Types of Tucson Accidents & How Claims are Affected
Understanding Possible Injuries Based on Your Type of Car Accident
Car accidents are unfortunate situations for everyone involved. Hopefully, the only damages are to property. Unfortunately, car accidents frequently result in serious injuries that may even be permanent. If you’ve been injured in a car accident due to someone else’s bad driving, you may be due compensation. Understanding the injuries and damages you may have incurred due to your specific type of car accident can be key to assessing a fair monetary demand. Our Tucson accident firm offers free consultations so that you can review your prospective claim with an experienced lawyer in detail. Call 520-441-1450 or click here to schedule your free consultation.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions are the most common type of car accident in Arizona. They accounted for 39.34% of car crashes in Arizona in 2020. Most of the time, the front driver is not at fault for a rear-end collision. However, there may be exceptions, like if the front driver was braking erratically.
If you were the front driver in a rear-end collision, we recommend going to a medical professional as soon as possible regardless of if you feel pain. This is because rear-end collisions often result in whiplash injuries. The concern with whiplash injuries is that there can be extended delays between the injury and experiencing pain and other symptoms. It may be days or weeks before you notice the signs of whiplash, at which point it could already be too late if you have signed a settlement agreement with the other party’s insurance company.
How can you tell if you’ve experienced whiplash? Most of the tell-tale signs of whiplash will be in your neck and spine. Some of the most common symptoms include pain and stiffness in the neck, headaches, loss of mobility and range of motion in the neck, fatigue, dizziness, pain in the shoulders and back, and numbness and tingling in the arms. Other symptoms you may experience include tinnitus, blurred vision, insomnia, irritability, memory and focus problems, and depression. If you are experiencing any combination of these symptoms after a rear-end collision, see a doctor as soon as possible.
Accidents Involving Alcohol
In Arizona in 2020, alcohol was involved in 4.56% of traffic accidents, and in 16.8% of deadly traffic accidents. This shows us that alcohol increases the risk of being in or causing a fatal crash. Alcohol-related crashes also accounted for $2,326,504,005 in economic loss in Arizona for that year. It’s no wonder why Arizona has some of the strictest DUI laws in place.
Because accidents involving alcohol tend to be more serious, personal injury claims resulting from them tend to have higher values. This means that if you were injured by a drunk driver, you can expect the insurance adjuster to be paying more attention to your claim than they would otherwise. Every piece of evidence you obtain could contribute to higher damages for your claim.
Make sure you call the police to the scene of an accident in which you believe the other driver was impaired. Issuing a police report will be the least they can do to improve your injury claim under these circumstances. If the driver has their BAC tested and is placed under arrest, that can be used in your potential injury claim. Ideally, you will be able to wait for the other driver to be convicted of DUI before pursuing your personal injury claim. If your injuries are serious, this will probably occur naturally. It could be a while before your medical condition has stabilized to a place where doctors can reasonably assess your ongoing medical needs. Also, the prosecution for DUI charges tends to move swifter than for other types of criminal cases.
Motorcycle & Bicycle Accidents
One of the biggest factors to someone’s safety during a motorcycle or bicycle accident is whether they wear a helmet. Not wearing a helmet greatly increases the risk of a TBI, or traumatic brain injury, in an accident. The most common example of a TBI is a concussion, but TBIs can be extremely devastating, or even fatal.
Brain injuries are unfortunately often irreversible. They need medical attention as soon as possible so that a doctor can make sure nothing is aggravating your condition. For example, you may have relatively minor bruises or scrapes on your head but not feel like it’s an emergency situation after an accident. However, you could unknowingly have internal swelling or bleeding that could be serious if left untreated. Too many people die because they take a nap instead of seeing a doctor after an accident resulting in TBI.
Besides helmet wearing, adherence to traffic laws is another major factor in motorcycle and bicycle accidents. Sometimes, bicyclists aren’t aware of how traffic laws apply to them, but other bicycle accidents are due to car driver negligence. Drivers also often fail to notice motorcyclists on the road, which can cause accidents while changing lanes. If you’ve been in a motorcycle or bicycle accident in Tucson, don’t hesitate to reach out to a personal injury lawyer to discuss your potential claim.
Single-Vehicle Accidents
It may seem like if you were the only vehicle involved in an accident, it would be impossible for someone else to be at fault. This isn’t always the case. If someone else’s negligent driving caused you to get in a single-vehicle collision, it can be difficult to prove in court. You will need to track down the other driver, as well as eyewitnesses, surveillance footage, and dash cam footage showing why the other driver should be held liable for your damages. A personal injury attorney can make a huge difference in this part of the claims process.
Another reason someone else could be at fault for your single-vehicle collision is negligent road maintenance or hazardous conditions. A government entity could be at fault here, whether it’s for improper signage or failure to fix a major road hazard. Keep in mind that a reduced statute of limitations may apply if you need to sue a city or municipal government.
Call our Firm For Your Free Consultation With an Experienced Tucson Injury Lawyer
Pursuing a personal injury claim after an accident will create several additional responsibilities in your already-busy life. You may need to gather evidence and negotiate with the other party’s insurance company while juggling doctors’ appointments, getting your car repaired, missing work and pay, and more. This can be even more difficult if your injuries are severe. You could be owed significant non-economic damages, namely pain and suffering, in addition to your more easily measured financial losses.
Insurance companies rely on accident victims being reluctant to utilize the legal system when offering settlements. They know most people would rather not go in court or be in front of a judge. A personal injury attorney who is skillful in both negotiation and trial procedure can make sure you receive fair compensation for your injuries. If you’ve been injured in an accident in Tucson, we hope you consider our firm as your representation. At Tucson Injury Lawyers, we offer a guaranteed contingency fee of 25%, so you can save money versus other attorneys in the area who charge around 33%. Let us discuss your claim with your free, confidential initial consultation- click here or call 520-231-2822 to get started today.
Injury Lawyers Tucson
2 East Congress St., Suite #900-6A
Tucson, AZ 85701
Phone: (520) 441-1450
Email: info@tucsoninjurylawyers.org