Abels & Annes, P.C. Personal Injury Blog

In recent decades, Phoenix has experienced a population boom unlike most in the country. Citizens have flocked to the Valley to make it their home, leading to a drastic increase in population, and with it, an increase in the number of drivers and cars on the roads. Traffic is heavy along the expressways in the city, primarily during the morning and evening rush hours, but as most citizens can attest, nearly no time is traffic-free in Phoenix. Unfortunately, a large number of car accidents occur every year in Phoenix and the surrounding towns including Chandler, Scottsdale, Glendale, Tempe, and Mesa. Many of these accidents leave victims with injuries ranging from the minor to the critical, and some crashes turn fatal. The victims of these accidents unfortunately cannot turn back time and avoid the collisions but they may be entitled to seek financial relief for their damages, including medical bills incurred and lost wages missed during time off work. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in the Phoenix area may help you understand your options, including whether you have a valid claim for relief, if you have been involved in a car accident. One of the most deadly types of accidents in the Valley are rollover collisions which occur when one or more vehicles involved tip or roll onto their sides or roofs. In these accidents, the vehicles involved are likely to sustain significant damage, increasing the odds that the passengers inside will become injured or lose their lives. Police in Phoenix have confirmed a rollover crash took place early this morning on the Loop 101 southbound near the Loop 202. Witnesses have reported that a female driver was operating a vehicle in an erratic manner as she approached a stopped police vehicle on the shoulder of the road. A collision […]

Numerous citizens and residents of the greater Phoenix area utilize some form of public transportation on occasion. Some even use public transportation exclusively so that they have no need for personal transit, like bicycling or driving a car. In recent years, Phoenix has responded to this demand by improving the public transit that previously existed as well as creating new options, the most visible of which has been the light rail which runs through portions of the city. This train system has enabled residents and visitors alike to travel to places that previously were more difficult at an affordable price. Unfortunately, with this increase in rail traffic, some train accidents have occurred between the light rail and other vehicles, including passenger cars and trucks. Numerous injuries and several deaths have been linked to these collisions. When a crash is caused by the negligence or recklessness of a light rail employee or the city, the victims of that incident may be entitled to seek financial relief for their losses, including any medical and surgical bills incurred. A personal injury lawyer in the Valley may help you understand what options are available to you, including whether you have a valid claim for your damages. The potential for light rail accidents is increasing as continued expansion work takes place on existing routes. Now, city officials in the transit department have confirmed that, thanks in part to a $1.6 million grant from the federal government, the light rail will expand from the downtown Phoenix area south to Baseline Road. The grant will cover approximately half of the anticipated costs and the city of Phoenix will be required to pay at least $1.6 million for the construction as well. The newly announced expansion will cover approximately a five mile stretch and will potentially serve thousands […]

With several months still remaining on the calendar, many have been surprised how many wrong way car accidents have taken place in the greater Phoenix area this year. Several of these have been widely reported due to the injuries that have resulted or the damages stemming from the crashes, making wrong way collisions in the news more often than generally occurs in a given year. The tragic nature of these accidents mean that those who sustain the greatest injuries are sometimes innocent victims who were not to blame for a collision, leaving them to incur medical expenses and substantial pain and suffering. Victims of Phoenix-area car accidents may be entitled to seek financial compensation for their losses when they are the unwitting victims of a crash. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in the area may provide you with the information you need to understand your legal options, including whether a recovery is possible in your case, and if so, who may be legally responsible for your damages. A collision on I-10 involved at least four vehicles yesterday morning and left several people injured. Now, authorities believe that the crash started when a driver failed to maintain control over a vehicle and left the eastbound lanes, crossed a center median, and entered the westbound lanes of traffic while still traveling east. The suspected wrong-way driver collided head-on with a second vehicle in the westbound lanes and at least two other vehicles were involved in subsequent impacts before all involved cars came to a rest. Two people were seriously injured in the accidents and needed to be transported to area hospitals for treatment where their current conditions are unknown. At least one vehicle, possibly a truck, was believed to have fled the scene after being involved in the crash; it is […]

When parents are rushing in the mornings to pack lunches, dress kids, and get them ready for school, most do not consider the fact that their children’s safety may be threatened before the first bell of the day rings. But in fact, an average of two school bus accidents occur in Arizona every day; many of the annual collisions take place in Maricopa County, including the greater Phoenix area. Fortunately, many of these instances are minor and do not cause the children involved to be injured, but that is not the case with every incident. In some collisions and in many instances involving a child boarding or disembarking from a bus, injuries result and necessitate medical treatment. Damages to a child who is harmed in a school bus collision can range from the minor to the severe but what often remains as a constant is that negligence on the part of one or more individuals involved caused the crash. Without that negligence, the child likely would never have been injured. The laws in Phoenix recognize that an innocent child and his or her family should not have to bear the financial burden caused by these collisions and therefore the laws enable these victims to seek compensation for their damages. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer who represents children and minors, particularly those who have been injured in school bus accidents, may help you understand your legal options if your child was hurt. Eight children and one driver were on board a school bus in Paulden on Tuesday morning when the bus collided with a semi-truck for reasons that are not yet clear. The incident occurred on Highway 89 and resulted in significant damage to both the truck and the bus. Emergency crews responded to the scene and evaluated all those […]

Car accidents in Arizona often involve multiple vehicles colliding with one another, whether slowly or at a high rate of speed, whether in optimal conditions or due to poor weather. But those are not the only types of car accidents that occur. Additional collisions may involve a bicyclist, a pedestrian, a motorcyclist, or another type of vehicle. In Arizona, ATVs, golf carts, motorized scooters, and even wheelchairs unfortunately are involved in car accidents on an occasional basis. When a collision involves a large, heavy vehicle like a car and a smaller, less protected vehicle like a scooter, golf cart, or ATV, injuries are likely to result and likely to affect the riders of the smaller vehicles disproportionately. When a traffic-related accident occurs in the greater Phoenix area and one or more individuals involved sustains injuries, it may be possible for those victims to obtain financial relief for their losses. Damages including medical and surgical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering may be recoverable depending on the facts surrounding your unique collision. A personal injury lawyer based in Phoenix may help you understand your rights if your life has been affected by a crash and you were hurt. A Tuesday morning collisions between a golf cart and a vehicle left an elderly man dead in Sun City, according to local officials. The incident occurred shortly after 11:00 a.m. in the area of Thunderbird and 99th Avenue when a Chrysler and a golf cart collided for reasons that are not yet clear. An 89-year-old man was allegedly operating the golf cart at the time and was thrown from the vehicle upon impact, sustaining critical injuries. Emergency medical crews arrived at the scene and transported the man to an area hospital but his injures were too severe and he died some time […]

School is back in session, whether you are talking about college classes or kindergarten in the Valley. With back-to-school comes an annual increase in pedestrian traffic across Phoenix, Tempe, Chandler, and the rest of the Valley due in part to students but also to the year-round citizens who walk for transportation. In fact, in any given day, the average resident of Phoenix is a pedestrian at some point, whether while walking to a vehicle, walking to work, or walking to finish errands. Those driving through the Phoenix area may have already noticed an increase in foot traffic along popular roads but some of these drivers will not exercise the caution necessary when walkers are in the area. Instead of putting the safety of pedestrians first, too often drivers put their own desires ahead of all else and create a potentially dangerous situation where a pedestrian accident can occur. These crashes lead to billions of dollars’ worth of damages nationally every year when medical bills, lost wages, and other losses like pain and suffering are considered. The victims of these accidents may be entitled to seek relief for their losses through the use of a civil claim. Speaking to a personal injury lawyer who practices in the Phoenix area may help you understand your legal options if you have been hurt in a collision. A man walking along Broadway Road in Phoenix at approximately 1:00 a.m. on Sunday was critically injured when a driver in the area came upon the man and struck him, leading to a serious crash. The pedestrian, described as a 32-year-old male, was taken to an area hospital where the nature of his injuries were not disclosed but where it was revealed that he was fighting for his life. A 20-year-old female was allegedly behind the wheel […]

Pedestrian accidents in Phoenix occur in more ways than may people realize. Some take place while a pedestrian is walking through a parking lot while others occur when a pedestrian is in or near a crosswalk. In other cases, a pedestrian may dart out into oncoming traffic. Alleys, parking garages, school yards, and playgrounds are areas where pedestrians and cars mix, and often with tragic results. The victims of pedestrian accidents often suffer serious or even fatal injuries in a crash and may incur other losses, including lost wages from time missed from work. This can happen even when a pedestrian did nothing wrong to cause an accident but merely was the victim of the actions of a driver. When a pedestrian is hurt in a collision, the laws in Arizona may enable that victim to seek a financial recovery for his or her losses, including any medical expenses incurred. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in Phoenix who has experience representing pedestrians may help you understand your legal options if you have been involved in a crash. Shortly after 5:00 this morning, a collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian on I-17 turned fatal for one of the individuals involved. Traffic in the area beginning at Middle Verde Road was being forced to exit I-17 and was being routed around the area while officials investigated at the scene. At this time, it is not clear why the collision occurred or whether either party involved acted in a negligent manner prior to the incident. Police are still investigating the incident through traffic is now able to use I-17 in both directions.

Any driver, even the most cautious among all motorists, can be involved in a car accident in Phoenix on any given day. The odds of a crash occurring increase if those around a driver act in a negligent or reckless manner or otherwise fail to put safety first. But when it comes to collisions, not all drivers are equal when it comes to the risks associated with being behind the wheel. Two groups of motorists that are more likely than others to be involved in an accident are teenagers and the elderly. Teenagers tend to have less experience driving and therefore a decreased ability to make quick, rational decisions when a hazard presents itself when compared to more seasoned motorists. Elderly drivers are the opposite in some respects: though they may have been driving for decades, the physical ailments associated with age may decrease important skills, like the ability to process information quickly, the ability to see clearly, and the ability to stay clear-headed while driving. The victims of these accidents who sustain injuries may be entitled to seek relief for their losses, whether the losses are in the form of medical bills, surgical expenses, lost wages, or even pain and suffering experienced because of the crash. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer who represents car accident victims in the Phoenix area may help you understand what options are available to you if your have been involved in a collision. Police were called to the scene of a two vehicle collision in the 1700 block of West Thunderbird Road last night between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. When they arrived, they were able to determine that the two drivers involved, a 17-year-old male and a 78-year-old male, were both seriously injured and in need of medical treatment. Emergency crews assessed […]

Parents rely on others to care for their children from time to time. Whether it is a child’s education, daily care, or transportation, parents need help and they place their trust in officials to make sure that their children’s safety is of the utmost importance. Across the country, millions of parents use school buses every day to transport their children to and from class and they trust that the drivers and operators of those buses to act responsibly. Unfortunately, school bus accidents occur every year. Some of them cause the children on board to suffer injuries, and in the worst crashes, it may cost a child his or her life. No family should have to endure the suffering that follows a school bus accident, but if your family is faced with such a tragedy, know that it may be possible for you or for your child to obtain financial relief. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer may help you realize what options exist in your case if your child has been injured. A school bus with children on board was traveling in Ahwatukee yesterday morning when it collided with a vehicle for reasons that are not yet clear. Nine children were reportedly on the bus when the crash occurred though none were believed to have sustained serious injuries. Police officials confirmed a crash between the bus and a second vehicle which then led to the bus jumping a concrete median and striking a pole. At this time, authorities are still investigating the incident. They have confirmed that the bus driver has not received a citation in the incident; it is not clear whether the other driver involved was cited or whether any charges may be issued in the days to come. After authorities came to the scene, another bus arrived […]

Have you ever been involved in a car accident? If you have not, chances are that your spouse, your child, your parent, or your neighbor has been in a crash and may have even sustained injuries in that accident. On average, more than 100,000 traffic-related collisions occur in Arizona every year, leaving those involved left to pick up the pieces and attempt to move forward once the dust settles. Car accidents can be, and often are, caused by a number of factors combining to form a hazardous set of circumstances that lead to a crash. Approximately 50 percent of the time, speeding if a factor, but speeding alone does not result in a large number of accidents. It is speeding combined with other issues like following too closely, failing to check a blind spot before changing lanes, or even failing to stop at a stop sign that cause crashes. Drunk and drugged driving are unfortunately responsible for a large number of accidents and a large number of injuries that result from those crashes. These collisions are particularly troubling because drunk driving and driving while high on drugs are crimes in Arizona and therefore drivers should never operate a vehicle while impaired. Yet every day, motorists who are under the influence take to the road and risk their own safety as well as the safety of others because they are unwilling to use another form of transportation. Authorities now believe that one of the drivers involved in a fatal car accident on Thursday may have been under the influence of drugs at the time of the crash. The incident, which occurred on eastbound US 60 in Phoenix, occurred around 7:00 a.m. and is believed to have taken place after a 25-year-old woman ran a red light and collided into a second […]