If you or a loved one was injured in a train accident in Phoenix, AZ, get legal advice right away. You may be entitled to damages for medical bills, lost wages, and more. A Phoenix train accident lawyer from Curiel & Runion Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers can help you fight for the fair compensation you deserve. Call (602) 595-5559 to start.
Our lawyers have over 55 years of combined experience providing trusted legal guidance to injured clients like you. We’ve recovered more than $50 million in that time–and we’re ready to stand up and fight for you.
If you’re ready to discuss your legal options after a train accident, call our law offices in Phoenix, Arizona, today to schedule a free consultation.
How Can Curiel & Runion Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers Help After a Train Accident in Phoenix, AZ?
A train accident can fundamentally change your life. Whether your injuries are temporary or permanent, you deserve to be compensated for your losses.
Unfortunately, standing up to a powerful train company and its insurance providers isn’t easy. An experienced Phoenix personal injury lawyer at Curiel & Runion Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers can help you through the entire legal process.
Our team has a 98% success rate when it comes to recovering financial compensation for our clients.
When you hire us, you’ll have a team to:
- Conduct our own investigation into the accident
- Compile the evidence you need to prove your case
- Assess your damages and determine how much your case is worth
- Reject lowball settlement offers and negotiate for a full settlement
- Take your case to court and fight for every dollar you deserve
It’s never too early to understand your legal options. Call our Phoenix personal injury attorneys today to start building your claim for compensation.
How Common Are Train Accidents in Arizona?
Railroad accidents aren’t entirely uncommon in the U.S. According to the National Safety Council, 954 people died in train accidents across the country in 2022 alone. 6,252 non-fatal train accident injuries were reported that year.
According to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), train accidents in Arizona caused over $23 million in damage in Arizona alone over a five-year period. The vast majority of that damage was caused by train derailments.
Unfortunately, the FRA has also found that Phoenix is home to the two most dangerous railroad crossings in the nation.
What is My Phoenix Train Accident Case Worth?
Judges and juries consider a number of different factors when deciding how much your personal injury case is worth. Those same factors are also relevant during the insurance negotiation process.
While all injury cases are different, the following factors tend to be most relevant when calculating your case value:
- The severity of your injuries
- Your medical treatment costs
- How the injury impacts your earnings, education, and career prospects
- How the injury impacts your quality of life and lifestyle
- The emotional trauma of the accident and injury
- Whether you share any blame for the accident
Broadly speaking, the largest settlements and verdicts tend to go to victims who suffer severe and life-changing injuries. However, to get an idea about your case value, it’s best to speak with an experienced attorney.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Train Accident Victims in Phoenix, Arizona?
Compensatory damages are divided into two categories in Arizona: economic and non-economic damages.
Our train accident attorneys in Phoenix will fight for the full value of your economic damages, including:
- Current medical bills, including hospitalization, doctor’s visits, medications, etc.
- Lost wages
- Lost earning potential
- Rehabilitation and physical therapy
- Property damage
You can also seek compensation for non-economic losses in Arizona. Insurance companies often downplay these losses because they don’t have an obvious financial value. Still, non-economic damages are no less important to your overall compensation award.
Some common examples of non-economic damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD
- Disability
- Diminished quality of life
- Physical disfigurement and scarring
- Loss of consortium
Punitive damages are rare in Arizona. They’re awarded only in cases where the defendant’s actions were intentional or especially shocking. For example, if the train operator was under the influence of drugs or alcohol and caused a crash, the judge may award punitive damages as punishment.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Train Accident Lawyer in Phoenix?
Serious injuries are expensive to treat. You shouldn’t have to worry about legal costs on top of everything else.
At Curiel & Runion Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers, we work on a contingency fee basis. You only pay attorneys’ fees if we recover compensation in your case. When you hire us, we’ll agree on a set percentage. We take that percentage of your compensation as our fee.
Can I Recover Damages If I’m Being Blamed for Causing a Train Accident in Arizona?
Some train accidents are entirely out of your control. However, drivers and even passengers can also contribute to the cause of train accidents. When multiple parties share fault for the same accident, liability is divided between all parties.
Arizona is a pure comparative negligence state. If an injured party’s actions contributed to the cause of an accident, their compensation award will be reduced in proportion to their share of fault. You don’t lose your right to recover damages unless you were 100% liable for your own injuries.
Our Lawyers in Phoenix Will Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Train Accident Injuries
Train accidents have the potential to be devastating. That’s especially true in cases involving passenger train derailments or when a train strikes a motor vehicle. Even a relatively minor train accident can leave victims struggling with life-changing injuries.
At Curiel & Runion Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers, we represent clients who have suffered all different types of injuries, including:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Amputations and loss of limbs
- Burns
- Broken bones
- Nerve injuries
- Whiplash injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Concussions
- Back injuries
- Organ damage
- Degloving injuries
- Chest injuries
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
The most serious train accidents have the potential to be fatal. If you lost a loved one in a train wreck, our lawyers in Arizona are here to help you fight to recover full compensation for wrongful death.
What Causes Most Train Accidents in Phoenix, AZ?
While trains play a vital role in the U.S. economy, trains and train tracks aren’t always maintained in the safest condition. Train accidents can–and do–happen for all different reasons.
Some of the most common causes of train accidents include:
- Outdated infrastructure
- Distracted train operators
- Distracted drivers
- Drivers racing across train tracks
- Failure to yield the right-of-way
- Malfunctioning signals
- Speeding
- Aggressive driving
- Drunk driving or drug use
- Fatigued train operators
- Fatigued drivers
- Negligent hiring and unqualified train operators
- Failure to properly maintain the train tracks
- Communication failures
Regardless of the circumstances of your train wreck, you need to know why the accident happened to recover compensation. Our lawyers in Phoenix are here to help you get to the bottom of it. Once we know why the accident occurred, we can start working on holding the responsible parties liable for your injuries.
What is Negligence, and Why is it Important to My Train Accident Injury Case?
Like any motor vehicle accident, most train accidents happen because someone was negligent.
Negligence claims require proof of four elements:
- The at-fault party’s legal duty of care
- How the defendant breached their duty of care
- How the breach of duty caused the accident
- The damages you suffered as a result
Train companies, train operators, and drivers of motor vehicles all have a duty to exercise reasonable caution. If someone ignores their duty, the risk of accidents increases dramatically.
Our team at Curiel & Runion Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers will search for the evidence you need to hold the responsible parties accountable.
That evidence might include:
- The results of FRA investigations
- The train’s black box recording device
- The train company’s hiring and maintenance policies
- Inspection reports
- Video footage
- Details about past safety violations and complaints
- Statements from witnesses and train company employees
- Medical records
- Photos of the crash scene
Often, we’ll bring in accident reconstruction experts who can offer insight into the cause of the crash.
How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit After a Train Accident in Arizona?
The statute of limitations in Arizona is two years in most cases. You have two years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. After the two-year period is up, you lose your right to sue for damages entirely.
That said, you might have less time to take legal action if the defendant is a government agency. You could actually only have weeks or months to give notice of your injuries and intent to pursue compensation.
Call a Trusted Phoenix Train Accident Lawyer for a Free Case Review
It’s always a smart idea to consult an experienced attorney as soon as possible after an accident and injury. A Phoenix train accident attorney can start investigating while the evidence is fresh. At Curiel & Runion Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers, your initial consultation is always free. Don’t hesitate to contact us today to discuss your case.