Phoenix Personal Injury Lawyer

Experienced Personal Injury Attorney in Phoenix

The ability to use the civil legal process to collect compensation for injuries is a critical tool to ensure that those who have suffered costs through someone else’s mistakes are given the opportunity to get the money that they need. To exercise that option to its fullest, it’s important that you work with a skilled, experienced Phoenix personal injury lawyer from Bleaman Law Firm, PC.

About Bleaman Law Firm, PC

At Bleaman Law Firm, PC, we understand what our clients need and are going through. Because we dedicate all of our time to personal injury cases, we have the in-depth experience necessary to help them get everything that they deserve. Our founding attorney, Marc Bleaman, has more than 23 years of experience in representing victims of personal injury accidents, and he can do the same for your financial recovery.

Injuries could come with medical costs, property damages, and intangible psychological costs. These things are the responsibility of those who caused the injury or, more likely, their insurance company. The civil process is a way to hold those at fault and their insurance companies accountable when they attempt to pay less than they actually owe. Reach out to our office to set up an initial consultation, where you can hear more about our available legal services.

Personal Injury Cases We Handle in Phoenix

Experienced personal injury lawyers can handle a wide variety of personal injury claims for their clients. At Bleaman Law Firm, PC, we can pursue claims for:

• Car accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Truck accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Distracted driver accidents
• Drunk driving accidents
• Rideshare accidents
• Boat accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• Wrongful death
• Catastrophic injury
• Premises liability
• Dog bite
• Uninsured/underinsured motorists
• Burn injury
• Nursing home abuse and negligence

This is not a complete list. When you talk with us, we can explain how we can address your specific personal injury situation. We’d be happy to discuss how our background may benefit your individual circumstances.

What Does a Phoenix Personal Injury Lawyer Do?

A personal injury lawyer in Phoenix represents individuals who have suffered harm due to another party’s careless or wrongful actions. In Phoenix, these attorneys handle both settlement negotiations and courtroom litigation.

Key responsibilities include:

• Investigating accident details
• Collecting medical records and evidence
• Communicating with insurance companies
• Evaluating damages
• Negotiating settlements
• Filing lawsuits when necessary
• Representing clients at trial

Your attorney can explain the entire timeline you can expect for your personal injury recovery. It may be necessary to go to court to obtain compensation for your accident, or you might be fully compensated through settlement negotiations. Connect with a dedicated Phoenix personal injury attorney to discuss your available recovery options.

Should I Settle My Claim or Go to Court?

Most personal injury cases are settled without going to court, but the best option depends on how much risk you’re willing to take and how fast you need money.

Settling a claim typically means:

• Get compensation quicker, often in moths instead of years
• No risk of losing at trial
• The payout will be less than what a jury could decide, because the defendant is paying to avoid the cost of going to trial

Going to court typically means:

• A longer timeline, sometimes years, before resolution
• If a jury agrees with your case, you might get a bigger award.
• The chance of getting less than the amount offered in the settlement, or nothing at all

Phoenix Personal Injuries

Phoenix sees a wide variety of personal injury incidents, from serious vehicle accidents to slip and falls. Whether you are hurt in a pedestrian accident or a workplace incident, it’s critical to exercise extra caution in the following areas:

• I-10
• Loop 101
• S. 60
• 51st Avenue & Elliot Road
• 19th Avenue & Union Hills Drive
• 12th Street & I-10
• 63rd Avenue & I-10

In these places, drive safely, and be sure to stay alert as a pedestrian. Arizona, unfortunately, saw 271 pedestrian fatalities across the state, representing 21% of our total crash-related deaths in 2023. If you’re involved in a personal injury accident, you should document everything and contact a trusted Phoenix personal injury attorney. They can advise you further and represent your interests.

Common Types of Personal Injury Cases in Phoenix

Car accidents aren’t the only types of injuries that happen regularly throughout Phoenix, Arizona. In fact, there are numerous ways that you can suffer harm due to the carelessness of another person, business, or organization. When another party breaches their duty to exercise reasonable care, injured victims have the right to pursue a claim and seek compensation.

Common causes of personal injury claims include car accidents, motorcycle wrecks, truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, and bicycle collisions. Major highways like I-10, Loop 101, and State Route 51 see thousands of vehicles driving through each day, which means serious traffic collisions are bound to happen.

Property owners have a duty to keep visitors safe while on their premises. Slip-and-falls, negligent security, falling merchandise, and unsafe property conditions can lead to serious injuries for victims.

Workers occasionally suffer injuries on the job that could lead to a legal claim if a third party was at fault. Product liability, dog bites, construction accidents, and wrongful death are other examples of common injury claims.

No matter how you were injured, each case may be unique based on the facts of your situation, available evidence, and Arizona personal injury laws. Some cases may even need to be settled in court. Our Maricopa County personal injury attorneys can evaluate your claim and determine the most effective way to proceed based on your goals.

What Is Compensated in a Phoenix Personal Injury Claim?

The compensation in a personal injury claim is paid out in what is known as “damages.” These damages are paid only to cover costs that are a direct result of the injuries that you suffered. Your lawyer may need to prove a connection between the incident and the costs that you have suffered.

Only if that connection is established may damages be awarded to cover those costs. The damages in a personal liability case are usually paid out in two forms of damages and, occasionally, in a third form.

Economic Damages

Economic damages cover the cost of things that have a clear financial component. If you’ve got a bill, paystub, or other documentation clearly outlining the monetary price of something, it’s probably compensated through economic damages. This includes things like:

• Medical expenses
• Hospital bills
• Rehabilitation costs
• Lost wages
• Reduced earning capacity
• Property damage

In the most significant cases, the injured person might never be able to return to work again or can only be able to return in a diminished capacity. In these cases, the lost earning capacity and reduced future earnings can also be compensated through economic damages.

Non-Economic Damages

The costs of an injury aren’t limited to those things that involve a bill. There are many situations where an injury creates a number of intangible costs that tend to be more psychological or emotional in nature.

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Anxiety and depression
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Permanent disability

Although these things lack a monetary solution, they are still given an estimated value that is paid out in the non-economic damages category. The money isn’t expected to solve the problem, but it can be helpful in reducing stresses and burdens in other aspects of life, leaving you room to address these kinds of concerns.

Punitive Damages

There’s another set of damages that aren’t awarded in most personal injury cases but can be awarded in some qualifying circumstances. These are punitive damages, which specifically act as a deterrent against egregious behavior on the part of the defendant.

Typically, egregious behaviors may be limited to malicious intent or significantly reckless behavior. In these cases, punitive damages may be awarded as a punishment and deterrent for that kind of behavior. However, this is not case most of the time, and your lawyer can help you understand if there is a possibility for punitive damages in your claim.

How Could Comparative Negligence Affect the Damages in My Phoenix Personal Injury Claim?

Arizona uses pure comparative negligence, which means you can still get compensation even if you are partially to blame for your injury, your compensation will just be lowered by the percentage of fault you have. Arizona does not set a limit on the amount of money someone can receive for personal injuries.

How it works:

• The defendant’s insurance company might say you are partly to blame for the accident.
• A court or insurance company gives each person involved a share of blame as a percentage.
• Your payment is lowered based on how much you are to blame, even if you are mostly at fault, you can still get a small part of what you’re owed.

If a plaintiff is found 30% responsible for damages, they would get back $70,000 from a $100,000 award.

This is different from most other states, where if a plaintiff is more than 50% at fault, they get nothing. A Phoenix personal injury lawyer can help gather the evidence needed to reduce how much fault is assigned to you.

What Should I Do After I’ve Been Injured?

If someone else’s negligence has led to an injury to you, there are some things that you may want to consider in terms of how you can act to preserve your negotiation position or opportunity to collect damages.

Have a Medical Evaluation

One of the first things to do after you’ve suffered an injury is to get medical attention. If the injuries are serious, it’s possible that paramedics may be called to the scene. If that’s the case, it’s important to let them check for any traumatic injuries that you could have, especially since shock and adrenaline could lead to you not recognizing a potential traumatic brain injury. Paramedics are trained to identify the kinds of injuries you might not notice.

Avoid Admitting Fault and Document Evidence

It’s also important that you choose your words carefully when discussing the injuries. The defendant’s lawyers may be looking for anything that sounds like a confession of fault that they could use to prove that you’re to blame for the injuries. In particular, use caution when communicating with insurance agents, and when possible, you should probably let your lawyer communicate on your behalf.

A critical component of a personal injury claim is collecting all the evidence available to make your case. A big part of that evidence comes from documenting the situation. If your injuries allow it, that process should begin at the scene of the injuries. It’s helpful to have pictures of the injuries, any accident that was involved, and the scene in general.

Documentation is important as the process moves forward as well. It’s critical that you keep a record of both your injuries and the costs. Anything related to visiting the doctor, medical bills, property damage bills, and other costs should be held onto. In general, it’s a good idea to document as much as you can and allow your Phoenix personal injury lawyer to review and sort through what’s most important and valuable to your case.

FAQs

What if the Person Who Injured Me Does Not Have Insurance?

There may still be ways to recover compensation if the person who injured you does not have insurance. There could be other responsible parties, insurance policies, or sources of coverage, depending on the situation. For instance, some car insurance policies carry uninsured motorist coverage. We can investigate and uncover all possible sources of recovery to see if you may still be eligible for compensation even without insurance.

Are Personal Injury Settlements Taxable?

Damages received for personal physical injuries are generally free from federal income taxes. However, there may be exceptions to this rule. For example, punitive damages and damages for lost wages are taxed differently. Each settlement is unique, so it is always advisable to speak with a competent tax advisor regarding possible tax ramifications prior to agreeing to a final settlement.

What Happens if My Injury Requires Future Medical Treatment?

Future medical expenses can also be brought into play during a personal injury case. If the injured party is going to need continuous medical care, rehab, surgery, medication, or long-term healthcare, then these costs can be factored into damages. Professionals can help project what those future medical costs may be, and they can provide professional opinions on how permanent an injury may be.

Do Personal Injury Cases Always Go to Trial?

No, the vast majority of personal injury claims settle before trial. Settlements can offer a quicker resolution, save money, and offer more certainty to both sides. If there is a disagreement as to liability or the worth of damages claimed, litigation may be required. Being prepared to go to trial can give a claimant more leverage in settlement negotiations.

Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer From Bleaman Law Firm, PC, Today

Whether you were hurt in Downtown Phoenix or injured while driving along I-10, hire a personal injury lawyer to protect your legal rights. Contact Bleaman Law Firm, P.C., to assert your rights.

It’s critical that you work with an experienced Phoenix personal injury lawyer, like Marc Bleaman, who can advocate for you and prove why you deserve the compensation that you’re seeking. We have over 23 years of experience in the Phoenix area. If you’ve been injured by someone else and are seeking damages, contact us today.

Phoenix Personal Injury Lawyer Reviews

Phoenix Personal Injury Resources:

• How Is Personal Injury Compensation Calculated In Arizona?
• How Much Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Cost in Arizona?
• Arizona Personal Injury Statute of Limitations
• Arizona Average Personal Injury Settlement Amount
• When to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer after a Car Crash in Arizona?
• How Do I Choose The Right Arizona Personal Injury Attorney For Me?
• How Long Does It Take to Settle a Car Accident Claim in Arizona?
• What Is the Average Slip and Fall Settlement in Arizona?
• How Long Do I Have To File a Dog Bite Claim in Arizona?