Vehicle accidents occur regularly throughout Arizona. During the latest reporting year in this state, the Arizona Department of Transportation points out that there were nearly 130,000 total vehicle collisions. As a result of these incidents, there were 982 total fatalities and 53,809 total injuries. However, most car accident cases result in either no injuries or relatively minor injuries along with minor property damage. If you or somebody you love are involved in a minor vehicle accident, you may wonder whether or not you need an attorney to help with your case. Here, we want to discuss the nuances of minor vehicle accidents and why they may not be so minor after all.

An Insurance Settlement May Be Quick, but Is This the Right Choice?

In most minor car accident cases, you will find that they are resolved through settlements with insurance carriers. This is typically the easiest and quickest way to get a vehicle repaired and to cover any medical expenses. However, you need to understand that insurance carriers do not like to pay out large settlements, and they regularly use tactics to get injury victims to settle for less. One of those tactics is trying to get everybody involved to settle quickly and before any victim has time to realize the full extent of their injuries or property damage.

There are numerous circumstances in which a minor car accident case can be handled without an attorney. However, if any of these situations arise, you should at least seek a free consultation with a skilled Arizona car accident lawyer:

• If there is a dispute about who is at fault
• If there is a dispute about how much you should receive for your injuries or property damage
• If you have any serious injuries that require ongoing medical care
• If you are being taken to court by the other driver or their insurance carrier
• If you are unsure about how to proceed forward with your claim

Disputes over liability and compensation may need to be resolved through a personal injury lawsuit in Arizona civil court. The reality is that many cases need to be heard in front of a jury or a judge. However, car accident victims can still benefit from assistance from an attorney even if they are only dealing with insurance carriers. Insurance claims adjusters are trained negotiators and will do anything they can to limit the amount of money the insurance carrier pays out in a settlement. An attorney will be able to counter their tactics and help you obtain maximum compensation.

A “Minor” Accident May Not Be So Minor

Victims in a car accident are often quick to write the incident off as minor in the immediate aftermath of the incident. Often, the chaos of the situation along with the adrenaline running through a person’s body after a crash masks the severity of the incident. The signs and symptoms of many car accident injuries may not appear until hours or even days after the incident occurs.

Additionally, even relatively minor cosmetic damage in the aftermath of a crash could mask more severe damage to the structure of the vehicle. All too often, a person writes a fender bender off as nothing serious only to realize a few days or a few weeks later that they have incurred significant property damage.

By contacting a skilled Phoenix car accident attorney soon after a crash occurs, you can ensure that you will have an advocate by your side, helping you think about the consequences of not thoroughly examining injuries or property damage.