Abels & Annes, P.C. Personal Injury Blog

How do you move about the Valley during a typical day? Do you drive your own car or take public transit? Do you carpool with friends or neighbors? If any of these modes of transit describe you, chances are that you must also walk at some point during your journeys, whether you are walking in a parking lot, along a sidewalk, or crossing a street. For this reason, pedestrian safety should be a primary concern of all who call the Phoenix area home because almost everyone is a pedestrian at some point or another. Yet too often, the rights of pedestrians are ignored or poorly understood and a collision between a car and a walker happens. Following a pedestrian crash, the laws in Arizona are on the side of the victim of the incident and may entitle anyone injured to seek financial compensation for his or her losses. In the tragic event that a pedestrian is killed, the right to seek relief may belong to that victim’s surviving family members even though no amount of money can ever be considered adequate in these cases. If you have questions about how a pedestrian collision may affect you, consider speaking with a personal injury lawyer in Phoenix to learn about your options and your rights and whether you may be entitled to relief. Police in Scottsdale have confirmed a devastating pedestrian accident that happened on Wednesday morning and that claimed the life of one walker and left a second injured. The incident happened near the Loop 101 and Shea Road intersection and involved one vehicle and the two pedestrian victims. At this time and based on witness accounts, police believe that both pedestrians were crossing the road in a marked pedestrian crosswalk when an oncoming vehicle attempted to turn left, failed to […]

The Centers for Disease Control estimate that nearly twice as many people will be bitten by a dog in the United States this year as will those who will be hurt in a car accident. Despite the high risk for a dog bite injury, may people do not appreciate the risks posed by these animals or the harm that may result. Often, a friendly interaction with a dog can turn violent in an instant and can leave a victim with bite-related injuries. These may need medical treatment and often will scar; there are additional risks for infection and the transmission of diseases when a dog is the attacker and it may take time before a victim fully understands his or her injuries. Speaking with a personal injury attorney in Phoenix can help you understand your options and your rights if a dog bite has affected you or your loved one. In many cases, financial compensation may be possible. Authorities in Glendale confirmed a dog attack case on Tuesday that involved two young boys and left both with serious injuries. At this time, officials believe that a family dog near the boys turned violent and bit both children who are age eight and age 13. The attack was serious enough to necessitate the removal of the 8-year-old boy by air ambulance to an area hospital where he is expected to survive but it is not clear what lasting effects may result. The 13-year-old boy was also in need of medical help but was taken by standard ambulance as opposed to air ambulance. Reports indicate that the dog at issue was involved with multiple biting incidents previously and that he has been euthanized as a result of this most current incident. Officials have also stated that the 13-year-old who was attacked was […]

The Phoenix area is known for its desert conditions and it barren landscape but that overgeneralization is not true in all spots. If you know the Valley, you know that there are areas with farming, lush green fields, and even spots of open water if you know where to look. With these alternative conditions may come some less-than-typical vehicles in the area and potentially on the roads. The laws in Arizona govern which types of vehicles can travel on local roads and how these vehicles may use surface roads when they do drive. It is up to traditional drivers of cars and trucks to look out for these vehicles and to yield the right-of-way when required to do so; it is up to all drivers, regardless of the type of vehicle they operate, to avoid collisions whenever possible. Safety should always be the primary concern when it comes to driving in Phoenix. On Thursday night, a collision happened between a farm tractor and a car in the area of 73rd Drive and Broadway Road. The crash, near Tolleson, happened for unknown reasons and officials are still investigating the facts surrounding the incident. Local police and emergency crews were on the scene and they tended to three victims in critical condition. Reportedly, a man in his 30s was driving the tractor prior to the impact and was trapped underneath it following the collision. A 9-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy were also on the tractor and were harmed in the car accident; it is not clear whether anyone inside the car was hurt or sustained injuries. All three people on the tractor were listed in critical condition and were transported to area hospitals for treatment of undisclosed injuries.

The Arizona Department of Transportation reports that on average, more than 250 people are killed in the state every year in accidents involving drunk drivers. Many of these victims are not the drunk drivers themselves but rather are other drivers involved, passengers in a drunk driver’s vehicle or another vehicle, or even pedestrians and bicyclists in the area. It is a crime to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Phoenix but despite these laws, many choose to operate their vehicles while impaired and they risk the safety of others when they do so. If a drunk driving accident happens, anyone hurt in that crash may be entitled to seek compensation for their injuries and their suffering, and speaking with a personal injury lawyer can help you understand your options if a collision has affected you. In many cases, you may be able to recover against a drunk driver personally or that driver’s automobile insurance policy. In others, the owner of a vehicle may be legally liable for your suffering or the company that a driver was working for at the time. Yet in other collisions, a tavern, bar, or restaurant may be responsible if they served a driver and enabled that individual to become intoxicated. Often, several of these claims can exist in any given crash, so make sure you understand your rights and options as they apply to you. A collision in Maricopa County on Wednesday afternoon left four people injured and closed a section of road to through traffic, according to local authorities. Police have confirmed that the incident occurred near Daisy Mountain Drive and Gavilan Park Parkway and may have involved the presence of alcohol. While on the scene, police confirmed that the incident involved one vehicle T-boning a second and causing a serious […]

There is no such thing as a typical car accident in Phoenix because the facts that lead to any crash vary from those that lead to another. Despite this, there are commonalities among the majority of accidents that can be seen and observed and that can enable victims to understand what caused their collision. In many cases, an error or a mistake on the part of one driver leads to a crash with another motorist who acts appropriately. This can be distressing for a rule-abiding driver who is left to suffer from the actions of an at-fault motorist and may be forced to deal with physical injuries that stem from the crash. In the Phoenix area, car accidents involving elderly drivers are common especially in the winter months as snow birds descend on the Valley. Some of these drivers are safer than motorists decades younger than them but others may be suffering from the effects of aging which can negatively impact driving skills. Whether it is decreased eyesight, increased mental confusion, or even being unfamiliar with the local roads, elderly and aging drivers can pose a threat to public safety. When a collision occurs and an elderly driver is involved, victims first need to determine whether the elderly driver was at-fault or was a victim and, regardless, whether the laws in Phoenix enable those who are hurt to seek financial compensation for their losses. If you have questions about a collision that affected your life, speaking with a personal injury lawyer in Arizona may help you get the answers you need. Police in Phoenix believe that a fatal car accident on Sunday began when a driver ran a red light near the intersection of 15th Avenue and Bethany Home Road. The incident happened shortly after 12:00 p.m. and allegedly involved […]

Certain times of the day and certain days of the week are more likely to experience drunk driving accidents than others, but despite the fact that these collisions are not equally spaced throughout the week, they can happen at any given moment. Drunk and impaired drivers are on the road at all hours of the day and night in Phoenix and they are responsible for thousands of collisions annually in the State of Arizona. The victims of these collisions may be left with injuries including broken bones, back and neck injuries, cuts, abrasions, open and closed head injuries, and soft tissue damages including internal bleeding. These injuries can plague a victim for days, weeks, months, or years and in the worst cases may never fully heal when a collision happens, leaving a victim to suffer for the remainder of his or her life. The worst accidents can claim the lives of those involved and can cause irreparable harm to the victim’s surviving family members, a harm that can never be erased and that can never fully heal. When a crash is due to the actions of a drunk driver, the suffering can seem even worse because these collisions are entirely preventable and never need to happen if motorists who drink simply choose another means of transit. If a car accident happens to you and you are left injured, you may get the answers you need by speaking with a personal injury attorney in the Phoenix area who can explain your legal options and your legal rights, including whether you may be entitled to financial compensation for the suffering you have endured. Police in Glendale confirmed a collision on Saturday afternoon that involved multiple vehicles and left at least two people hurt. The incident happened near 49th Avenue and Northern Avenue […]

On Friday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) released the results of two national studies on the effects of drinking and driving on American roads, and the results may be surprising to some. Over the last four decades, the NHTSA has partnered with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety to conduct their Roadside Survey of Alcohol and Drug Use by Drivers. With the history of this survey, it is possible to analyze not only a current year’s incidents of drunk and drugged driving but also to compare any given year to those that came before it. The data from 2014 concludes that the number of motorists who drove on American roads, streets, and highways with measurable alcohol in their systems decreased by nearly 1/3 from the level seen in 2007; further, the incidence of drunk driving was down nearly 3/4 from the first levels noted back in 1973. The authors of this study were quick to note that while drunk driving levels decreased dramatically, it did not necessarily translate to safer driving conditions for all motorists because the occurrence of drugged driving or driving under the influence of drugs other than alcohol increased substantially. This included the use of marijuana as well as the use of prescription and street drugs that could lead to an intoxicating condition that may impair a driver’s abilities while operating a vehicle. In 2014, one in five drivers surveyed had a compound in their systems that was considered to be intoxicating and potentially hazardous to public safety. When compared to the one percent of drivers who had blood alcohol contents of .08 or higher, it is clear that the issue of drugged driving presented twenty times as often in the results of the survey when weekending driving behaviors were analyzed. The study relies upon […]

Any type of car accident can cause devastation and injuries when victims are involved but some types of collisions are more deadly than others. Among all types of accidents, few pose the threat to safety that head-on collisions pose or cause the damage that results from these accidents. In most instances, a head-on crash involves at least one vehicle traveling at a moderate or high rate of speed and places the impact of a crash near the vehicle’s location where a driver sits. Unlike a crash that may hit the rear of a car, there is always someone in the front driver’s seat and therefore someone will always be near the impact zone when a head-on crash happens. These collisions are commonly seen in several scenarios in the Phoenix area. Over the last 12 months, there have been numerous incidents involving wrong-way drivers on the local expressways including the Loop 202 and 101. When a driver travels the wrong way down a road or on a highway, a head-on crash is likely to happen. Additionally, if a driver is distracted, tired, or otherwise is not paying attention to a city road, it is possible that the driver will cross the center line and place his or her vehicle into the path of oncoming traffic, potentially resulting in a head-on collision. Finally, intersections are a common area where these crashes happen and result if one driver errs or makes a mistake when trying to cross from one side of the intersection to another. If you are involved in a car accident in Phoenix, the law is on your side. You may be able to recover financial for your losses which can include the medical bills you have incurred or will incur in the future as well as your pain and suffering. […]

You can be the safest driver on a highway and it may not matter; if another motorist is acting in a reckless or negligent manner, your safety may be threatened and you may even become the victim of a Phoenix-area car accident. In some cases, nothing can be done to avoid these collisions or the injuries that they cause and the victims may be forced to deal with pain and suffering for months or even years after a collision ends. Some collisions are clear and it can be easy to see who was at fault or who acted negligently in causing the incident. In other cases, the actions of multiple parities may combine and cause an accident and it can be difficult to sort these out from a legal perspective. Fortunately, victims of collisions have the right to contact a personal injury attorney to learn how the applicable laws may affect their ability to seek relief and to obtain compensation for their injuries when an accident happens in Arizona. Some of the most confusion collisions involve a police vehicle or another emergency responder. The typical laws that apply to issues like a speed limit or a right-of-way may not apply in the case when an emergency vehicle is in the area with its lights and sirens activated. Instead, it may be the responsibility of civilian drivers in the area to allow those emergency vehicles to proceed regardless of traffic control devices like traffic lights and stop signs. Now, local police are confirming that a collision that left two drivers hurt involved a high speed chase on I-17 near Thomas Road. The incident happened on Sunday night shortly before 12:00 a.m. Monday when a marked police officer attempted to pull over a pickup truck that allegedly had been driving erratically. Reports […]

If you were traveling in the greater Phoenix area, you may have noticed an increase in the amount of traffic on the roads. With both the NFL Super Bowl and the PGA Phoenix Open taking place in the Valley, there were an unusual number of vehicles on the expressways, local roads, and even private drives that snake through Phoenix, Glendale, and Scottsdale in particular. Unlike a typical day with heavy traffic, many of those on the roads yesterday were tourists who may not have been familiar with the areas in which they were driving, leading to some confusion and an increased risk of a car accident taking place. The injuries that may be caused by a car accident can vary drastically depending on the facts surrounding the incident and the victims who were involved. Common injuries include broken and fractured bones, concussions and open head injuries, and damage to the muscles and ligaments in a victim’s back and neck. These losses may cause not only pain and suffering but also a serious financial toll as a victim seeks the medical help he or she may need and may cause and entire family to suffer as a result. When a driver acts negligently and harms another person, the laws in Arizona make it clear that the innocent victim should not be held responsible for those costs but rather that an errant driver should have to pay. To make this possible, victims are able to seek relief through the use of a civil claim for damages and speaking with a personal injury lawyer in Phoenix can help you understand how those claims work if you have been hurt in a collision. At approximately 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, police in Phoenix were alerted to the scene of a car accident involving three separate […]