Abels & Annes, P.C. Personal Injury Blog

In national surveys, more than 80 percent of all American drivers consider themselves to be “better than average” when it comes to operating a car. Of course, 80 percent cannot be better than average, meaning that a large number of motorists identify themselves as good drivers even though that might be an inaccurate description. This holds true in Arizona where hundreds of thousands of motorists hit the streets every day. Unfortunately, when some drivers believe they are more skilled or safer than others, they tend to engage in activities that threaten everyone. The most common of these is speeding. Experts opine that speeding is a deadly factor in car accidents in Phoenix because empirical studies reveal it occurs in almost half of all collisions. But what happens if you are a safe driver and you are still involved in a crash due to the actions of another? Where do you turn if you are hurt or if your family member is injured or killed? In Arizona, lawmakers understand that victims should not be forced to bear this burden but rather negligent drivers should be held responsible for all that results from an accident. In practice, this means a victim can seek relief for any injuries sustained through the use of a civil claim for damages, a type of legal claim that is separate and distinct from any charges brought by local officials or police. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in Phoenix or across the Valley may help you understand how to obtain the relief you deserve if an accident has affected you or whether you have a valid claim if your loved one was hurt. Police believe that a fatal accident in Tempe on Friday began by one driver speeding on I-10. The incident took place in the eastbound […]

Any type of traffic accident can turn deadly in Phoenix when the wrong combination of factors mix. Even collisions that seem minor may lead to death or serious injury and may cause suffering that lasts a lifetime. Semi-trucks and other large vehicles tend to be involved in a disproportionately large number of fatal crashes because their large size and weight means that a typical car or passenger vehicle is no match when going head-to-head. This is one of the reasons that trucking companies tend to have expansive insurance policies to protect their interests in the event of an accident. Victims of Phoenix truck accidents can obtain the relief they deserve if they are willing to pursue a civil claim. Unlike charges brought by local police or state officials, a civil claim is the right of the victim to bring and cannot be barred by a negligent or at-fault driver. Additionally, any relief obtained in a civil claim will benefit the victim directly and can provide compensation for all financial losses from medical expenses to pain and suffering and even lost wages. These collisions and claims are complex and victims rarely are able to negotiate the terrain that comes with them without the help of a skilled lawyer. Speaking with a personal injury attorney in Phoenix or elsewhere in the Valley may help you understand your options and what relief may be available to you if a crash has left you injured. An incident near 43rd Avenue and Roosevelt Street in Phoenix this morning left one man dead and a woman in critical condition. Police responded to the scene and determined that a car in the area collided with the rear of a semi-truck, leading to a serious accident that left the car heavily damaged. Neither the man nor the woman […]

What do you do if you are involved in a car accident? If you live in Arizona, the law is clear: you must remain at the scene to speak with police officers except in very limited circumstances. Failing to stay at the scene of a crash may trigger charges in addition to any the driver otherwise would have faced, like speeding, because of the inherent dangers of fleeing the scene. When a car accident happens and a victim is hurt, that victim’s best chance of obtaining the medical help needed is to have someone call for assistance as soon as possible. If the other driver involved fails to help by staying at the scene, medical treatment may be delayed and may lead to worsening injuries. Further, fleeing the scene makes it difficult for police to investigate a collision and to do so in an efficient manner. Greater time and resources are needed leading to a greater financial burden on the public. When police are busy chasing fleeing suspects, they are unable to respond to other calls for help, leading to an even greater threat to those who call Phoenix home. These hit-and-run accidents can have different results to the victims who are injured but the legal implications do not change. Victims who are hurt are entitled to seek compensation for their damages regardless of whether an at-fault, fleeing driver was apprehended or even identified. In fact, multiple claims may be possible to ensure that a victim gets fully compensated and these claims can exist against a hit-and-run driver, the owner of a fleeing car, the victim’s own insurance company, and others, depending on the facts of the collision. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in Phoenix or the areas of Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Scottsdale, or Glendale may help you understand […]

Every year, the population in the Valley of the Sun continues to increase at a high rate. As the population grows, everything grows, including the number of motorists. A greater number of drivers take to the road every year and with the young population of the Phoenix area, a large number of new motorists are anticipated for years to come. Traffic in Phoenix is heavy as a result and few areas are sparred from the congestion that many drivers loathe. Car accidents can happen at any point on a road, street, highway, or a parking lot but some situations are more likely than others to lead to a crash. For example, intersections have a large number of collisions because traffic moving in different directions must yield the right-of-way so that only one direction of traffic is in a designated spot at any one time. Failing to yield by running a red light or a stop sign may place multiple vehicles in the intersection simultaneously and lead to a crash. The cause of an accident can be difficult to determine but the majority of collisions occur when a driver makes a mistake or acts negligently in some way. This negligence can lead to a driver receiving a traffic ticket or other punishment including a criminal charge based on the facts of a specific crash, but that may not be where the penalties end. Arizona law enables victims to obtain the relief they need by bringing a civil claim against the responsible driver or vehicle owner. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer may help you understand your options if an accident has affected your life or left your loved one injured or killed. A motorist was driving in the area of 69th Street and Shea in Scottsdale on Monday when the driver […]

Annually, thousands of people in Phoenix fall victims to car accidents and many more suffer across the state of Arizona. But collisions threaten the safety of motorists and passengers nationwide, not just in Arizona. Though significant advances in automobile construction and manufacture have produced safety innovations, injuries continue to result from accidents and some victims lose their lives. The losses caused by car crashes can be difficult to measure because the full gravity of the collision may take years to materialize. From property damage done instantly to immediate medical needs to injuries that never fully heal, these incidents can harm a victim, families, friends and neighbors for decades. While these accidents cannot be erased once they occur, the laws in Arizona are designed to protect those who are hurt by allowing them to seek financial compensation for their damages, regardless of the form those damages take. To understand your rights if you have been involved in a collision, you may want to consult with a personal injury lawyer in Phoenix to learn if a crash entitles to you payment or whether you have a valid claim against anyone involved. Unfortunately, sources have confirmed that Cam Newton, starting quarterback for the Carolina Panthers NFL football team, was involved in a collision earlier today in North Carolina and that he was hurt in the crash. Officials have reported that Newton was driving near the Panther’s stadium in Charlotte when he collided with a sedan in the area. Newton’s truck reportedly flipped onto its side before coming to a rest on a bridge near the scene of the impact. Emergency crews responded to the scene and evaluated Newton as well as the driver of the sedan. Newton allegedly showed signs of injury and pain, prompting emergency crews to place him on a backboard […]

Thinking about your day-to-day activities, do you encounter traffic in the greater Phoenix area? Do you drive on the Loop 101, 202, or 303? Do you drive on I-10 or I-17? Or do you stick to city roads and surface streets as you get around town? Even if you do not own your own car or drive, chances are that the traffic conditions in Phoenix affect you all the same. Those who travel by foot or by bus know that traffic and collisions have a direct effect on their commute. In fact, more than 100,000 car accidents happen in Arizona every year, according to the Secretary of State, and many of those incidents involve multiple victims. When large vehicles like buses or trucks are involved, the potential number of victims may increase substantially. If a crash takes place in Phoenix and causes you injuries, the state laws may provide you with certain protections and certain rights, including the right to seek financial compensation for your injuries. A personal injury lawyer may be able to help you understand your options if a collision has affected you or or has injured your loved one. Claims may be possible against an at-fault driver or that driver’s insurance company but can also be available against your own insurance. Many crashes spawn the potential for multiple claims so that a victim can obtain fair and adequate compensation for the damages done, so it is important to lean about all options before you decide the path to recovery to pursue. Authorities in Chandler were alerted to a car accident near the intersection of Alma School and Chandler Boulevard on Saturday night. The facts of the incident are not clear yet but it has been confirmed that four people, all adults, were injured and in need of […]

Children are some of the most vulnerable members of our society and parents do their best to protect their kids. But unfortunately, parents cannot be around every minute of every day and must enlist some outside help. Many parents in Phoenix trust school buses to take their kids to and from school every weekday without a second thought. Most of these trips occur without incident and the kids on board make it to school and home without a problem. But for some parents, a bus trip turns into a nightmare when a school bus accident takes place. Hundreds of these collisions happen every year and many of them result in injuries to the children on board as well as any adults or drivers who may be riding the bus. Injuries to a child can be difficult to determine because some injuries can last mere days while others may affect the child for a lifetime. To enable these victims to obtain relief, Arizona law and the laws in Phoenix entitle these victims and their family members to bring a civil claim for their losses. Relief can be sought to cover any damages from medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other losses that may occur. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in the Phoenix area may help you understand your rights if your child has been hurt in a school bus accident or if a collision has affected your life. Wednesday afternoon turned scary for nearly 40 children on board a school bus in Gilbert. At approximately 1:50 p.m., a school bus and a private bus designed to carry kids crashed near the intersection of Recker Road and Guadalupe. The front end of the school bus, carrying a driver and approximately 40 children, struck the front and passenger side of a second […]

When you travel around Phoenix, what is your preferred method of transit? If you are like many, driving or riding in a car is the easiest and most convenient means of transit. You may choose to ride with little thought behind it or little concern about driving. In fact, many motorists feel that driving lets them control their own safety and their own destiny while other transit requires them to give up control. Contrary to popular belief, though, driving a car is not the safest means to get around the Valley as more than 100,000 car accidents happen annually in Arizona. While you may be able to control your own driving habits and actions, you cannot control the conduct of other motorists who share the roads. This means that anyone inside a car, whether a driver or a passenger, is at risk to be involved in a collision. While some crashes are minor and only leave vehicles damaged, thousands occur in Phoenix and the rest of Arizona every year that leave one or more people hurt and in need of medical help. While these collisions cannot always be avoided, prevented, or eliminated, the victims of the crashes may be entitled to seek legal relief if the crash was due to a mistake. Consulting with a lawyer who represents personal injury victims may help you realize your options if a crash has affected your life or has left your loved one hurt. On Tuesday afternoon, local police in Phoenix were alerted to a collision near the intersection of Pinnacle Peak and Scottsdale Road, close to the border between Phoenix and Scottsdale. When they arrived, officials noticed the collision left four men injured and in serious condition. Three of the victims were males in their 20s while the fourth man was in […]

If you are a driver in Phoenix or in Arizona, you should know that it is against the law to drive while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or any other intoxicating substance. Doing so may lead to a traffic citation or a criminal charge that can result in anything from fines and fees to the loss of a driver’s license to incarceration in jail or prison. Potential punishments become more severe if a driver under the influence causes a collision, and the penalties may increase again if someone involved in that crash is injured. Drunk driving accidents cause Arizona residents millions of dollars in damages every year and cause victims to incur medical expenses. These losses are unnecessary and can always be prevented by drivers who choose to use a designated driver, take a cab, or otherwise refrain from drinking and driving. Once a collision happens, though, victims may not know where to turn or how to get the help they deserve. Under Arizona laws, relief may be possible, so those victims who have been hurt should consider speaking with a personal injury lawyer to learn about their rights. The University of Arizona has confirmed that one of its football team members was arrested on Saturday for driving under the influence and for possession of marijuana. The student athlete was pulled over after making a wide right turn near the intersection of Third Street and Campbell Avenue in Tucson. After the player stopped his vehicle, the responding officer allegedly noticed a strong smell of marijuana emanating from the vehicle, prompting the officer to ask the student when he last smoked. Allegedly, the athlete replied that he smoked marijuana approximately one hour prior to the traffic stop. Authorities claimed that marijuana was thrown from the vehicle during the stop, leading […]

When a driver gets into his or her car and begins to travel on the streets of Phoenix, that driver is not only responsible for his or her personal safety but also for the safety of the passengers inside the vehicle, other motorists on the road, and even pedestrians in the area. The facts are clear that the actions of one driver can threaten the safety of dozens if a driver fails to act in a reasonable manner. The laws across Arizona are designed to encourage safety and to prevent collisions, but unfortunately, more than 100,000 car accidents happen in the state every year, all the same. Many of these crashes are not necessary and stem from a mistake, a negligent action, or another type of error by a driver involved. In other cases, a mechanical failure or a poor design in a road or a highway may be a factor in a collision. Regardless of the underlying cause, a victim of a car accident who is injured in the greater Phoenix area may be entitled to financial compensation for the damages incurred, including medical expenses that may be needed for treatment of injuries. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in the Phoenix area who has experience helping car accident victims may help you understand your legal options if you have been hurt or if your loved one has been injured or killed. Just after 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, witnesses reported a single car collision to area authorities in Tucson, prompting a response to the scene. When they arrived, police confirmed that one vehicle in the area of South Country Club Road and East Missouri Street lost control and left the road’s surface, colliding with a pillar in the area near I-10. Medical crews assessed two people inside the vehicle […]