Being injured can be a difficult experience. It can be especially difficult if your injury was due to the negligence of another person and could have been avoided. When this happens, you may be entitled to file a personal injury claim. In this case, you will want to seek the help of a Kingman personal injury lawyer.
At The Kaiser Law Group, we understand the toll that a personal injury can take on those affected. We have the knowledge and ability to represent you in your personal injury case. We know that each case is unique, so we will thoroughly look at the details of your case to fight for the compensation you deserve. We can ensure that your rights are protected and that you receive the damages you need in order to move forward with your life as comfortably as possible.
We can explain the law to you and the possible outcomes of your case. We can advocate on your behalf as we are equipped to handle whatever your personal injury case entails.
In Arizona, a personal injury is harm done to another person by negligence or the intentions of another person or entity. When someone suffers a personal injury, they may be legally entitled to compensation from the party that was negligent. In order to show that a personal injury occurred, the following information will need to be proven:
A personal injury can occur due to a number of reasons. Some of these include:
Arizona is considered a comparative negligence state. This means that if you are partly to blame for the accident, you can still be awarded damages for any of your injuries, but it will be a reduced amount comparable to your percentage of fault.
For example, if you were in a car accident where someone ran a stop sign in Kingman, Arizona, but you were driving a bit over the speed limit, the court deems you 20% at fault. If your damages are determined to be worth $10,000, your compensation will be $10,000 minus 20%, totaling $8,000.
When the insurance companies pay these damages, you would receive $8,000 from the defendant’s insurance company and the defendant would receive $2,000 from your insurance company to compensate for your 20% fault. As long as you are not deemed to be 100% at fault for the accident, you can file for damages.
A defendant cannot use comparative negligence as a defense if their actions were intentional or due to intentional or reckless misconduct.
A: The cost of a personal injury lawyer in Arizona is typically set on a contingency basis. This means that the attorney’s fees are based on the outcome of the case. If a lawyer charges a 33% contingency fee, their fee will be a third of the compensation their client receives. The percentage of the contingency fee varies depending on the lawyer.
A: The statute of limitations for personal injury in Arizona is two years for most personal injury cases. This means that the injured person has two years, beginning the date of the injury, to file a claim against the offending party. There are some exemptions to this rule. For example, most dog bite cases have a statute of limitations of one year. Also, if you file a claim against an Arizona government official or entity, the statute of limitations is one year.
A: In a personal injury case in Arizona, you can recover damages, including economic damages such as medical bills and expenses, lost wages, and property damage. You can seek non-economic damages, which include pain and suffering, posttraumatic stress disorder, and emotional trauma. In some instances, a person can also seek punitive damages, which are meant to punish the defendant, although this is rare.
A: You can still file a personal injury claim if the injury wasn’t immediately apparent. Arizona allows a discovery rule, where if an injury is not immediately obvious, you can still file a claim. The claim must be filed within two years of the earlier of these two instances — the date you do discover the injury or the date you should have discovered the injury (based on reasonable diligence).
If you have been injured by negligence or intentional acts of an entity or another person, The Kaiser Law Group can help. Contact us today for more information.