In Phoenix, Tucson, and throughout Arizona, an insurance dispute can often require lawyers to resolve. The Phoenix accident lawyers with Phillips Law Group have years of experience protecting those involved in an insurance dispute. We entrust our livelihood, our future, and our family’s security to our insurance companies. We are entitled to expect the insurance company to act with the utmost good faith in dealing with our insurance needs. When an insurance dispute occurs, the person involved is often surprised and angered by this perceived act of betrayal. This is where our Arizona insurance dispute lawyers can be of great help. In an AZ insurance dispute situation, our Phoenix car accident lawyers can bring a bad faith claim against your own insurance company if it can be shown that they purposely refused to process an insurance claim you made in good faith. Arizona law requires insurance companies to treat their consumers fairly and this includes payment of claims that are honestly due to the insured. Bad faith insurance law arose because insurance companies have, in the past, mistreated their clients and refused to pay for legitimate claims. An insurance dispute situation that is not pursued through a lawyer or other legal channels often hurts the consumer by forcing them to pay unnecessary legal fees or give up on their legitimate case. Not every insurance dispute is a basis for a bad faith claim. But when it happens, the Tucson and Phoenix area insurance dispute lawyers with Phillips Law Group are there to represent those consumers who have been wrongfully denied or mistreated by their insurance carriers. If you are or have been the victim of an insurance dispute, please contact our Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona lawyers to discuss your situation free of charge.
Don’t Talk to an Insurance Adjuster until You Hire an Arizona Lawyer
If you are one of the thousands of people in Arizona who have been involved in an Arizona car accident in any given year, one of the first people youll hear from in the aftermath of the collision is an auto accident insurance adjuster. The job of the car accident insurance adjuster is to come to a numerical figure for a settlement for any claims you file in response to the accident. While it may seem tempting to simply work with the adjuster on the promise that you will receive your settlement funds quickly, you need to resist this temptation. Accident insurance adjusters work for insurance companies, and one of their foundational duties is to limit the amount of liability that their employers pay to policy holders or others who have been harmed by their policy holders. Therefore, you need to politely refuse to discuss the specifics of your auto accident with an accident insurance adjuster until you have an opportunity to speak to an AZ accident lawyer. If you decide to retain an Arizona car accident attorney, you will be able to simply refer the insurance adjuster to your attorney from that point forward so that all of the negotiation is handled for you. If youre not sure where to start with this situation, contact the Arizona auto accident lawyers at Phillips Law Group today to schedule a free initial consultation.
Truck Accidents and the Insurance Adjuster
Truck accidents are a part of life in Arizona, and when they occur, they often leave behind a scene thats nothing short of a disaster. These large vehicles can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, and when they collide with smaller vehicles at a high rate of speed it will almost always create the need for insurance claims to be settled. If this has happened to you, then you understand how one of the first steps taken involves filing a claim with the relevant insurance company. Soon after a claim is filed, youll be hearing from a truck accident insurance adjuster who will tell you that his or her job is to help come to a settlement figure thats fair for everyone involved. When dealing with insurance company settlements, it is a good idea to have a Phoenix trucking accident attorney present to represent your best interests. Before you offer the accident insurance adjuster a statement, however, you need to remember that insurance adjusters work for insurance companies, and their main mission is generally to limit the amount of financial exposure faced by their employers. You should also keep in mind that you are not required to provide a statement to the insurance adjuster. Instead, you should speak to and hire an Arizona truck accident lawyer in order to make sure that your rights are properly protected and enforced. Contact the Phoenix truck accident lawyers at the law firm of Phillips Law Group today to schedule a free initial consultation, as doing so will provide you with a better opportunity to secure a fair and equitable settlement.
Motorcycle Accidents and the Insurance Adjuster
Motorcycle accidents occur in Arizona with alarming regularity, and the majority of these occurrences lead to property damage and injuries. If you have been involved in an AZ motorcycle accident, you will likely soon hear from a representative of an insurance company whose title is that of adjuster. When a motorcycle accident insurance adjuster becomes involved in an AZ motorcycle accident case, it is a good idea to have an experienced Phoenix motorcycle accident lawyer present to protect your rights. A motorcycle accident insurance adjuster is someone whose job is to come to a settlement figure for claims that are filed with the insurance company that employs the adjuster. While this person may tell you that all you need to do is answer a few questions in regards to the incident in order to bring about a payment for your damages, you need to keep in mind that this persons job is also to limit the financial liability faced by his employer as much as possible. In short, the answers you provide to a motorcycle accident insurance adjuster may not necessarily strengthen your position, and could actually harm your overall efforts to obtain a fair and equitable settlement for the damages youve suffered. You should also understand that you are not required by law to speak to an insurance adjuster, and you would be well-advised to instead speak to an Arizona motorcycle accident attorney before you talk to anyone else. Taking this step could preserve your legal rights and help to maximize your settlement. If youre not sure where to turn for advice, contact a Phoenix personal injury lawyer at the law firm of Phillips Law Group today to schedule a free initial consultation.
Phillips Law Group – Ph: 602-222-2222 .
More than 140,000 Arizona car accidents occur every year, and more than 65,000 people are injured as a result of these crashes. Therefore, an enormous number of insurance claims are filed in the state annually in an attempt to recapture losses that were suffered. Anyone who faces this situation should seek the immediate help of an Arizona bad faith insurance lawyer before proceeding with an insurance company for many reasons. Taking this step can help not only to expedite the claims process but to protect your legal rights and help your chances of recovering a fair and proper settlement.
How to Dispute AZ Unfair Insurance Settlements
Despite the fact that we sign policies with insurance companies that are basically contractual agreements and we pay our premiums to provide ourselves with coverage for these sorts of situations, no one should assume that filing a claim with an insurance company is a simple and efficient process from start to finish. Insurance companies are for-profit corporations, which means that the fewer claims they pay and the less they encounter in terms of liability, the higher their profit margin and as a result their stock value will be at the end of the year. Despite assertions otherwise, this is generally what governs the priority list of any for-profit corporation.
How a Bad Faith Insurance Lawyer Can Help
In regards to the approach used by many insurance companies, there are some tactics that have emerged as more common than others. While the specific steps may vary to a degree, these tactics generally involve delaying the process for as long as possible so that the policy holder and/or injured person will become desperate for money to pay mounting medical bills and will therefore accept almost any offer. In essence, insurance companies will sometimes allow those who have been harmed to suffer financially in hopes of minimizing their own financial exposure. Working with an Phoenix insurance dispute lawsuit attorneycan help those who find themselves in this position avoid these stressful situations. Insurance companies tend to understand that these tactics will not work when an attorney is involved, and they also tend to realize that attempting to stall this process could lead to the immediate filing of a lawsuit. Therefore, if you or someone you love has been harmed in an Arizona car accident, you need to be sure that you’re doing everything possible to protect your legal rights. Contact a Phoenix personal injury attorney at Phillips Law Group today to schedule a free initial consultation.
Experiencing a car accident can cause you to have headaches, both literally and figuratively. Your life is likely already full and complicated enough without the hassle and problems caused by a car collision. Perhaps you are asking yourself, is it less complicated to represent yourself in your car accident case? Might a settlement even come sooner?
Particularly when your accident seems minor, you may be trying to decide whether it is just simpler to handle the legal issues yourself. The at-fault party may have readily admitted to causing the collision. Therefore, now you are thinking, what is the point of having an attorney?
If you are considering representing yourself in a car accident case, there are important factors you should consider before doing so. We’ll discuss these factors below. It is our desire at Phillips Law Group that you attain success in your legal pursuits after suffering an automobile collision.
To discuss your case in detail, please get in touch with the personal injury lawyers at Phillips Law Group. You can call us or fill out our online form to speak with one of our attorneys.
You Can Represent Yourself in a Car Accident Case
If you are the victim of a car accident, you certainly have the right to represent your own case. Of course, just because someone can do something, this alone does not mean it is always the best decision.
Under what circumstances may it be reasonable to represent yourself? Consider the following questions:
- Is there very limited property damage?
- Are you certain that there are no injuries from the collision?
- Has the at-fault party unequivocally accepted responsibility?
- Is the insurance company fully cooperating with your claim?
If the answers to all these questions above are “yes,” then you could be looking at a situation where self-representation can lead to success. This is no guarantee, however.
If your collision is straightforward and all parties involved are honest, it may be possible to represent yourself successfully. Yet, it is important to note that, even with the best of circumstances, there can still be challenges to representing yourself in a car accident case.
The law related to car accidents is complex. The legal processes for submitting forms, filling out documents, and informing involved parties are all complicated. Every step must be accomplished precisely and accurately. Hiring a car accident lawyer can ensure that these steps are handled promptly and correctly.
In addition, it can be easy for someone or an insurance company to take advantage of a person who lacks knowledge of the law. An experienced personal injury attorney who handles car accident cases can protect your legal rights. This can give you the peace of mind that comes from knowing that you’ll receive the fair compensation that you deserve.
Why Get Help From a Car Accident Lawyer?
It’s rare for a car collision case to be as easy as pie, and a claim involving truthful and sincere at-fault parties is even rarer. Insurance companies that are candid, helpful, and ready to settle for a fair amount are almost unheard of.
Thus, without a lawyer on your side, it’s unlikely that you can receive the best settlement possible. You may lose valuable time and have increased stress dealing with the paperwork and challenges of negotiating with an insurance company.
Having an attorney working with you can help in several areas and ease a tremendous amount of stress. Two important ways a lawyer can help you are:
- Establishing proof of negligence
- Negotiating with the insurance company
How an Attorney Can Help You Establish Proof of Negligence
For you to receive compensation in a car accident case, the evidence must establish who is at fault. It is unlikely that the guilty party will document such evidence himself. Therefore, it is much less probable that the guilty party will submit the legal documentation for you to receive restitution.
Consequently, if you are representing yourself in a car accident case, you will have to take these steps on your own. This is stressful and time-consuming. However, if you make use of an attorney, he or she can handle this process for you.
Your personal injury attorney who handles your car accident case can examine the facts and evidence of the collision, independent of other biased influences. Your attorney can determine what occurred by means of his or her own thorough investigation.
This investigation may include the following steps:
- Visiting and examining the scene of the collision in person
- Performing a detailed inspection of all vehicles and objects involved in the crash
- Capturing photos of the accident scene, the vehicles, and objects involved (such photos would be from all angles and near and far perspectives)
- Taking photos of all injured persons and damaged items
- Collecting any additional visual evidence such as videos from persons present when the collision happened, traffic videos, security camera footage
- Listening to, documenting, and comparing all eyewitness accounts
- Examining and determining if the police report is accurate
- Determining if weather influenced the collision
- Scrutinizing the road conditions at the accident scene and looking for additional elements that may have contributed to the collision, such as road debris, or even animals
- Inspecting all traffic signals and road signs that may have affected the drivers in the accident
When you choose to represent yourself in a car accident, you will have to conduct a thorough investigation into the collision. This process of accumulation and arrangement of the evidence can be complicated and require a lot of time. However, when you work with an attorney, you can focus on your recovery, and your attorney can perform these essential tasks on your behalf.
How an Attorney Can Rescue You From an Insurance Company
Unfortunately, even in a straightforward case, an insurance company can prove to be problematic. Your goal is to obtain the most compensation that is available to you. The goal of the insurance company is to pay the least.
Negotiations with an insurance company can become heated and strenuous. The insurance company may attempt to wear you down. In this situation, having a car accident attorney on your side is extremely important.
An attorney can fight the negotiation fight for you. Your attorney can put the necessary pressure on a resistant insurance provider. Then, with diligence and determination, your attorney can apply legal strength until the insurance company does what is in your best interests.
Having a competent and skilled car accident lawyer can be crucial when dealing with difficult at-fault parties and obstinate insurance companies. It is especially difficult to deal with troublesome parties if you have been injured in a collision. Trying to fight and negotiate with deceptive people and companies while you are trying to heal can be overwhelming.
However, a personal injury attorney can challenge all accountable parties who resist your claim. While you focus on your recovery, your attorney can handle negotiations with troublesome insurance companies and communicate with dubious guilty parties.
Get Help From a Personal Injury Attorney at Phillips Law Group
With more than 6 million car accidents in the US each year, it’s not uncommon that you find yourself the victim of a car collision. Unfortunately, you will have complications and challenges ahead of you in your recovery. The pursuit of fair compensation can be one more hardship that causes frustration and stress.
Representing yourself in a car accident can leave you facing these obstacles alone. However, with a personal injury attorney taking on your case, much of your apprehension can go away. A skilled attorney who has experience and wisdom with car accident cases can give you the confidence you need as you seek restitution.
Let a personal injury lawyer at Phillips Law Group assist you. When you work with us, You can be confident that your legal affairs are being handled correctly, in a timely manner, with your best interests in mind.
Please get in touch with the personal injury lawyers at Phillips Law Group before time runs out to resolve your claim. You can call us or fill out our online form to speak with one of our attorneys.
Car accidents can happen suddenly and leave victims with devastating life-altering injuries. Survivors and their loved ones are left trying to pick up the pieces. You might feel alone, unable to work and support your family as bills pile up and life gets increasingly difficult. The only option you may feel you have in this situation is to call a car accident lawyer to get help. You don’t need to fear making that phone call. Car accident lawyers, like those at Phillips Law Group, are compassionate. We understand what accident victims face daily and believe firmly that you deserve to be fully compensated for your injuries that someone else caused. Our level of experience and trustworthy care is what helped us become one of Arizona’s largest consumer law firms. As your lawyers, we will be by your side to help you through the difficult legal process. Reach out to Phillips Law Group today. Our team is available to you whenever you need us 24/7, and there is no fee for our services unless your case is won.
The Best Way to Get the Compensation You Need
After being injured in a car accident, you will want to find a way to attain financial compensation. Arizona is an at-fault state. This means that the liable person who caused the accident is responsible for paying damages to the victim. You could be compensated for:
- Lost wages
- Medical bills
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent disability
- Mental anguish
- Therapy and rehabilitation
- Loss of consortium
Even if you have seen every court show on TV, it is going to be difficult to win a case on your own. While you do have the right to represent yourself, the court will not go easy on you. On the other hand, the Phillips Law Group legal team is experienced and highly knowledgeable. Our attorneys know how the laws work while the average person does not. So why not leave everything to us so you can focus on recovery?
How a Car Accident Lawyer Can Help Your Case
Once you decide it is time to make a compensation claim, hiring a car accident attorney is the best course of action. Having someone beside you who understands personal injury law in your state will be immensely beneficial. Here are several ways in which a car accident lawyer can help your case.
Offer legal advice
After an accident, it can be difficult to know what steps to take next. Making the wrong move can hurt your chances of receiving compensation. You could ask your parents or friends for legal advice. Perhaps a quick Google search can give you a few results. The problem is that you may start getting conflicting advice that could leave you struggling to know how to handle your situation. Instead, you should speak to a car accident lawyer. He will know what you should do and guide you carefully through the legal process. A lawyer will be able to determine your chances of winning your case and handle all the paperwork for you.
Communicate your rights
Many people do not know what rights they have under the law. They might understand a few amendments or recall some anecdotes that may relate to them, but success in handling personal injury cases takes thorough knowledge and hands-on experience. Every state is different in how it may handle a particular personal injury claim, so choose wisely. The lawyer you choose should be free to practice law in your state in order to fully comprehend your rights. What’s more, he or she must be capable of helping you clearly understand your own rights. You will face adversaries along your journey who will make getting fair compensation difficult. For example, the insurance company will try to get you to give up by making you feel like you have no options. This is where a car accident lawyer can help you – by fighting for your rights on your behalf so your voice is heard.
Investigate the accident
After an accident, both sides may point the finger at each other. You may believe the other driver caused the accident, but he could just as easily say it was you. The insurance company will do whatever it takes to limit the amount of money they pay out. This is why lawyers take the time needed to investigate exactly what happened. The at-fault party must be established with evidence if you hope to receive compensation. The types of evidence your lawyer will need to gather may include:
- Witness statements
- Professional statements
- Photos
- Police reports
- Proof of damages, including a quote from your mechanic
- Medical records
Legal cases are seldom cut and dry. Some can be especially complex and even require scientific analysis. Part of the investigation process might include recreating the accident, which can be pieced together using digital forensics. A resourceful attorney will have already cultivated relationships with recreation experts and other professionals who can testify their expert testimony based on the evidence, such as doctors and therapists, on your behalf.
See the full picture
If you get a settlement offer from the insurance company, it may seem like a good amount of money at first. In fact, you might even be enticed and desire to settle right away. Understandable, you may feel overwhelmed by medical bills while other areas of your life are falling apart. Nevertheless, your car accident lawyer can help you see the full picture. It is not always a good idea to accept the first offer. The first offer you receive may not be enough to cover your long-term needs. You could be facing years of difficulty, including life-long disability. Your personal injury attorney, though, will be able to put together an accurate accounting of your injuries. There are certain factors, for instance, that you may not even consider: pain and suffering, mental anguish, and medical costs down the long road ahead.
Negotiate a settlement
The insurance company is going to play hardball. The less money they can pay out, the better for them. The adjuster who gets in contact with you might seem sympathetic and caring at first, but the company’s actions will prove otherwise. Again, your first few offers will be low and likely will not cover what you need in the long term. Your attorney will know the insurer’s every tactic and will not be intimidated by powerful insurance companies. In most situations, lawyer negotiations end with a fair settlement before the case ends up in court. Sometimes it is easier to settle than to take it all the way to trial.
Should You Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?
Hiring a car accident attorney can only help you get closer to acquiring the compensation you deserve. Many law firms, like Phillips Law Group, make the process easy. Our legal team works on a contingency basis, which means you do not have to pay us unless your case is won. Neither do you have to worry about paying any up-front consultation fees, so there is little risk in hiring our attorneys. Phillips Law Group has over 26 years of experience helping its clients win over $1 billion in damages. We didn’t become one of Arizona’s largest consumer law firms by failing to offer kindly support to accident victims. Rather, we offer you our compassion and heartfelt assistance. Our team of attorneys takes great pride in the results we have accomplished together. Check out our A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. You can even find us on the list of the Top 100 National Trial Lawyers. Give us a call today. We are available 24/7 and are ready to help you get the compensation you deserve. After a car accident, you have some significant decisions to make. One of the most important is whether or not to hire an attorney. This decision can very well affect your case’s outcome and the size of your settlement. At Phillips Law Group, our attorneys believe in weighing all the facts. We are committed to providing accurate information for our current and potential clients. The information on this page will help you understand your legal option, but every car accident is different. We invite you to come speak with us for a free review of your case details. For a free personalized consultation, click the “Live Chat” icon below or call us.
What to Do at an Accident Scene
From the time of a collision onward, your choices could affect your eligibility for compensation. Would you like to know why the following steps are wise?
Seek medical attention
You should call 911 if you need emergency attention. Otherwise, go to a hospital or urgent care facility for an immediate evaluation. First, your medical report will later support your claim. Also, internal injuries and bleeding are not always apparent to an untrained eye. The symptoms of other serious conditions, such as whiplash and hairline fractures, might show up hours or even days after the incident.
Report your accident to the authorities
In Arizona, the law requires police officers to make a written report of high-cost-incurring car accidents within 24 hours of the investigation. Later, our lawyers can use this valuable evidence to back up your version of the events. Without a police report establishing the facts, the at-fault party might deny his or her role in the accident. Worse, they could even accuse you of wrongdoing. Why take the chance? Inform the police of your car accident, wait for them to come to the scene, and let the officers file a report – sooner rather than later.
Collect evidence
You don’t need to wait for the authorities to arrive to begin gathering evidence. A picture is truly worth a thousand words when it comes to legal matters. Take photographs or videos of:
- The license plate of the car that hit you
- The driver’s license and insurance cards of other involved drivers
- Any damage to property related to the accident (e.g. cars, fences, buildings)
- The scene or intersection where the accident occurred
Next, record the contact information of eyewitnesses. You can also ask them to make a statement on video of what they saw. Being in an accident is stressful. The ensuing chaos and high adrenaline make it easy to forget important details. You could even unwittingly say something that would later damage your case. Our lawyers don’t want that to happen to you. Phillips Law Group’s phone lines are open 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. Call us as soon as possible, even from the accident scene, to get valuable legal advice.
How Lawyers Protect Your Interests
In most states, including Arizona, the person at-fault for an accident is responsible for paying for damages. His or her automobile insurance should cover at least $25,000 in relevant medical bills for the other car’s accident victims. The minimum mandatory policies also pay for up to $15,000 in property damage. Unfortunately, several factors could affect your ability to get compensated fairly for your injuries.
Uninsured motorists
Despite the threat of fines and license suspensions, not everyone abides by laws of the road. Some drivers drive without properly insuring their vehicles. If they get in an accident, it is unlikely they would have the financial means to cover accident expenses. Some people could be uninsured motorists without realizing it. For example, if they forget a payment or their insurer drops them, they might realize too late that they are driving unprotected.
Underinsured motorists
Underinsured motorists carry insurance, but their coverage amounts don’t meet the actual costs. For instance, a spinal fusion is a complex surgery used to repair spinal fractures and reduce chronic pain. The average price of this procedure averages $48,331 in Phoenix, AZ. What if the at-fault motorist carries the minimum state coverage? Their policy would pay no more than $25,000 toward your medical bill. You would be left short over $23,000 plus any additional fees you accrue during your recovery.
Hit-and-run drivers
Leaving the scene of the accident is a crime in Arizona. Yet, drivers fled some 13,512 Arizona crashes in 2020.
Insurance companies
Even if the liable driver has sufficient coverage and admits fault, you could find it surprisingly challenging to get the money you deserve. Some roadblocks to prompt and just settlements are:
- Missing or inaccurate paperwork: Insurers want documentation proving your right to claim. These confusing documents could demand information that accident victims don’t know how to obtain. You need to ensure your application is not missing any required elements and that you haven’t made any mistakes in wording.
- Lack of coverage denials: Insurers might claim that what you are asking for is not covered. For example, you might require reconstructive surgery for a disfiguring injury. The insurance company might argue that this surgery is cosmetic and, thus, unnecessary.
- Late applications: Insurance companies impose deadlines for claims. However, decoding the paperwork and gathering materials takes time. An experienced lawyer can help you meet timelines and get the documents you need as quickly as possible.
- Bad faith: To maximize profits, some insurers might underpay claims, hoping you will accept a settlement without consulting legal professionals. Yet, some unethical companies will reject claims for no good reason or ignore supporting evidence. Lawyers can take action against these unfair (“bad faith”) practices.
Are insurance companies delaying your payout or offering you less than your claim is worth? Never assume that a claim offer is the maximum you can receive. Phillips Law Group can ensure that you know what you rightfully deserve.
Attorneys Seek Maximum Compensation
When you hire us, our hard-working attorneys will pursue significant compensation for qualifying losses:
- Medical expenses: Lawyers can often recover funds to cover medical costs beyond hospital and doctor fees. They can also help you get reimbursement for therapy, adaptive equipment, and transportation to and from appointments.
- Lost wages: Your lost wage compensation depends on your salary and the nature of your injury. Our attorneys consider the future of you and your family when calculating these damages. If your injury limits your ability to earn the same as before, we want you to be fairly compensated.
- Property damage: While your car or property is being repaired, you might need alternative transportation. Many insurers provide rental cars as part of their policies. A lawyer can help you read the fine print to ensure you get all of your perks.
In the past 26 years, our law firm has recovered hundreds of millions in compensation for our clients. Would you like to learn more about our high-quality services?
Contact Phillips Law Group Without Delay
If no one was hurt in your accident and the damage was minor, you might consider taking your chances without a lawyer. However, if you are recovering from severe injuries, you should consider trusting your case with us. Our trusted attorneys can handle all of the hassles while you focus on getting better, but your time to act is limited. State mandates require car accident victims to file claims within a specific time window. If you wait too long, you will miss out on compensation for your injuries. Let’s talk about your options. To access your free consultation, click “Start Chat” on the side of your screen. Our live agents are ready to help.
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