Auto Accident

Can a Phoenix Car Accident Lawyer Fire a Client?

By Personal Injury Lawyer on March 8, 2010

Many people who are searching for a top auto accident lawyer in Phoenix think only in terms of finding the best lawyer they can for themselves. This is exactly what they ought to do. They ought to find a lawyer with the best credentials, with the right personality and demeanor, and the right spirit and sense of justice that fits the needs of the person who has only one chance to obtain justice. And, that is the reality - there is only one opportunity to obtain justice after a serious personal injury matter or for the family who has lost somebody in a wrongful death situation. Therefore, the focus is rightly on finding that top lawyer. However, some wonder whether or not a lawyer will always work for their client, regardless of what may happen.

Well, I can only speak from personal experience. Our clients fight to overcome the obstacles they have been presented and they deserve a fighter on their side. We will take a case all the way to trial, regardless of the odds that stand against us and regardless of the fact that others may “quit” on their clients. Justice, in and of itself, is worth the fight. Beyond that, any time a lawyer simply runs away from a fight and drops a case or just about “forces” their client to settle a case the insurance company and the insurance industry is watching. They know the lawyers that will fight, and they know the lawyers that don’t know their way around the courthouse.

However, there are rare circumstances where lawyers can-and should-“fire” their clients. If a client is dishonest with their lawyer and/or has not told the truth to medical providers, police, or other vital witnesses related to the personal injury case, they do not deserve a lawyer. The best lawyers stay committed to their clients from start to finish no matter what. People who do not have real claims and are simply trying to “work the system’ do not deserve lawyers, and those lawyers should immediately “fire the client” if that is every discovered.

Fortunately, in our experience, people who are trying to “get over” on the system are extremely rare. Most people are honest, straightforward people whose lives have been changed due to no fault of their own, and they want the best possible lawyer to fight for them and stand by their side.

Talk to a Phoenix Personal Injury Lawyer Before You Talk to the Other Person’s Insurance Company

By Personal Injury Lawyer on March 2, 2010

As a specialist in personal injury law, I’m very surprised by how often people are willing to trust the insurance company for the driver that caused the car accident before they will trust a lawyer that they hire. Or, to be more specific, they refuse to consider even hiring a lawyer and instead try to handle the case on their own and talk directly to the insurance company that is against them.

Now, let’s be very clear. I understand I am a personal injury lawyer. I understand that all I do is help people who are hurt. I therefore recognize the fact that I have a “bias” when I talk about the need to trust a personal injury lawyer before trusting the insurance company for the other side.

On the other hand, this is not about me and it’s not about my firm. Sure, we take great pride in the fight that we put up to help our clients. Yes, we know we are straightforward with our clients and we are honest with them so that they know what they are facing. We also have the experience to know how to protect our clients from making mistakes that will jeopardize their claim when they have every right to recover. However, it is not about our firm but about hiring any good, experienced, top-level personal injury lawyer before talking to the adverse insurance company. This is especially true with serious personal injury cases.

The adverse insurance company is not on your side. They are not supposed to be on your side. There are shareholders that are in effect owners of that insurance company that expect that insurance company to do whatever they can to save money. The money they save is at the expense of the person who has a very serious personal injury case. As a result, it is a mistake to expect the insurance company to be “fair” when that is not the job they are paid to do.

We strongly encourage anybody who has a serious personal injury or auto accident claim to talk to a good, honest Phoenix personal injury lawyer before they talk to the insurance company. The insurance company may twist your words against you. The insurance company may claim you said things that you never said. What we know for sure, even if the insurance company is not dishonest in any way, is that they do not have your interest at heart. They are concerned with their money not your rights.

Talk to a good lawyer. Get your questions answered. Then, and only then, consider whether it makes sense to talk to an insurance company that is likely to try to minimize the claim that you are making.

Arizona Personal Injury Cases Require Witnesses Who Are Willing to Testify

By Personal Injury Lawyer on February 26, 2010

As an experienced Arizona personal injury trial lawyer, I have experienced both the advantages and disadvantages related to witness testimony. In other words, I have had clients whose cases were won by somebody who observed something that was relevant to the trial and was willing to show up, look the jury in the eye, and explain what they observed. On the other hand, I have had clients who never received the justice they otherwise could have because they were either unwilling or unable to get a hold of the witnesses who had observed the effects on their lives.

Witnesses in serious personal injury cases can play many roles. Some witnesses are witnesses to the accident or injury itself. In the case of a serious motor vehicle accident, some times we see many people pull over and help. Sometimes, people simply ride right by the scene. However, when Good Samaritans pull over, help out, observe what happened, and provide their name to the police, justice is much more likely to be done at a later date.

However, those are not the only kinds of witnesses that are very important. What about friends, family members, neighbors, and coworkers who observe the seriously injured person as they struggle and fight to overcome the injury that they have suffered? Are those people witnesses for a personal injury trial? Absolutely. Therefore, somebody who has been seriously injured is well served by providing a list of people that may be able to provide honest, clear testimony about the obstacles and hurdles that the injured person has faced.

A jury may not believe the testimony of the person who is injured. After all, that is the person who is filing a lawsuit. However, neighbors, coworkers, friends, and other observers can go a long way toward proving the strength of the plaintiff’s case.

If you have any questions about what witnesses may be able to do, or simply are in need of some answers from a personal injury Phoenix lawyer following a serious personal injury or wrongful death matter, please do not hesitate to contact us. At Breyer Law Offices, P.C., you can count on our honest, straightforward assessment of your claim.

How to Hire a Top Arizona Personal Injury Lawyer

By Personal Injury Lawyer on February 18, 2010

There are so many lawyers, it seems, that making an educated decision as to what lawyer should be hired that is the best fit for you and your case has become very difficult. There are an abundance of television commercials, radio commercials, phonebooks, Internet websites, and other means by which lawyers all try to claim that they are the “best personal injury lawyer in Arizona.”

However, there may not be nearly as many lawyers if the question you ask yourself is “where can I find a lawyer that actually goes to trial and will provide me real information and honest answers?” In other words, how many of the lawyer commercials actually provide information to people who need it? How many lawyers actually have enough confidence in their abilities that they are happy to explain the law to potential clients so that those clients may decide, for themselves, whether or not they want to pursue a case?

We are big believers that finding the top injury lawyer is about more than just looking at credentials. Yes, we are very proud of our credentials and we think they speak for themselves. But we also believe that finding the best personal injury lawyer in Arizona is more about finding the best personal injury lawyer for you.

If you want a lawyer that will give you honest answers, fair advice, tell you the truth, and actually give you the information to help you make the decisions that you need to make, you have come to the right place. If you have been involved in an auto accident and you are wondering where to go in terms of hiring a lawyer, please feel free to give us a call at Breyer Law Offices, P.C. You will not receive a sales pitch. You will receive an honest evaluation from our office as to what we think is in your best interest and then we will allow you to make the decision that is best for you and your family during this difficult time.

Are There Any Legal Excuses for Not Wearing a Seatbelt in Arizona?

By Personal Injury Lawyer on February 16, 2010

As Phoenix personal injury lawyers, have seen cases in which there was no working seatbelt available for someone injured in a motor vehicle accident. These sorts of situations in which a person fails to wear a seatbelt because there were none available are rare, but the injured person in such cases is excused legally from the obligation to wear a seatbelt. Juries are also more likely to be forgiving of someone not wearing a seatbelt who did not have one available, particularly if they were in someone else’s vehicle, than for a person who simply chose not to wear a seatbelt when one was available.

That said, we do know there are times when wearing a seatbelt may actually increase the extent of a person’s injuries. If you start to talk about saving lives, however, generally speaking the odds are on those who wear seatbelts. Seatbelts will not always help, and seatbelts do not save lives in every single accident. There will be a small percentage of accidents in which wearing a seatbelt causes greater injury, yet to suggest that because of this seatbelts should never be worn is simply ludicrous. We have seen in our time as experienced Chandler personal injury lawyers, how seatbelts save lives. In fact, seatbelts have saved more lives on more occasions in Arizona and throughout the U.S. than anyone can truly estimate. You should wear your seatbelt every time you get into a car, because it is safer and because it is the smart thing to do.

Now, some people argue that wearing a seatbelt should be a choice. This suggestion, if put into action, would inevitably cause more serious injuries and more deaths in car accidents. As Maricopa County personal injury attorneys, we have helped many people have severe injuries from car accidents. We have helped family members of people who have died in automobile accidents. As experts in this field, we know sometimes that serious injury or death could have been prevented if a seatbelt had been worn. So think about the people you love when you make a decision not to wear a seatbelt, and think about your own financial interests as well, if that will motivate you to buckle up.

Can I Still Bring a Personal Injury Case if I Wasn’t Wearing my Seatbelt during the Car Accident?

By Personal Injury Lawyer on February 12, 2010

Arizona seatbelt laws are confusing for some of the people who live in the state. Most people understand that in the state of Arizona, the law requires you to wear a seatbelt. Most people also realize that it has been a law in this state as well as most other states in the country, that the driver must wear a seatbelt while driving. Most people also know that they can get a traffic ticket if they are stopped and are not wearing a seatbelt.

When it comes to how failing to wear a seatbelt can affect a personal injury claim, however, the issue is quite a bit more complex.

As knowledgeable Arizona personal injury lawyers, we feel it is worthwhile to state the obvious. You should always wear your seatbelt. Most of us have heard stories about how people who chose not to wear seatbelts were told by medical personnel in the emergency room or by other experts how they were saved by not wearing a seatbelt. We question the accuracy of these hearsay reports, firstly. Secondly, these types of statements, if true, come from medical doctors, body shop workers, or other people who were not at the scene of the accident, and who have not investigated it thoroughly to determine what exactly happened. Many such comments are made by people who are not experts, and who could not determine in any case if a person’s injuries were lessened by not wearing a seatbelt.

If you have been in a car accident that was caused by another driver’s negligence and you were not wearing a seatbelt, you may find it helpful to contact a skilled Chandler auto accident injury lawyer who has years of experience handling such cases. Call the attorneys at Breyer Law Offices, P.C. today for a free, no-obligation consultation and to learn more about your legal rights and options as an auto accident victim.

You Want an Attorney Who Works On a Contingency Fee Basis

By Personal Injury Lawyer on February 10, 2010

The only way in which we work with clients at Breyer Law Offices is on a contingency fee basis. Despite all of our accomplishments in Arizona courtrooms and commendations that we have received from our peers, we continue to work this way. We feel it is an honor to help our seriously injured clients receive full and fair compensation after a Chandler car accident or other serious accident in Arizona. We have never had a client pay a single dollar to us out of their own pocket. Rather, every dollar we have earned came through successfully concluding our clients’ cases.

A big advantage to anyone who hires a Chandler personal injury attorney on a contingency fee basis is that the injury lawyer has as much of a stake in the settlement amount as the client who hired him or her. Utilizing lawyers that work for contingency fees does not necessarily mean that a personal injury attorney will try to get the most out of a case, but it does give the lawyer an incentive. There are some personal injury lawyers who do not like to go to trial, and who will attempt to settle the case without fighting for their clients in the courtroom.

In most cases, however, a contingency fee benefits the client, though it is important before hiring a Chandler personal injury lawyer to evaluate his or her previous performance. Any top personal injury lawyer in Arizona will understand the nuances of Arizona personal injury law and have a record in Arizona courtrooms of fighting insurance companies to the end whenever necessary. A contingency fee will help ensure that a seriously injured client will get the best legal representation possible, as the lawyer will not get paid unless they either negotiate a settlement or win the case in an Arizona courtroom.

What is the Difference between an Uninsured Motorist Claim and an Underinsured Motorist Claim?

By Personal Injury Lawyer on February 9, 2010

An uninsured claim can be made only when the person who caused an accident had no insurance coverage at all. Your own insurance policy may, however, cover what the other person’s insurance should have covered.

For example, let us say that you or someone you love was seriously hurt in a car accident in Chandler that someone else caused. The person who caused the accident should be responsible for paying medical expenses, lost income, pain, frustration, and all other damages resulting from the accident for which the injured party can claim compensation. What would happen, however, if the responsible party had not bothered to pay for insurance? Just because the responsible party did not have an insurance policy does not mean that the injured party is without recourse or cannot make a claim.

A Chandler, Arizona car accident victim may be compensated in such cases if he or she had uninsured motorist coverage in the same manner in which they would have been compensated had the negligent party had at fault insurance.

Underinsured motorist coverage deals with similar situations. It is utilized more frequently when serious injuries result from an automobile accident. Let us theorize that a negligent driver causes an accident resulting in a serious injury that costs a considerable amount of money to treat. Medical expenses in some cases are so high that the other person’s insurance does not cover all of the medical bills, leaving no money available to reimburse lost wages from being unable to work or for anything else the law allows compensation.

By contacting a top Chandler car accident lawyer, you will not only be able to learn what your case may be worth, but you will also find out if there is additional insurance coverage that was unknown. In cases of uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, it may often require the services of an experienced personal injury trial lawyer to find the coverage that will allow full and fair compensation after a Chandler car accident that was not your fault.

Is it Possible to Get Compensation for Medical Bills and Lost Wages after Settling a Personal Injury Case?

By Personal Injury Lawyer on February 8, 2010

Those who have been seriously injured in an accident normally want to settle their case in the first year or two, but a seriously injured person is rarely done with his or her treatment in such a time. In fact, the personal injury victim may not even be able to return to their job. Now, this creates a serious problem for someone who was in a Chandler car accident that resulted in a severe injury or permanent disability.

That is why it is so important why any settlement includes money for future medical expenses and future income. This will normally require the assistance of an experienced Arizona personal injury lawyer who can give the car accident victim an honest evaluation from expert witnesses to determine future medical expenses, the likelihood of additional needed medical attention, and an estimate of the income the injured party will lose in the future as a result of the injury.

For this reason, it is a huge risk to sign any sort of document after a Chandler car accident before a qualified personal injury lawyer has reviewed it. Even if a document does not appear to waive a person’s rights in the future, it could still cause serious consequences for an injured party later. An experienced personal Chandler accident injury lawyer should review the case and any documentation related to it before allowing an injured party to sign it.

It would be unjust for an injured party to sign a release early in his or her personal injury case, only to find later that signing that piece of paper resulted in losing rights to seek payment for additional medical care caused directly by a Chandler car accident. To learn more about your legal rights and options after being injured in an auto accident in Arizona, please contact the skilled attorneys at Breyer Law Offices, P.C. We always offer a free, no-obligation consultation to help answer any questions that an injury victim may have.

How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Chandler Accident Lawyer?

By Personal Injury Lawyer on February 5, 2010

It is a very different sort of situation hiring a personal injury Phoenix lawyer to work for you compared with how one hires most professionals in Chandler and elsewhere in Arizona. Normally, if you want the best possible Chandler professional for the job, you will inevitably have to pay them a lot of money upfront. So if you want the best Chandler accountant, you would need to have the funds available immediately to pay for the accountant’s time. This would be true for the best doctor or most other professionals in Maricopa County or elsewhere in Arizona.

Even with the accolades we have earned over the years, the Chandler personal injury lawyers at Breyer Law continue to work on a contingency fee basis, just as we always have. Many other top Maricopa County personal injury lawyers continue to work on a contingency fee basis as well.

What is a Contingency Fee?
A contingency fee will allow you to retain the best possible Chandler personal injury lawyer without paying any money upfront. It is important to understand how a contingency fee works. Contingency fees are better for those who do not have tens of thousands of dollars, or in some cases hundreds of thousands, available to hire the best Chandler accident attorney you can find. You would have to pay for every hour a lawyer or paralegal puts towards your personal injury case. Complicated personal injury claims can take thousands of hours of a law firm’s time.

Because of the vast expense involved in any Chandler personal injury claim, most people would never be able to hire a top personal injury lawyer after a car accident in Chandler unless he or she allowed this contingency fee as an option for payment. If you have been injured due to another person’s negligence, please consider giving us a call at Breyer Law. We are dedicated to obtaining full and just compensation for our clients without any cost to them.