an attorney. There are no right or wrong answers but the answers to these questions will give you more of an indication as to the qualifications of the attorney you are interviewing. As said above, you only get one shot at your car accident claim, so it is vital that you hire the right lawyer and that the attorney has the experience necessary to get you the best settlement possible for your claim.

Step Three - Choose an attorney you feel most comfortable with and that you trust

This last step is an individual decision. You will be working closely with your lawyer and it is important that you trust the lawyer you hire. At first, when you contact a Phoenix car accident lawyer listen carefully to the person who answers the phone, are they friendly, do they make an appointment right away for you to speak to the lawyer, do they provide a free consultation, and do they answer all your questions. When you meet the attorney ask yourself if you will be able to trust the advice that the attorney gives to you about your claim. An attorney is going to process your claim and it is vital that when the attorney gives you advice that you respect that attorney and trust their advice. Lastly, when you are seriously injured in a car accident, it is important to consult an attorney right away. It is better to consult a lawyer right away and have it be an instance where you do not need the services of a lawyer rather than down the road finding out that you will missed a deadline or a statute of limitations that you did not know about. After all, especially when you can have a free consultation why not at least speak to an attorney.

If you would like a free case evaluation, you can call Phoenix car accident lawyers at Breyer Law Offices, "The Husband and Wife Law Team" at any time. You can also find out more details about our Phoenix Car Accident Guide by requesting our book, "The 13 Biggest Mistakes that will destroy Your Arizona Personal Injury Claim: The Master Guide to Arizona Injury Claims." The book is free too so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain - which is finding out how to most protect your rights and claim.

Bikers are being killed in Phoenix car accidents far too often now. Based on the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) more than fifty percent of bike accidents occur on major roadways. Two percent of all traffic accidents and deaths involve bikers. To me, that is a pretty big number. Why do so many bikers get killed in car accidents?

Many people like to say it is because bikers do not wear helmets. The truth is that in my opinion it is because most motorists are ignorant of their obligations to cyclists. It probably is true that in Phoenix we have a lot more bikers for a lot longer period of time due to our nicer weather as well so we are likely to have more car accidents with bikers than other states.

Types of Car Accidents With Bikers

This is a common occurrence that we receive many calls on regarding Phoenix car accidents and bikers. The most common call we receive is where the driver of the motor vehicle is at an intersection and wants to turn right. The driver will look to the left to make sure no other cars are coming but will often forget to look to the right to see if a biker is coming across the cross walk in front of them. If a driver does not look back to the right and a biker is proceeding across the cross walk, when the driver turns right they crash into the biker. Most often times, it causes a very serious injury for the biker and the motorist indicates the biker came out of no where. Well, if you don't look to the right it will seem out of no where to you. This of course does not account for all car accidents with bikers. There are many different kinds.

Arizona Helmet Laws

Now in reference to the helmet laws in Arizona: Many people in Phoenix and the surrounding areas think that helmets are required when biking. Contrary to what most think, there is no law at all in Maricopa County that says a biker has to wear a helmet - this is true for cyclists and motorcycle riders.

The reports from the Bicycle Helmet Safety Instititute for Arizona areas, from Phoenix to Tucson, in certain areas, require children under 18 to wear helmets but there is no law at all that adults (anyone over 18) have to wear a helmet. In fact, there are very few cities across the United States that mandate that adults wear a helmet when biking or on a motorcycle. Of course, we encourage all cyclists and bikers to wear helmets but just want to point out that just because a biker does not wear a helmet does not mean his injury was his/her fault and that he/she cannot get compensated. Not wearing a helmet is what we call a defense argument. That is the defense attorney can argue that the biker would not have been hurt to the same degree had they been wearing their helmet. Often experts will be hired by both sides to prove/disprove what would have happened in terms of the cyclist's/biker's injuries had a helmet been worn at the time of the crash. This can get complicated but suffice to say if a helmet was not worn and there are serious injuries it does not mean that you do not have a claim. You still may well have a significant claim, it just depends on all the circumstances surrounding the accident and what the lawyer you hire can prove. That's why it is important to hire an attorney who specialized in injury and wrongful death.

Bike Accident Statistics

Based on reports from Phoenix Children's Hospital, more children die from bike accidents than from falls, guns, or poisoning combined. Head injuries are also a leading cause of serious injury in bike accidents. It is said that helmets can lower the risk of a brain injury by up to 85%.

Getting the Help of an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer

If you or your children are ever involved in a car accident and were the biker, it is best to call an experienced Phoenix Personal Injury Attorney so that you can review all of your options and your best course of action. An experienced Arizona accident lawyer can make sure that a victim is not hurt twice by doing a thorough investigation. The best personal injury lawyers will offer a free consultation, will explain the law and your legal course of action, and will make you feel comfortable so that you can ask any and all questions that you have with reference to your injury claim.