Anyone hurt in an accident should meet with an attorney at CLS Law, PLLC, to discuss their legal rights. Accidents leave people with expensive medical bills and months of pain and agony. It is completely unfair that someone carelessly hurt you, but you are left to pick up the pieces and suffer financially. You owe it to yourself to learn as much as you can about your right to seek financial compensation.

Our Tempe personal injury lawyer can listen to your story. Were you injured in a car crash or dog attack? Did you fall in a store or have merchandise rain down on your head? We can probably help. Our lawyer will then discuss your legal options, including whether to negotiate a settlement to cover your economic and non-economic losses, or whether you should file a lawsuit.

Can We Help with Your Tempe Injury Case?

Our friends and neighbors in Tempe are hurt in many types of accidents. We can help if you were injured by any of the following:

Our job is to put our legal knowledge to use and analyze the facts. The most important consideration is fault: who or what is responsible for the accident which injured you? In most cases, a person was negligent in how they drove a motor vehicle or fixed defects on their property. That would make them liable under the law. In other situations, a company that sells a dangerous product is strictly liable when you are hurt by the defect. Call us to schedule a meeting. We’ll review whether you can make out a legitimate claim for personal injury.

Why Settlement Makes Sense

At CLS Law, we settle the bulk of our personal injury cases. Once we find helpful evidence and value your injuries, we can negotiate with the defendant for a settlement. This step makes compensation available to you much faster than if we went to trial. You can also avoid the stress and uncertainty of a jury trial.

We always seek fair compensation for your injuries and the losses which result from them:

  • Bodily pain and suffering
  • Mental anguish
  • Property damage, including car damage
  • Lost wages or income
  • Loss of earning capacity
  • Past and present medical bills
  • Future medical care

No two cases are worth the same. One reason to work with a seasoned Tempe personal injury lawyer is that we can fully analyze how much your claim is worth. Share medical bills, painkiller receipts, and work stubs. These documents help us put a dollar value on a claim.

By contrast, pain and suffering is subjective. But someone who cannot walk or leave the house probably deserves more than if your pain was temporary.

Arizon Personal Injury Laws

Arizona has multiple laws that will impact a personal injury case:

  • Statute of limitations. This is the maximum amount of time you get to file a lawsuit against the defendant. Some victims are shocked that the law doesn’t give them an unlimited amount of time. Generally, you only get two years from the date of the accident. There are some exceptions, but you shouldn’t count on them, so call our firm as soon as possible.
  • Comparative fault. Not all accidents are black-and-white. In some cases, you might have also contributed to your accident. Arizona Revised Statutes § 12-2505 is the applicable law in these situations. Your compensation will be reduced by your share of fault.
  • Insurance requirements. Arizona requires that all drivers have liability coverage, but an insurer should also include underinsured and uninsured motorist insurance. These policies might be relevant where you are hurt in a car accident.
  • Expert witness affidavit. If you are bringing a medical malpractice case, you probably need an expert witness affidavit. This document establishes that your claim has merit. Our firm knows the hoops to jump through when bringing a malpractice case against a doctor, nurse, surgeon, hospital, or other medical provider.

Call us to find out more. The most important step after an accident is to hire an experienced Tempe personal injury lawyer who represents your best interests.

How We Strengthen Your Injury Claim

An attorney with our firm can handle your case all the way to settlement. Without a lawyer, you would have to engage in the following:

  • Evidence gathering. You need to answer the question “What happened?” You’ll need to paint a picture of what happened, and that means evidence. Your own memories are certainly helpful but only a starting point. You can strengthen a claim with photographs, witness testimony, physical evidence, and more. We will gather evidence so you can rest and recover.
  • Evaluation of your claim. You also need some idea of how much your case is worth before you begin negotiating. Without this information, you might settle for an amount that is too low. Our firm understands how much cases like yours have settled for recently.
  • Paperwork. Insurance companies typically require a lot of paperwork, as well as copies of bills and medical records. Let us handle this for you so you aren’t bothered.
  • Negotiations. You will have to negotiate with an insurance company or the defendant personally for a settlement. Mediation is sometimes helpful when each side is too far apart. We can negotiate for you. In fact, we are well aware of the strategies insurance companies employ—typically, they deny liability and defend these cases vigorously. 
  • Litigation. CLS Wins more than 90% of our cases by negotiating a settlement. Nonetheless, there are times to fight in court. We’ll handle all litigation, including filing a case before the deadline.

Mistakes to Avoid after an Accident in Tempe

Any accident victim can harm their case by making simple, easily avoidable mistakes:

1.       You don’t receive medical treatment despite being hurt. Some people lack insurance, so they don’t go to the hospital after an accident. But this step is vital to helpfully document your injuries.

2.       You admit to fault. This type of mistake will directly reduce the compensation you receive. You could lose thousands of dollars if you admit to looking at your phone in the seconds before an accident.

3.       You quickly agree to a settlement. The first offer is almost never adequate. Even if money is tight—and it is for most accident victims—you should avoid immediately agreeing to a settlement. We know how much an insurer can pay, and we hold out for fair compensation.

4.       You negotiate without a lawyer. Some people think lawyers provide little value. In our experience, you will receive more if you have a lawyer represent you. Even better, we never charge a fee to our personal injury clients unless we win your case. That removes all the risk from you.

5.       You hire the wrong Tempe personal injury lawyer. A lawyer should have deep experience in personal injury law, including the type of accident which injured you. Were you hurt in a truck accident? Hire a lawyer who has handled truck accident cases. The right lawyer should have open communication and a commitment to helping ordinary people. 

Schedule a Consultation with Our Personal Injury Lawyers in Tempe

CLS Law opened our practice to help people like you with Tempe personal injury claims. This is a confusing, complex area of law. Our team has won cases that other firms have declined to even accept. Ready to learn more? Call CLS Law today at (855) 257-9467 to start your complimentary case review and get the help you deserve.