Oro Valley Car Accident Lawyer

Oro Valley Car Accident Attorney

Car accidents happen every day in the Oro Valley area for many reasons, and it is possible for any car accident to have life-changing effects on those involved. If you have been injured in a car accident someone else caused, it is crucial to know your rights when it comes to recovering your losses. An Oro Valley car accident lawyer can help ensure accountability and compensation for your recent accident.

Representing Car Accident Victims in Oro Valley, AZ

The team at the Bleaman Law Firm, PC, has more than 20 years of experience handling all types of personal injury cases, including those arising from motor vehicle accidents. Throughout the years of our firm’s operation, we have successfully represented clients before the largest insurance carriers and have helped them recover substantial case awards from their personal injury cases.

While it is technically possible for you to secure compensation for a car accident in Oro Valley without hiring an attorney, it would likely be far more challenging than you expect. You would be forced to contend with the procedural demands of your case while also managing your recovery and personal obligations. Even if you managed to succeed, you would be unlikely to reach the same results that an experienced attorney could achieve for you.

Our goal for every client is maximum compensation as swiftly as possible. Your recovery from your recent car accident is likely to begin with proving another driver is at fault; then, you will need to file an auto insurance claim against them. If they do not have insurance or they do not have enough coverage to fully compensate you, a personal injury suit is your next viable option for recovering your losses.

You have a relatively short time in which to pursue these recovery efforts. You must file an auto insurance claim within a few days of an accident, and there is a two-year statute of limitations on personal injury cases, starting on the date an accident occurred. Do not hesitate to reach out to an Oro Valley car accident lawyer. The more time your attorney has to work on your case, the more likely you are to reach positive results.

Common Causes of Car Accidents and Proving Fault

The vast majority of car accidents reported in Oro Valley and throughout the state happen because of driver negligence, or failure to exercise reasonable care behind the wheel. This can take many forms, such as distracted driving like texting behind the wheel, speeding, or moving violations such as running red lights or stop signs. A driver is negligent when they breach a duty of care on the road, and they absorb liability for the resulting damages.

It is also possible for a driver to cause a serious accident by breaking the law. One of the most common examples of this is driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs. A driver who causes an accident through illegal misconduct faces criminal charges alongside their civil liability for the damages they inflict on others. They are also likely to face punitive damages and/or restitution alongside the other compensation owed to the victim.

Your Oro Valley car accident lawyer can help gather the evidence needed to prove fault for your accident. This is likely to include a combination of physical and digital evidence, such as evidence from the scene of the crash, vehicle computer data, cell phone records, and recordings from any traffic cameras situated near the accident site. Witness testimony from anyone who saw the accident happen will also be invaluable to your case.

It is important to remember that the state upholds a pure comparative fault rule that applies to any civil suit in which more than one party is at fault for the damages. Each liable party has a fault percentage assigned, and if a plaintiff is found partially liable, their fault percentage is taken from their case award as a penalty. If you suspect you bear partial fault, it is vital to consult an Oro Valley car accident lawyer as quickly as possible after your accident.

Some car accident cases raise very complex questions regarding liability. Physical and/or digital evidence may fall short of proving a complete chain of events that firmly proves how and why an accident happened. In these cases, expert witness testimony can prove invaluable to an injured plaintiff’s case. For example, an accident reconstruction expert can explain the various details of how the accident unfolded, helping the plaintiff assert the defendant’s liability for the collision.

Filing an Auto Insurance Claim After a Car Accident

Proving fault is a vital first step in recovering from any car accident in Oro Valley. The state’s fault-based system for resolving vehicle accidents dictates that whoever caused the accident is liable for the resulting damages, and drivers generally handle their liability for the accidents they caused through their auto insurance policies.

Every driver in Arizona is legally required to have auto insurance that meets minimum coverage requirements for bodily injury liability coverage and property damage liability coverage. At a minimum, a policy must have $25,000 or more in bodily injury liability coverage for a single person, $50,000 or more in bodily injury liability coverage for multiple persons injured in the same accident, and at least $15,000 in property damage liability coverage.

While it’s possible to file your auto insurance claim on your own without hiring legal counsel, the right attorney can make this process much easier and reduce the chance that you will encounter any bad faith handling of your claim from the insurance company. Once an insurance carrier sees that a claimant has legal representation, they are more inclined to process the claim swiftly and in good faith.

After receiving your insurance settlement, any remaining losses that the at-fault driver’s insurance policy cannot cover must be claimed through a personal injury suit in Oro Valley. Under Arizona’s personal injury laws, the plaintiff has the right to claim full repayment of all financial losses they suffered because of the accident the defendant caused, as well as compensation for the pain and suffering they experienced.

Calculating the Value of Your Personal Injury Claim

It’s natural to wonder how much your personal injury claim could be worth in Oro Valley, and your car accident lawyer can assist you in uncovering every available channel of compensation you can include in your claim. Under the state’s personal injury statutes, a plaintiff has the right to seek compensation for:

• Medical treatment costs. When you have been physically injured by another party’s actions, they are liable for the full extent of medical care you need to fully recover. This includes both your immediate healthcare expenses following the accident as well as ongoing expenses related to necessary rehabilitative care. Your attorney can ensure all medical expenses are appropriately addressed in your claim.
• Property damage. Your accident likely resulted in vehicle repair bills. An auto insurance claim may yield some coverage for these losses, but any property damage that can’t be repaid by the at-fault driver’s insurance can be cited as economic damages in your personal injury suit.
• Lost income. When the victim of a car accident cannot work and earn income because of their injuries, the defendant who caused the accident is liable for the income the victim cannot earn during their recovery. Additionally, if an accident results in any permanent disability that prevents the victim from working in the future, the defendant is also liable for their lost future earning power.

The average plaintiff may be able to assess immediately noticeable economic losses, but they might struggle when it comes to the assessment of future economic damages. An experienced Oro Valley car accident lawyer can help their client determine the full range of immediate and future economic losses they can include in their personal injury suit, and they can help determine suitable pain and suffering compensation to seek from the defendant.

The term “pain and suffering” might sound as though it would be difficult or impossible to translate into monetary terms. The average person will likely struggle to determine appropriate financial compensation for intangible and subjective losses like physical pain, psychological suffering, and emotional trauma.

Arizona law does not limit pain and suffering compensation in most personal injury cases, and there is no strict formula that must be used to calculate non-economic damages in a car accident case. Essentially, the plaintiff will have the right to claim as much as they believe is reasonable to reflect the severity of their experience. If you suffered any serious harm resulting in permanent disability, it could form the bulk of your case award.

Benefits of Hiring an Oro Valley Car Accident Lawyer

Even if the fault for your recent car accident seems perfectly apparent to you, you should not make the mistake of assuming that you can hold an at-fault driver accountable on your own. Similarly, you should not assume that you can achieve maximum compensation for your damages without the help of a seasoned Oro Valley car accident lawyer on your side.

When you have the Bleaman Law Firm, PC, representing you, you can rest and focus on your medical needs in recovery while we handle your case proceedings. Recovery from a car accident typically begins with an auto insurance claim, followed by a personal injury claim when insurance alone cannot cover the victim’s losses. You can rely on our firm for help with both of these recovery efforts. However, you need to establish fault before claiming compensation.

Our team knows how to gather the evidence you will need to firmly assert liability for your recent accident. We have helped many past clients prove liability and recover compensation for their car accidents in the Oro Valley, and we know the various challenges you might encounter as you seek accountability and repayment of your losses. We’ll help gather the proof you need to hold the driver who caused your accident responsible for your losses.

When it comes to your insurance claim, we have successfully represented many clients before the largest insurance carriers in the state and know the tactics they often employ to avoid paying appropriate settlements on legitimate claims. We can address any issues you encounter with the insurance claim filing process and make sure your claim is handled in good faith.

If you must file a personal injury suit to recover from your accident, you can rely on our team to build a cohesive and effective civil suit that addresses all your damages, seeking maximum compensation under the state’s personal injury statutes. We can make every effort to settle the case quickly outside of court to spare you the stress of protracted litigation, but if litigation is unavoidable, you can rely on us to represent you in the courtroom.

When it comes to the cost of our legal counsel, there is no need to worry about exorbitant attorney fees. We take personal injury clients on a contingency fee basis, so our client only pays our firm a fee after we win their case. There is no fee at all if we are unable to secure a recovery for our client, and when we do win, our contingency fee is a percentage of the total secured from the defendant.

Find Your Attorney in Oro Valley Today

The team at the Bleaman Law Firm, PC, has years of professional experience handling a wide range of personal injury cases for our clients in Oro Valley and surrounding communities, and we are ready to apply this experience to your situation. You have a relatively short time in which to file your case, so it’s vital to connect with an Oro Valley car accident lawyer.

Our firm is prepared to provide comprehensive and responsive legal counsel for your impending car accident case, from proving liability to guiding you through the various stages of your legal efforts to recover your damages. Contact the Bleaman Law Firm, PC, today to schedule a free consultation with an Oro Valley car accident lawyer and learn how our team can assist you with your recovery efforts.