Arizona Truck Accident Lawyer

Our Arizona Truck Accident Legal Team Understands the Causes of these Crashes

At The Goldwater Law Firm, we have been reviewing cases like yours for over 20 years. We understand what causes the crashes, who is legally responsible, and the types of damages victims need to recover to ensure they can pay for their current and future care. 

Unfortunately, truck accidents are common. In 2023, the Arizona Department of Transportation (AZDOT) reported 12,974 accidents involving large commercial trucks or buses. This was 5.45 percent of all recorded crashes statewide. More than 3,000 people were hurt, and 152 died in these collisions. 

These statistics include accidents involving: 

• Bobtail rigs
• Tractor-trailer trucks
• Concrete mixer trucks
• Dump trucks 
• Garbage trucks 
• Tanker trucks
• Wreckers or tow trucks 
• School buses 
• Commercial or non-commercial buses

While the causes of these trucks can differ, some of the most common include: 

• Driver error, usually violating a traffic law
• Violation of a federal regulation
• Cargo shifting or spilling
• Poor truck or trailer maintenance
• Defective truck or trailer parts

In most cases, truck drivers acting carelessly or recklessly while driving is the root cause of a commercial truck accident. It requires an investigation to document exactly what happened, but some of the most common ways commercial drivers cause collisions include: 

• Failure to yield when turning across traffic lanes
• Failure to obey traffic signals or signs
• Failure to stop when traffic ahead slows or stops
• Failure to check blind spots before merging

Contributing factors to these crashes include drunk, drugged, drowsy, and distracted driving. Poor weather, heavy traffic, and unfamiliar routes can also play a role. 

Your personal injury attorney will investigate what happened to cause your collision, document the contributing factors, and build a solid case to recover compensation for you from the responsible party. In many truck collision cases, the trucking company may share liability with its driver or bear sole liability due to a legal doctrine called respondeat superior. This doctrine makes employers accountable for the negligent actions of their workers while they are on the job. 

Your truck accident attorney will know when this doctrine applies and how to identify the liable parties in your case. 

Your Lawyer Will Protect Your Rights as an Arizona Truck Accident Victim

When you work with an Arizona truck crash lawyer, they will understand the most common injuries suffered in large truck crashes. They will know how to recover current and future damages based on severe and catastrophic injuries, including: 

• Back, neck, and spinal cord injuries, possibly including paralysis
• Traumatic brain injuries, concussions, and other serious head injuries
• Serious burns and scarring
• Traumatic amputations and loss of use injuries
• Internal injuries
• Serious lacerations and blood loss
• Crush injuries and significant fractures

These injuries often require care in one of Arizona’s 14 designated Level I trauma centers. These facilities provide life-saving care, specialized treatment, and rehabilitation for a wide range of injuries. 

The cost of treatment and care can compound quickly when you require hospitalization, surgery, and therapies. Your current and future medical care will form the foundation of your economic losses. Other examples include: 

• Ongoing care and support costs
• Loss of income
• Reduced ability to work and earn a living
• Property damage that requires repair or replacement
• Out-of-pocket expenses

Your non-economic damages will include money for your physical pain and suffering, emotional distress, and many other intangible losses. 

Your attorney will know how to negotiate a fair settlement for these damages with a personal injury claim or present substantial evidence to support an award at trial. 

Wrongful Death in an Arizona Truck Accident

Sometimes, truck accident victims do not survive their injuries. They may pass away at the scene, before they reach the hospital, or after fighting to survive for some time. When this occurs, some immediate family members can seek financial compensation from the trucking company or another liable party. 

Generally, we speak to the surviving spouse, children, or parents of the deceased about this possibility. 

We Help Arizona Truck Accident Victims Get Justice

The Goldwater Law Firm works with experienced and knowledgeable law firm partners to get justice for the injured. Together, we have earned a reputation for helping trucking accident victims pursue a civil case, holding the at-fault parties responsible, and seeking fair compensation for their injuries. 

We have strategic partnerships with many co-counsels across Arizona, including some of the nation’s most widely recognized and successful firms. Each one provides care, representation, and advocacy to truck accident victims. They work based on contingency, and the victims they serve never pay any upfront fees or costs. 

We also have access to an extensive network of experts, specialists, economists, doctors, accident reconstructionists, and others who can help us better understand each case, liability, damages, future care needs, and more. Your attorney can consult these experts or even call on them to testify in court if your case goes to trial. 

Contact Us Today to Discuss Our Approach to Truck Accident Cases

You can talk to our legal team about your case, your rights, or how our approach to these cases works during a free initial consultation. We will review your case facts, assess your legal options, and discuss what you can expect when we refer you to a co-counsel near you to file your claim. 

What Steps Will an Arizona Truck Accident Attorney Take for Me?

When you choose to work with a lawyer on your Arizona truck accident case, you are making a wise choice for your claim and your future. A lawyer who has handled many commercial vehicle accident cases is an excellent resource for victims. You can count on your legal counsel to: 

Answer Your Questions

Your attorney and their team will be available to provide answers and support when you call. They can address your concerns and put you at ease. They will also provide regular case updates. 

Investigate the Crash

Your attorney, possibly with the help of trained investigators from their law firm, will gather and analyze evidence to understand what caused your accident. This process allows them to identify the liable parties and understand your full range of damages.

Document Your Damages

To support their demand for a fair payout in your case, your lawyer will gather paperwork and other documentation of your expenses and losses. They will also work with experts to estimate and understand your future care costs when necessary.

Fight for the Money You Qualify to Recover

Whether through a negotiated settlement or a jury trial, your truck accident attorney will take on the trucking company or another liable party and seek fair compensation based on your case facts. 

How Long Do You Have to Hire an Arizona Injury Lawyer for Your Truck Accident Case?

Under A.R.S. § 12-542, crash victims usually have two years to file the paperwork in civil court to begin a personal injury lawsuit. The deadline for wrongful death actions in Arizona is also two years. Missing this deadline will significantly affect your ability to recover money for the damages you suffered. 

However, you want to avoid letting the two-year deadline lull you into inaction. This deadline applies only to initiating the truck accident lawsuit in civil court. Your attorney should take many steps before they reach this point in the process. Some of the reasons why you should hire a lawyer as soon as your injuries allow include:

• They will protect your right to seek maximum compensation
• They will preserve evidence in your case that is at risk of being lost
• They will manage all communication with the insurance company, preventing them from harassing you with phone calls
• They will manage your case so that you can recover from your injuries

When you hire an Arizona truck accident lawyer, you have someone on your side with the experience and know-how to navigate the claims process and handle all aspects of your case. You can focus on your medical treatment, healing, and rehabilitation instead of how you will pay for your care.