Category: Car Accidents

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that, on average, two people died every day in the United States in 2011 in a collision that involved a driver running a red light. Of those that lost their lives, roughly half of the victims were someone other than the person who ran the red light and an additional 118,000 people were injured but survived in red light crashes in 2011 alone. Between 2007 and 2011, AAA and Cambridge Schematics report that the economic toll of costs lost in red light accidents was $378 million.

The numbers are staggering. The injuries, loss of life, and economic cost of red light collisions in the country should not be ignored. These are some arguments that numerous communities have used in explaining their decisions to implement red light cameras over recent years and that others have used to enact new legislation. While national trends continue to show an annual decrease in the deaths caused by these car accidents, the fallout is still far too significant for motorists to feel safe when they are at or near an intersection.
Continue reading “Red Light Car Crash Injures 3 in Phoenix”

Modern vehicles have thousands of safety features built into them with the intention of decreasing the likelihood of collisions while increasing the safety of those involved if a crash does happen. Most of these features come standard on cars these days so that drivers never need to think about them – they are there and they work when needed. For many, gone are the days when a driver had to pump the brakes because anti-lock brakes now take that role. No longer are most drivers forced to use a little muscle to turn the wheel because power steering handles even the slightest movement with ease.

While a number of safety features don’t require maintenance or even attention by the driver, others do and it can be crucial to the overall operation of the vehicle that these are maintained properly. One of the most overlooked safety features on any vehicle is that car’s tires. Tires impact your vehicle’s ability to accelerate, maintain speed, brake, and turn which means that tires play a role in every maneuver your car will make.
Continue reading “Fatal Crash in Maricopa County caused by Tire Blowout”

When you get in a car to go for a ride, are you the driver? The passenger? Does it depend on the setting? If you are like the typical adult in the Phoenix area, chances are that you drive at times and that you are a passenger in other moments. But how does that change affect your view of your safety? It may sound like an unusual question but when asked, many adults acknowledge the safety concerns that are associated with driving but tend to ignore their personal safety when they are a passenger. Passengers cannot control the actions of the driver of their vehicle or the drivers of other cars so it may seem normal that they do not consider safety when they enter a car.

But passengers can be injured in car accidents to the same extent that drivers can be so passenger safety should be a primary concern for everyone. Drivers should act in a careful and cautious manner to protect those in their vehicles and passengers should be aware of who is operating their vehicle and what skills that person has as a driver.
Continue reading “Truck Strikes Power Pole in Phoenix, Leaving 2 in Critical Condition”

Car accidents happen in an instant and often occur without warning. One moment a driver is traveling along a road or a highway in Phoenix and the next moment everything has changed because that driver was involved in a crash. Annually, more than 100,000 car accidents happen in the State of Arizona and the vast majority of those occur in highly populated, dense areas like the Valley of the Sun. There are hundreds of unique factors that lead to and contribute to Phoenix car accidents each year with thousands of different possible scenarios resulting. From single car accidents to massive pile-ups, no two accidents are identical and therefore it is important to understand how the laws affect your rights if you have been injured in a collision.
Continue reading “Car Crash in Gilbert Turns Fatal”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 26 percent of Americans ages 16 and older have been injured in a car accident in their lifetime and needed medical help as a result. That means that of those old enough to drive, 1 in 4 has been hurt in a car accident badly enough to seek relief and to incur expenses, like medical bills, related to that crash.

In many cases, victims just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when a collision occurs. Nothing but unfortunate luck determines their collision as they do nothing wrong. This is almost always true for a passenger inside a car who does not control the car’s motion and often may be true of some drivers. While nothing can erase the damage done by a collision, the laws in Phoenix and in the State of Arizona recognize that those who do not cause a crash should not be forced to pay for their losses personally; therefore, these victims can seek and often can obtain a financial payment for their damages against a responsible driver or an insurance company. When in doubt, speaking with a Phoenix personal injury attorney can help answer your questions if you have been hurt in an accident.
Continue reading “2 Dead in 3-Car Crash in Glendale”

Chain reaction collisions are a serious threat to public safety in Arizona, especially in the greater Phoenix area. The risks associated with chain reactions are similar in some respects to those involved in more typical two-car accidents but those risks may be amplified. With a greater number of vehicles involved in a collision comes a greater number of drivers and an increased possibility of passengers. Simply put, the more people involved in an accident, the more potential injury victims that may get hurt in that crash.

Chain reaction incidents can occur for a number of reasons. Some may have a drunk or impaired driver to blame. Others can be faulted on a speeding motorist. In many cases, a driver may be distracted and may not notice stopped traffic in front of him or her. When driving in Phoenix, the interstates and highways are notorious for stop-and-go traffic which requires all drivers to be alert at all times. If a driver fails to pay close enough attention in the Valley, that driver may rear-end another vehicle and may cause a chain reaction accident.
Continue reading “Chain Reaction Accident in Glendale Injures Several, Including Infant”

In 2011, more than 32,000 people were killed in traffic accidents across the country. No state and no major city was spared from these devastating incidents and the Phoenix area saw its fair share of fatalities. But in addition to the loss of lives, thousands of additional collisions happen in Arizona every year that cause injuries short of death to the drivers and passengers involved and, in some cases, others in the area.

Whether a driver, a passenger, a motorcyclists, a bicyclist, or a pedestrian is harmed in a car accident in Phoenix, local and state laws may apply that protect that victim from the financial harm that accompanies his or her injuries. The right to seek relief, including monetary compensation, often belongs to injury victims who have the right to bring a claim against all the parties responsible for an accident. Victims can recover for medical expenses, pain, suffering, disfigurement, and lost wages among other damages depending on the facts involved in their particular accident. When questions arise about the legal rights of a car crash victim, speaking with a personal injury attorney may help illuminate the options available in the State of Arizona, including whether relief is possible.
Continue reading “Multi-Car Accident in Phoenix Injures at Least Two”

Most people in the greater Phoenix area are unaware of how common single-car accidents are in the Valley, instead thinking of crashes involving two or more vehicles. In 2013, the Arizona Department of Transportation noted that 19,053 single-car accidents happened across the state and that many of those resulted in significant injuries to the drivers and passengers involved.

Some believe that if a single car accident occurs, blame must fall on the driver of that car because no one else contributed to the impact, but this is a common misunderstanding and one that can have tragic results if victims of these collisions believe it. Instead, while driver error can be one cause of an accident, other circumstances like inclement weather, poor road design, a mechanical failure in the car, or a defect in a tire might lead to an accident and might be beyond even the most skilled driver’s ability to avoid. Instead of assuming what rights may exist following a collision, victim may want to speak with a personal injury lawyer to learn definitively of the laws that apply to their crash and their options to obtain financial payment for their injuries.

A single vehicle collision happened in Avondale yesterday and fortunately, left the driver with only minor injuries. Police have confirmed that a female motorist was operating her SUV on 99th Avenue near Thomas Road when the woman lost control for reasons that are not clear. The SUV began to list to one side and the driver attempted to over correct the issue but she was unable to keep the vehicle from leaving the road’s surface and driving down an embankment where it entered a canal running alongside 99th Avenue.

The woman was able to exit the vehicle under her own power and she called authorities for assistance. While on the scene, police began an initial review of the facts and that investigation remains open at this time. It is not clear what triggered the initial series of events that led to the SUV’s landing in the canal but it is clear that the woman was lucky to have sustained only minor injuries.
Continue reading “SUV Accident Ends in Arizona Canal”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that someone in America is injured in a car accident every 10 seconds. These injuries range from minor bumps and bruises to severe, debilitating injuries that will last a lifetime and anyone in or near a vehicle may be a victim. It is common for drivers and passengers in cars to believe that they will be safe while they ride, choosing to ignore the overwhelming statistics of the sheer number of crashes that happen in a given area in a year and instead living in the bliss that accompanies the thoughts that they will not be hurt.

But every year, millions of people in America find themselves the victims of car accidents. In Phoenix alone, tens of thousands of crashes occur and in some years, even more, placing the safety of Phoenix’s citizens at risk. Some collisions can occur due to a negligent road design, a faulty part in a car, or even inclement weather but the majority of accident happen when someone makes a mistake. These mistakes may amount to negligent conduct or even reckless behavior and may cause an at-fault driver to be liable for any damage that results. From lost wages to medical and surgical expenses, victims and their families can seek relief for their sufferings caused by an at-fault driver or another individual or entity that is responsible for a collision when it happens in Phoenix. It is important to understand how the laws affect your rights if an accident has happened so you may want to speak with a personal injury lawyer in Arizona to verify the appropriate action is being taken.

On Saturday afternoon, two cars collided in Phoenix and left a total of four people injured, according to authorities that responded to the scene. The incident happened near McDowell Road and 52nd Street around 5:00 p.m. and police are still trying to determine what led to the collision.

It is not clear how many people were in the two cars that were involved in the crash but two men and two women were injured. Two of those four victims were in critical condition and were taken to area hospitals for treatment; the other two victims were also transported to hospitals but their conditions were more promising though the nature of their injuries is not clear.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing at this time and the outcome may determine whether anyone will be cited for their actions prior to the impact.
Continue reading “Serious Car Accident in Phoenix Sends 4 to Hospitals”

Head-on collisions can happen anywhere that opposing traffic is not divided by a median or other barrier, including many of the roads in the greater Phoenix area. However, simply separating traffic is not a guarantee that a head-on crash will not happen. As recent incidents have shown, drivers that operate their vehicles in the wrong direction on an expressway may cause a crash, drivers that leave a road’s surface and cross a median can be at-fault for a collision, and even drivers that travel the wrong way down a one way street may be to blame for an impact. When these accidents happen, victims may be left behind to deal with the fallout of the crashes which often includes injuries to those involved.

The rights that victims possess vary from state to state following a car accident; in Arizona, including the Phoenix area, victims are entitled to seek financial compensation when they are harmed in an accident. Often this can include claims for losses like medical expenses, rehabilitative care, wages missed from work while recovering, and pain and suffering. The unique facts surrounding a particular crash can affect what relief may be available so if you have been injured, you may want to speak with a personal injury lawyer to verify your understanding of your rights and potentially to proceed with a claim.

U.S. 93 is a popular highway for those who wish to travel between Phoenix and Las Vegas, Nevada. On any given weekend, the traffic can be heavy with motorists who are seeking a weekend getaway and have nothing but a good time on their minds. Unfortunately, last week, things turned tragic for several motorists on U.S. 93 when a pickup truck allegedly crossed the center line near milepost 181 and collided with a semi-truck and a car, both of which were traveling in the opposite direction. The impact claimed the lives of three people involved in the crash and injured at least one other person. The incident happened on April 2nd and caused the area to be closed to through traffic for some time.

Authorities launched an investigation into the incident while still at the scene. Though all facts are still being reviewed, they have confirmed that the driver of the pickup truck was one of the three people that lost their lives in the incident.
Continue reading “Crash on U.S. 93 Proves Fatal for 3 Adults”