Entrust Your Injury Case To Our Experienced, Tenacious Car Accident Attorneys
No one plans on a car accident, but they happen every day. If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a car accident caused by the negligence of another driver, the skilled and caring attorneys at Curiel & Runion, PLC are ready to help you seek the compensation you need and deserve.
All of our legal services are offered on a contingency-fee basis, which means that you only pay a fee when you receive compensation. We also guarantee that your fee is always less than the net recovery that you are awarded. With more than 40 years of combined experience, our two car accident attorneys have recovered millions of dollars for our clients.
Seeking Compensation For Your Injuries And Other Losses
There are seemingly endless ways to get hurt in an auto accident, but some of the most common types of injuries include:
- Soft-tissue injuries (like whiplash)
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Damage to the back and spine
- Broken bones, cuts and bruises
- Paralysis (paraplegia or quadriplegia)
- Temporary or permanent disabilities
- Post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychological injuries
In addition to coverage of your medical bills and physical therapy, we will also help you seek compensation for lost wages (from time spent unable to work), reduced earning capacity (if you suffered a disability), pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life. We carefully analyze your total losses and seek maximum compensation on your behalf.
Why Hire An Attorney After Your Car Accident?
If both you and the other driver are insured, it would seem reasonable to assume that you could handle the aftermath of a car accident without hiring an attorney. Unfortunately, for anyone who has been seriously injured and seeking medical attention, that is rarely the case. Insurance companies are not concerned with your health and well-being. They care about their own bottom line, which means they are looking for reasons to reject the claim or settle it for as little money as possible.
Dealing with the insurance company while also trying to recover from your accident is exhausting. But when you hire us, we take care of this and other important work for you. We know how much your car accident case is worth, and we will not entertain lowball offers from insurers or the at-fault driver. Throughout our years in practice, we have demonstrated time and again that we aren’t afraid to take a case to trial if the defendants refuse to offer a reasonable settlement.
Answers To Common Questions About Car Accidents
Prospective clients ask us car accident questions all the time, and we never mind answering them. Below, we’ve provided answers to some of the most common questions our attorneys receive.
What should I do after a car accident?
Your first priority after a crash is to make sure that everyone receives the emergency medical care they need. If you are able to stay at the scene of the accident, you should next move everyone to a safe location out of the road.
After that, exchange insurance and contact information with the other driver, take pictures of the accident scene (vehicle damage, tire tracks, etc.) and look around for any witnesses who may later be able to testify about what happened. While speaking to others at the scene, avoid discussing fault or saying anything that might sound like an admission of fault.
If you weren’t medically treated at the auto accident scene, go to a hospital and have yourself examined by a physician. This will ensure you get the treatment you need, and it will also create medical records of your injuries. Once you are stable and have had time to catch your breath, contact our firm to discuss how we can help you with the next steps.
How do I prove that the other driver was at fault?
The best way to prove fault is to hire an experienced attorney. We conduct a thorough investigation into the accident to determine what happened and who was to blame. In addition to looking at the accident site, we may gather evidence that includes:
- Witness statements and testimony
- Video or photographic evidence of the crash
- Cellphone records from the other driver (if you suspect that distracted driving may have been a factor)
- Data from the other driver’s event data recorder (commonly called the “black box”)
- Anything else that may prove relevant to the case, based on our interviews with you and others at the scene
Sometimes, car accidents come down to one driver’s word against the other driver’s word, but not often. If evidence is available, we’ll find it.
Do I still have legal options if I was partially at fault for the crash?
Yes, you do! Both Arizona and New Mexico recognize the legal theory of comparative negligence. This means that even if you were partially to blame for causing the accident or contributing to your own injuries in the accident, you still have the ability to seek compensation.
When you win or settle your case, your compensation will just be reduced by your assigned percentage of fault. If you were considered 25 % at fault, for instance, you could still recover 75% of the total damages you were seeking. We can educate you about legal options from a car accident in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona or Albuquerque, NM.
I’m a commercial driver, and I was in a car accident while on the clock. How does that affect my compensation options?
If you are a commercial driver, a car accident is a workplace accident. Depending on the details of your case, you could be eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits and to pursue a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver. These are known as third-party liability claims. Our car accident attorneys can help you with both aspects of your case.
Free Consultations Available – Contact Us Today
At Curiel & Runion, our services include a free case evaluation by our personal injury attorneys because we value you and your time. In our evaluation, we are straightforward and honest so that you can proceed with as much information as possible. To get started, contact us online or call 602-838-6378. We have offices in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona, as well as an office in Albuquerque, New Mexico.