What can you recover if you have been injured in a Phoenix Auto Accident?

Suffering a sudden injury, especially one that wasn't your fault, causes pain, anxiety, and frustration.  What happens if I miss work? What about my pain and suffering?  The good news is that Arizona law allows recovery for many different situations and hiring the right Phoenix personal injury lawyer can help you get all the money you are entitled. 

To determine how much money your injury is worth, Arizona law allows our Phoenix personal injury lawyer to consider many different factors.   First, we can consider the nature, extent, and duration of your injury.  If you suffered a broken arm for example, the nature and extent of your injury would be much greater than if you sprained your ankle.  

Second, we can look at the pain and discomfort you have already experienced plus what is reasonably probable for you to experience in the future as a result of the injury.  Some injuries, such as severe burns, may leave a person with a lifetime of scars, pain and suffering that needs to be compensated.  For burn cases specifically, it is very important to contact a Phoenix personal injury lawyer with experience handling burn cases.

Third, you should be compensated for reasonable, necessary medical care for your injury and any missed work or loss of earnings.  This means if you were taken to the emergency room by an ambulance and missed a week of work, you should be able to recover all of those expenses.

Finally, you can be financially compensated for loss of enjoyment of life, which is the participation in life’s activities to the quality and extent you normally enjoyed before the injury.  If you suffered a broken leg and you were a marathon runner and no longer can run, this will be factored into your final settlement.

This is a general overview of what you can recover when you have been injured in Arizona.  This list is not exhaustive and you should talk to an experienced Phoenix personal injury lawyer about the facts of your specific situation.  Our Phoenix personal injury lawyers are on call 7 days a week to help answer your questions and guide you in the right direction.  

Do you need a lawyer for your Phoenix DUI?

Yes!   

If you have been convicted of a DUI in the past, there is no doubt you should have an experienced Phoenix DUI lawyer negotiate for you and help you navigate all of the collateral consequences (MVD issues, ignition interlock, home detention, professional license suspension, etc.). The stakes get much higher when there is a prior conviction within the past 84 months (7 years).  The cost increases, the jail increases, and the potential impact on your life is great.  With my clients, often I can save them thousands of dollars in fines and fees for a second time DUI.

If you this is your first DUI, you still need to talk to a professional, but that professional shouldn't cost two arms and three legs.  Being a former Arizona DUI Prosecutor and a DUI defense lawyer, I believe everyone should have a skilled and trusted advocate on their side.  I have often heard that "all the lawyer will do is take my money and I'm guilty, so way pay twice?"  Unfortunately, this is what happens from lawyers charging extremely high prices year after year for minor DUI offenses. I can understand the frustration.  

If you do not hire a good lawyer-one that will give you good value for you dollar-you will never know if there is a way to beat your DUI on a technicality, which can be from an illegal search, a malfunctioning breath machine, a mistake from the blood draw, an error from the prosecutor, and on and on. Only experienced DUI attorneys can analyze the evidence and look for any mistakes. If you can beat it, then your attorney is worth their weight in gold.  If you can't, they should be able to help get this off your record. Either way, a good Phoenix DUI attorney will offer value for your case. 

Heading into a DUI case alone is never advisable, you would basically be going down without a fight.  If you could hire a seasoned DUI attorney for $3,000, wouldn't you?  What if they include a motion to set aside your conviction?  The decision gets easier, doesn't it. What if the $3,000 everything your case needs, including trial if necessary? 

At www.LawTruck.com, our former DUI prosecutor will take your case and your lawyer fees will not exceed $3,000. Our 3k DUI guarantee includes trial and we come straight to your door.  The Arizona DUI laws are tough, but everyone deserves a trustworthy, honest law firm to fight for their rights. We offer free DUI consultations, upfront flat-rate pricing, no hidden fees, and are always available for night and weekend appointments, never at an extra charge. If you need us or have any questions, contact us anytime.   

1.855.500.8782  /  help@lawtruck.com  / 24.7

Law Firms and Lawyer Jokes, Part 1

www.lawtruck.com

As of 7/08/13, a simple query for “personal injury lawyer joke” brought up just over a million results.  Ouch.  Why are there so many lawyer jokes?  Why are there so many lawyers? Why does it seem like all the lawyers do Phoenix auto accidents?   How do I find the right Phoenix personal injury lawyer? Why so many tough questions? 

Why are there so many lawyers doing Phoenix auto accident and injury cases?

Money!  Typically attorneys take a percentage of the money they recover for you as their fee, usually between 25% and 40%.  Yes, 40%. The more money they recover for you, the more money they make (hence the 40%).  Some injury firms run a volume practice handling many cases at any given time. These firms can offer reduced rates and take in hundreds of cases at a time.  Because of the volume, they don’t necessarily need to worry about recovering the maximum value for each case.  I’m not saying they don’t, they just don’t need to worry about it (from a business perspective).  On the other hand, there are smaller firms that usually take larger cases, take a larger fee, and pursue each and every dollar. However, the larger the case, often the more expensive it is to fully litigate it and these firms need to be more selective (again, from a business perspective). 

Do you really need a lawyer?

Negotiating against the insurance company without professional support is an awful idea for many reasons.  The most compelling one is that what you say can and will be used against you.  Your lawyer speaks on your behalf and has much wider latitude when negotiating with the insurance company and other lawyers.  Second, you want a trial attorney.  Every personal injury case has the potential of winding up in court where a jury decides how much money, if any, you receive.  Trial experience is extremely important and your personal injury attorney should be very familiar and comfortable with the courtroom and litigation process. 

Choose a firm with a commitment of personalized attention:

Because there are so many options when choosing an attorney, you need to be very careful you pick the right one.  Personalized attention is a must.  You need a firm that will assign the right attorney to your case for the entire case. Paralegals and other office staff play an important role but when you hire a law firm, you should have the same attorney work your case from start to finish, know your first and last name (not kidding), and build a relationship with you during the course of your case. 

Why so many lawyer jokes?

Here is one of our favorites:  How many personal injury attorneys does it take to change a light bulb?  Three:  One to turn the bulb, one to shake him off the ladder, and the third to sue the ladder company.   Ouch!

Personal injury attorneys must have done something along the way to deserve the harassment.  Most of the critique comes from the lawyer chasing down an ambulance, overstating the client’s case, and doing anything they can to make some fast cash.  Other jokes address lawyers lack of communication, little effort, and willingness to sue at the drop of a hat if they smell the slightest bit of money.  Each lawyer and law firm is different, some fit square in the middle of a good joke, and others are far from it.  The moral of the story is that you need to take your time when choosing your lawyer, they come in all shapes and sizes and no single firm is right for everybody.

Bottom Line:  Think about what you want from your personal injury law firm.  Do you need marble floors and high rise offices?  Do you need a firm who has funny advertisements?  Do you need a firm that has after hour appointments and can cater to your schedule?  Do you need full case delivery?  Do you need a firm where you meet the partner at the first meeting?  Do you need to shake hands with your attorney from the start and feel you can fully trust them?

All jokes aside, this is your case and you have many options on how to get the most out of it, we advise you find a firm that really fits well with you. When it is all said and done, you shouldn't walk away with a new joke to two to submit to Google. 

www.lawtruck.com

1.855.500.8782

www.lawtruck.com

Need a criminal attorney in Phoenix, Tempe, Scottsdale...

(read this first)

Do you even need to hire an attorney?  

How do you choose which attorney is right for you?  

Why are some expensive and some not so much?  

How do you get value for your dollar?

Defense firms range from specialized solo practices to huge, multiple attorney firms.  Each has benefits but only if they provide a strong defense, are trustworthy, make personal attention a priority and charge a fair rate for their service.  Some firms have large advertising budgets to make sure you know who to call when you need help, some are only word of mouth.  The fact that a firm advertises isn’t a good or bad thing in and of itself.  How the firm handles your case is.  You need a firm that assigns the right attorney for your case, makes sure that attorney is with you for all court appearances, and keeps constant communication with you. Part of your attorney’s job is to make sure you are informed and comfortable for each and every step of the process.

All law firms are all the same so I should just pick one?

No. No. No.  Like anything else, from carpenters to chefs, any personal service business naturally has substantial variation in what you receive.  You are not a number (or dollar sign).   Outside a few very select circumstances, if a firm promises you a particular result, run away.  If you feel the firm is selling you, threatening you,  or bullying you, run faster.  The sad reality is that a criminal defense firm is still a business and needs to make more money then they spend. Overall, make sure you are comfortable with your attorney (after all it is your choice) and hold your attorney accountable for what was promised (again, promises to work night and day for you are good, guarantees that you will win your case are not).  The best criminal defense attorneys do not sugar coat your case or create any false hope to sell you on their service. The facts are the facts and they need to be honestly evaluated and addressed; otherwise your money could be better spent…

The more I pay the more I get, right?

No. No. No. No.  This really is a business question so lets look at it as if you (the potential client) were just a dollar sign.  A firm  could spend a million dollars a year on advertising, and that’s easy to do between television ads, newspapers, magazines, billboards, and bus stops.  To cover the advertising bill alone, they need to generate a million dollars of sales. If they charge 3k for each case, it would take 333 cases to make that money back! Per year!  That is a huge number of cases for a criminal firm to handle.  If they charge 5k per case, then they need 200 new cases a year to cover the expense.  Wow!   If they charge 10k per case, they need 100 cases to make that million back.  This example doesn't include the firm making any money to pay their staff; it is only to break even for advertising.   This being said, the more you pay sometimes is relative to the expenses the law firm has, not necessarily the quality of the work.   Because the attorney is given a set of facts and cannot promise results, any payment for a guaranteed dismissal or acquittal is a wasted payment.  So, where does this leave us?    Hiring an attorney based on results, talent, experience, and knowledge is always the right move. These necessary characteristics in an experienced criminal defense attorney don’t always come with a hefty price tag.  Shop around, find honesty, the best value for your dollar, and be comfortable with your choice. 

Do I always need an attorney?

No.  However, it is always advisable to consult with an attorney, even if you don’t necessarily need to hire one. For certain cases, with or without an attorney, you may still receive the same outcome.  This is where attorney honesty comes becomes first and foremost.  The best attorneys around give you a straight analysis of your case, tell you if there are any issues the attorney can litigate, and if not, tell you this as well and let you decide if you still want to hire them.  This is not saying issues can’t be found through investigation, but for some routine criminal matters sometimes the most talented attorney can’t get you a better deal than the prosecutor will offer.  However, you never know if you don't try, right? ... 

Bottom Line:  You have plenty of options.  Don’t hire anyone you are not comfortable with. Don’t be pushed.   The most reputable firms in town always leave the hiring choice to you, and do no hard selling.  Remember that prices firms charge don’t always reflect the service you receive due to outside expenses (such as advertising, support staff, BMW's...)  Finally, choose a defense attorney you trust.  You and your attorney are a team, whether you choose an attorney from the largest firm in town or one who runs a small solo practice, so long as you get value for you dollar, you trust them, and they are experienced in criminal law, you are in a good position to begin fighting your criminal charges.