Zachar Law Blog

Fatal crash closes I-10 westbound south of Chandler - When will Arizona finally wake up?

A fatal crash involving a commercial vehicle on fire has closed Interstate 10 westbound south of Chandler from Riggs Road to Loop 202 Santan, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

"Preliminary information is at about 9:52 a.m. a commercial vehicle was eastbound on I-10 when it veered into the median. The commercial vehicle went through the median and onto the westbound lanes of I-10 where it struck three vehicles. After striking the vehicles the commercial vehicle ran off the road, overturning and catching fire. At this time there are two fatalities. The driver of the commercial vehicle has been transported from the scene with serious injuries.

When is the state of Arizona highway department going to wake up?

With this crash, hundreds of people have now died on Arizona time ways from these crossover crashes.  In February 2012, A Maricopa County jury awarded a family $7.8 million for a crossover crash that happened very close to this one.

 

 The message to the Arizona state highway department was clear: Fix the highways!  

 

The state did not listen.  Then, in December 2015, Maricopa County jury awarded two families nearly $45 million, sending even clearer message to the state:

 

Fix the highway!!!  After that, all the state did be put up a few measly signs. Real after that, all the state did was put up a few measly signs. 

 

Really?????  

 

Median barriers should have gone up on Interstate 10 fifteen years ago. Had this been done, hundreds of lives would have been saved and millions of state dollars would have been saved.  

 

It is time that someone truly teaches the state the expensive lesson that it obviously needs to learn to make the highways safe.  How much must a jury award for the state to get it?  

 

We may be about to find out.

Episode 002: Ask An Injury Lawyer Podcast With Zachar Law Firm - Dog Bite Injuries

In episode 002 of the ask an injury lawyer podcast, Chris Zachar goes into detail on the topic of dog bite injuries. These types of injuries can be very complex and can require an experienced personal injury lawyer to handle. With so many variables involved, it is crucial for your injury case that you have the right lawyer representing you. Listen in! 

 

Be sure to subscribe to the Ask An Injury Lawyer Podcast and listen to previous episodes now! 

 

What should you bring to your personal injury appointment?

For the initial appointment with your lawyer, you should bring all documents and photos that you have that pertain to your case The experienced attorneys at Zachar Law Firm will go through your documentation, photographs, and materials, and begin building your case.

The specific documents which may be most important to your case are:

• The accident report or exchange slip (if you do not have an accident report that is okay, we are able to order the report.  If the police did not show up, this is also okay, as Zachar Law Firm’s attorneys and staff are trained to build your case even without an accident report);
• Photographs of the damage to the vehicles;
• The insurance information for both yourself and the at-fault driver;
• A list of any medical providers you have seen or anticipate seeing in the future;
• Dates you have missed from work because of the accident (you are entitled to be compensated for your lost wages because of your accident);
• Contact information for any insurance adjustors you have spoken to; and
• Receipts of items you needed to purchase because of the accident.

If you do not have all of these materials, that is okay.  The ZLF attorneys and staff can generally obtain these materials very quickly.  More importantly, Zachar Law Firm knows how to build your case, highlighting the most important aspects of your case to the insurance carrier for the at-fault party. 

The attorneys at Zachar Law Firm will ensure that all the materials are collected and you are compensated not just for your medical bills, but for your other damages which are personal to you, as a result of this accident.

The experienced attorneys at Zachar Law Firm have been helping injured people in Arizona for nearly 30 years.  Personal injury and wrongful death cases are all we do. 

Do I Really Need A Personal Injury Lawyer?

Scenario: You have been involved in an accident.  While you are not sure exactly what to do, the other side’s insurance person seems nice, and this doesn’t seem like it should be difficult.

Should I hire an injury attorney? Do I need one?

First, do not be lulled into a sense of security just because the other side’s Insurance person is nice.  That person is not on your side and will never be.  They have 1 goal:  To resolve your case for the smallest amount possible.

How does that happen?  Well, they get information from you and the more the better. They want a recorded statement and they will have you sign paperwork to give them access to your medical records.  At that point, you’ve lost control.

What do you say?  What should you never say?  Do you know????

Say the wrong things and your case might be compromised forever.  Why take this chance?

Instead, why not at least call an experienced Phoenix injury lawyer to learn more?  At Zachar Law Firm, he calls and consultation are always free.  If retained, we will require no money from you and we will wait to be paid only at the end of your case.

Take the time.  Get educated, then decide.  Your case is the only one you’ve got.  

The professionals at Zachar Law Firm have been helping injured people and families for more than 25 years.  

Call us.  We can help.

How long do I have to file a personal injury claim?

How long a person may have to file a personal injury claim is governed by the legislature through what is commonly referred to as a statute of limitations.  The specific time set by a statute of limitations is dependent on two primary factors:  (1) type of claim and (2) type of defendant.

The type of claim is the primary factor in determining how long a particular statute of limitations may be.  For instance, if your claim is negligence that resulted in bodily injury or property damage, you have two years from the date you were injured to file a claim.  Failure to file a complaint with the court will forever bar the claim.  Other claims have different time periods.  It is important to understand what type of claim you would be filing to determine the statute of limitations for your particular case.

In addition, the type of defendant may also be a factor in determining the statute of limitations.  This factor is the defendant specific.  If a claimant has a claim against an individual person or company, as opposed to a governmental entity, the claimant typically has two years from the date of the injury to file a lawsuit (as previously referenced for personal injury cases.  Thus, the claimant and the at-fault person’s insurance company can negotiate the claim for at least two years before the claimant must file a lawsuit or lose the claim forever.  

If the potential defendant is a governmental entity, the claimant has 180 days from the date of the injury to serve a Notice of Claim on the proper representative of the governmental entity and one year from the date of the injury to file a lawsuit.  If the claimant fails to serve the government representative or government employee with a Notice of Claim within 180 days of the injury, the claimant loses his or her claim, even if the claimant files a lawsuit within the one-year statute of limitations. 

Again, these deadlines are called statutes of limitations and they set a bright-line deadline that a claimant has to file a lawsuit.  A statute of limitations does not set a specific date for which the claim must be settled, but it does provide a claimant with a deadline for filing a lawsuit.