You must call your insurance company even if an accident is not your fault. Your insurance company may be directly involved in seeking compensation, though you should consider hiring a car accident lawyer to represent your interests.
Even if you hire a lawyer, it’s critical that you notify your attorney immediately after the car accident. It will create an official accident record and may prove important for several other reasons. Once you notify your insurance company, hire a Kingman car accident lawyer to lead your case.
It can feel unfair. You didn’t cause an accident, yet you now have responsibilities, including calling your insurance company about the collision. As unjust as this may seem, there are several important reasons to speak with your insurer right after the accident, which include:
Think ahead after a car accident happens. You should recognize that if you do not notify your insurance provider of the accident, then:
It costs you nothing—except a few minutes of your time—to notify your insurance provider of an accident. Conversely, choosing not to notify your insurance company can have serious consequences.
Read more: Do Insurance Adjusters Lie?
Arizona Revised Statutes § 28-667 explains that some accidents must be reported, and the responsibility to report the collision can extend to those involved. You can protect yourself from reporting issues by calling law enforcement and notifying your insurance company after the accident.
You may need compensation from your insurance provider. For example, if it turns out that the at-fault motorist is uninsured (as is too often true of motorists in Arizona), you may need to access your uninsured/underinsured (UM/UIM) coverage. If you have not reported your accident to your insurer, it can affect your car accident claim.
While you should report an accident to your insurer even if you did not cause the accident, be careful when doing so. Insurance companies often prioritize their financial interests, even at your expense.
Some tips to consider when reporting your car accident to your insurance company include:
Do not say you were at fault for the accident, apologize, or say anything else that can be perceived as an admission of wrongdoing. Instead, consider hiring an Arizona car accident lawyer to protect you, handle your claim, and make your life far less complicated after the collision.
Being wary of insurance companies does not make you paranoid—it makes you wise. Some facts that every car accident victim must recognize include:
Let a lawyer do it if you need to issue a statement to your insurance provider or seek fair compensation from a third-party insurer. Your attorney may even arrange for you to provide written statements rather than verbal ones, as this reduces the opportunity for error.
There are many well-documented benefits that you may get when you hire a car accident attorney, which include:
Personal injury lawyers (who handle car accident cases) typically use contingency fees. A contingency fee means:
The contingency fee structure allows every car accident victim in Arizona to hire a personal injury lawyer. This structure also places the client and law firm on the same page because the firm’s fee increases as they secure more money for the client.
Read more: Insurance vs You and the need for Personal Injury Lawyers
The attorney is the primary resource you get when you become a client with a law firm. However, an attorney is far from the only resource that comes with hiring a lawyer. As a client, you may also:
Your law firm may also pay to reconstruct your accident. The many resources and abundant financial backing you get from your law firm can directly affect the outcome of your case.
Whether you were hiring an accountant, doctor, or car accident lawyer, you would be wise to consider their experience. A law firm (and specific attorney) that has many years of service on their record may:
The benefits of experience are often difficult to quantify, but they are there. This is why you may hire a car accident attorney to handle your case.
Read more: Truck Accident with an Uninsured Truck Driver
Your car accident attorney may not know exactly what your case requires of them until they get familiar with the unique case facts. That being said, an experienced attorney knows that a car accident case likely requires them to:
Insurance companies can be an asset to car accident victims. In some cases, though, insurance companies can be a threat to the accident victim’s financial recovery.
When you hire a lawyer, you don’t have to wonder whether insurance providers are:
If your lawyer encounters bad-faith tactics (which are more common than you might assume), they will stop those tactics.
Your case may only be valid if you prove who caused your accident. Your lawyer knows this, so they will seek any available:
Proving fault can also help your lawyer establish liability. These are two different and important legal concepts. If a truck driver caused the accident, their insurance company may be liable for the victim’s losses. Fault refers to who caused the collision, while liability refers to who may have to pay for it.
All accidents take a toll. Some cause minor property damage, others result in catastrophic injuries, and some even cause wrongful deaths.
Your attorney will identify all the damages you’ve suffered because of the accident, and they may document those damages using:
A good attorney will let you tell your story. The victim’s words can be a powerful asset in a car accident case. Plus, you may be the only one who can speak to physical pain, distress, and certain other accident-related damages.
Negotiating a settlement is the most frequent way that car accident lawyers resolve their cases. A settlement may come from:
For most accident victims, the most important consideration is that they receive the compensation they deserve. It may be an acceptable outcome if you can receive that fair compensation through a settlement.
Some car accident cases require the victim to file a lawsuit. Lawyers decide whether they should sue on a case-by-case basis, with some considerations including:
Most civil lawsuits do not go to trial, which means the liable party and the victim’s attorney can often reach a settlement agreement. However, every client should expect their attorney to sue if it is in the client’s best interest.
Your lawyer will demand that liable parties cover the cost of your accident, which may include:
The types of injuries you’ve suffered, duration of injury symptoms, and many other factors can influence how much money you deserve for accident-related damages.
Once you’ve chosen a lawyer, let them handle your case. They will reach out regularly, advise you when you need to take action, and keep a close eye on your recovery—both because they care and because it is vital to your case.
Don’t wait to hire your Kingman personal injury lawyer. They can determine fault and work to settle your claim quickly. There can be strict deadlines for filing claims and lawsuits, so find a qualified, highly-rated law firm as soon as possible.
Yes—call ASAP. Most policies require prompt notice, and industry guidance says to notify your insurer regardless of fault so coverage and next steps are clear. Arizona courts also apply a notice-prejudice rule, but don’t rely on it—report promptly.
Key takeaway: Call your insurer first; they’ll coordinate benefits/subrogation.
It shouldn’t. Arizona law prohibits insurers from increasing premiums for accidents not caused by the insured (A.R.S. §20-263(A)); the regulator reminded carriers to comply. Other market factors can still affect rates.
Key takeaway: Not-at-fault ≠ surcharge in AZ; dispute any improper increase with DIFI.
Notify yours first. Your carrier can open a claim, explain coverages, and pursue the at-fault insurer for you. You may contact the other insurer, but let your company (or your lawyer) manage communications.
Key takeaway: Start with your insurer; they handle the claim strategy.
Report it. An officer must file a written crash report when there’s injury, death, a citation, or ≥ $2,000 in property damage (A.R.S. §28-667). Drivers must immediately notify police when injury/death occurs (A.R.S. §28-666).
Key takeaway: A compliant police report anchors liability for claims.
Injury/property lawsuit: generally 2 years from accrual (A.R.S. §12-542).
UM/UIM in AZ (newer rule): give your insurer written notice within 3 years, then request arbitration/file suit within 3 years after that notice (A.R.S. §12-555).
Key takeaway: Calendar 2 years for tort claims, and the 3-year + 3-year clocks for UM/UIM.