Q: What is a personal injury case?

A personal injury lawsuit is started to recover damages for physical, mental and/or emotional injuries, as well as any monetary losses, sustained because of the negligence or other wrongful act on the part of another person, company, corporation or other entity. Examples include auto, truck and motorcycle accidents, product liability, workplace injuries, dog bites, slip and fall cases, medical malpractice, and others. In some cases, such as employer liability, strict liability and dog bite cases, it is not necessary to prove negligence or other wrongful conduct on the part of the defendant.

Q: What is negligence?

Negligence is defined as a failure to act with reasonable care, which causes an injury to another person and/or property. Negligence includes not only acting in a manner that is unreasonable under the circumstances, but also failing to take steps to prevent harm when you had a duty to act.

Q:  Do I need an attorney for a personal injury case?

Because of the various legal issues that arise, the procedures in court, statutes of limitation, and other questions, we recommend that you retain the services of a personal injury attorney if you have been injured in a car, truck, bike, motorcycle or other accident. We provide a free, no-risk consultation for accident victims and their families.

Q:  The insurance company says I don’t need a lawyer. Are they right?

You should be suspect of advice by the insurance company. Their interests are not the same as yours – in fact, in most cases their interests are diametrically opposed to yours. The only goal of the insurance company is to pay you as little as possible, no matter what your actual damages are. Our goal, as personal injury lawyers, is to maximize your recovery.

Q: How soon after an accident should I contact an attorney?

You should contact an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after the accident. Obviously, you need to address any immediate medical issues first, but subject to that, your first stop should be to obtain legal representation. There are a few reasons why we say this. First, your claim can be barred by the statute of limitations if you wait too long. While most personal injury cases must be filed within two years of the accident, this is not always the case. In addition, it may be necessary to file a timely notice of claim in some cases, for example, where a governmental entity (municipality, county, etc.) is a potential defendant. Finally, the longer you wait, the more you risk the loss of documents, testimony and other information and evidence that may be helpful to proving your case.

Q: What are the potential damages in a personal injury lawsuit?

There are different categories of damages that may lead to monetary recovery in a personal injury case. Medical bills, lost wages or other income, permanent injuries, reduction in earning capacity, pain and suffering, and even the cost of adapting your home to accommodate physical limitation. In addition, anticipated damages such as future medical costs and future lost wages can also be recovered.

Q: How much is my case worth?

The amount of the damages in your case will depend upon a number of things, including the extent of any injury, the nature of the accident, the relative fault of the parties, and other factors. When you visit our office, and talk to one of our experienced Phoenix personal injury attorneys, we will provide you with an honest and realistic estimate of the monetary value of your case.

Q: What are your fees for representing clients in personal injury cases?

Black Wynn Personal Injury Lawyers generally charges on a contingent fee basis. This means you do not pay a fee unless and until we recover money on your behalf, either through a settlement or a winning verdict. The contingent fee varies depending upon several factors, including the complexity of the case, the amount of time anticipated, etc. When you retain our firm, we will provide you with a written agreement covering all aspects of the fee arrangement.

Q: How long will it take to settle my case?

Insurance companies have one goal, and that is to pay you nothing or as little as possible. It’s as simple as that. Sometimes insurance companies, even knowing they will end up paying a substantial settlement, will delay offering any money, believing that the longer they refuse to pay, the better their bottom line. In part because of these types of tactics, it is impossible to predict in advance how long it will take to achieve a settlement in your case, or whether it will be necessary to go to trial.

Q: What happens if I was partly at fault in an accident?

Arizona is a comparative negligence state. The law says that your damages, if you were partly at fault, are reduced by your relative degree of fault. This means you can recover damages in a personal injury case even if you were partially at fault.

Q: What is a personal injury case?

A personal injury lawsuit is started to recover damages for physical, mental and/or emotional injuries, as well as any monetary losses, sustained because of the negligence or other wrongful act on the part of another person, company, corporation or other entity. Examples include auto, truck and motorcycle accidents, product liability, workplace injuries, dog bites, slip and fall cases, medical malpractice, and others. In some cases, such as employer liability, strict liability and dog bite cases, it is not necessary to prove negligence or other wrongful conduct on the part of the defendant.

Q: What is negligence?

Negligence is defined as a failure to act with reasonable care, which causes an injury to another person and/or property. Negligence includes not only acting in a manner that is unreasonable under the circumstances, but also failing to take steps to prevent harm when you had a duty to act.

Q:  Do I need an attorney for a personal injury case?

Because of the various legal issues that arise, the procedures in court, statutes of limitation, and other questions, we recommend that you retain the services of a personal injury attorney if you have been injured in a car, truck, bike, motorcycle or other accident. We provide a free, no-risk consultation for accident victims and their families.

Q:  The insurance company says I don’t need a lawyer. Are they right?

You should be suspect of advice by the insurance company. Their interests are not the same as yours – in fact, in most cases their interests are diametrically opposed to yours. The only goal of the insurance company is to pay you as little as possible, no matter what your actual damages are. Our goal, as personal injury lawyers, is to maximize your recovery.

Q: How soon after an accident should I contact an attorney?

You should contact an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after the accident. Obviously, you need to address any immediate medical issues first, but subject to that, your first stop should be to obtain legal representation. There are a few reasons why we say this. First, your claim can be barred by the statute of limitations if you wait too long. While most personal injury cases must be filed within two years of the accident, this is not always the case. In addition, it may be necessary to file a timely notice of claim in some cases, for example, where a governmental entity (municipality, county, etc.) is a potential defendant. Finally, the longer you wait, the more you risk the loss of documents, testimony and other information and evidence that may be helpful to proving your case.

Q: What are the potential damages in a personal injury lawsuit?

There are different categories of damages that may lead to monetary recovery in a personal injury case. Medical bills, lost wages or other income, permanent injuries, reduction in earning capacity, pain and suffering, and even the cost of adapting your home to accommodate physical limitation. In addition, anticipated damages such as future medical costs and future lost wages can also be recovered.

Q: How much is my case worth?

The amount of the damages in your case will depend upon a number of things, including the extent of any injury, the nature of the accident, the relative fault of the parties, and other factors. When you visit our office, and talk to one of our experienced Phoenix personal injury attorneys, we will provide you with an honest and realistic estimate of the monetary value of your case.

Q: What are your fees for representing clients in personal injury cases?

Black Wynn Personal Injury Lawyers generally charges on a contingent fee basis. This means you do not pay a fee unless and until we recover money on your behalf, either through a settlement or a winning verdict. The contingent fee varies depending upon several factors, including the complexity of the case, the amount of time anticipated, etc. When you retain our firm, we will provide you with a written agreement covering all aspects of the fee arrangement.

Q: How long will it take to settle my case?

Insurance companies have one goal, and that is to pay you nothing or as little as possible. It’s as simple as that. Sometimes insurance companies, even knowing they will end up paying a substantial settlement, will delay offering any money, believing that the longer they refuse to pay, the better their bottom line. In part because of these types of tactics, it is impossible to predict in advance how long it will take to achieve a settlement in your case, or whether it will be necessary to go to trial.

Q: What happens if I was partly at fault in an accident?

Arizona is a comparative negligence state. The law says that your damages, if you were partly at fault, are reduced by your relative degree of fault. This means you can recover damages in a personal injury case even if you were partially at fault.