Being hurt in a crash or serious accident is overwhelming. One minute you’re driving home, the next you’re dealing with pain, bills, phone calls from insurance, and a hundred questions:
This guide breaks down exactly what a personal injury lawyer does—step by step—and shows how Big Chad Law helps Arizona accident victims from the first call to the final check.
Read more: When to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer
In plain language, a personal injury lawyer:
In Arizona, firms like Big Chad Law Injury & Accident Lawyers handle these steps every day for people hurt in car, truck, motorcycle, pedestrian, slip-and-fall, dog bite, and other accidents across Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, Glendale, Tucson, Kingman, Yuma, and beyond.
Note: This article is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your specific situation, speak directly with a lawyer licensed in your state.
A personal injury lawyer represents people who are hurt because someone else was careless or reckless. This is called negligence.
Common examples include:
This is civil law, not criminal. The focus is on money compensation for:
In Arizona, that could mean anything from a Phoenix freeway crash, to a slip-and-fall in a Chandler supermarket, to a motorcycle accident near Kingman.
At Big Chad Law, personal injury is their core focus. The firm represents Arizona injury victims in a wide range of cases and fights for compensation that reflects the real impact of the accident—not just what the insurance company wants to pay.
Read more: How to File a Personal Injury Claim
You don’t need a lawyer for every minor bump or bruise. But you should absolutely talk to a personal injury lawyer if:
For Arizona residents, you’re also dealing with strict legal deadlines and local rules. Waiting too long can hurt or even destroy your claim.
If you’re anywhere in Arizona and see yourself in this list, you can get Big Chad 24/7 for a free case review = before you sign anything or talk in detail to the insurance company.
Read more: How to Hire a Phoenix Personal Injury Lawyer
Let’s break the job down into the real-world steps a good lawyer takes once you reach out.
It starts with a free consultation, usually by phone, video, or in person.
During this call, the lawyer or a trained team member will:
You should walk away from this step with:
At Big Chad Law, this evaluation is designed to be straightforward and pressure-free. If they don’t think hiring a lawyer will help you, they’ll tell you that too.
If you sign with the firm, they move quickly into investigation mode.
That can include:
The goal is simple: build a strong, documented story that shows:
Without this foundation, an insurance company will attack your claim or offer far less than you deserve.
Personal injury law is full of jargon: negligence, liability, comparative fault, policy limits.
A good personal injury lawyer:
You should never feel like you’re signing documents or making choices that you don’t understand. Clear communication is part of the lawyer’s job.
Big Chad Law leans heavily into this “plain-English education” model—especially for clients who’ve never worked with a lawyer before or who are understandably nervous.
Insurance companies love to focus on only your current ER bill. A personal injury lawyer looks at the whole picture.
That includes:
Your lawyer’s job is to document and quantify these losses as much as possible, so the other side can’t pretend they don’t exist.
At Big Chad Law, this often means working closely with your doctors, employer, and sometimes experts to make sure your full losses are presented—not just the obvious ones.
Once a lawyer is involved, you should not have to argue with the insurance company yourself.
Your injury lawyer:
This alone takes a huge mental load off most clients. Instead of dreading every unknown number on your phone, you can focus on healing while the firm takes the calls.
Big Chad Law’s team deals with insurance companies daily. They know the usual tactics and are prepared to push back.
No two cases are the same.
Depending on your injuries, evidence, and the insurance company’s attitude, your lawyer will:
Strategy decisions can include:
You should be kept in the loop about these strategic choices and what they mean for your timeline and potential outcome.
Most personal injury cases settle out of court, but that doesn’t happen automatically or easily.
Your lawyer will:
When the insurance company understands that your lawyer is willing and able to go to court, negotiations usually get more serious.
If the other side won’t offer a fair settlement, a strong lawyer will:
Not every firm truly wants to go to court. You want a lawyer or firm that will if it’s in your best interest.
Big Chad Law positions itself as ready to fight—from negotiation all the way through trial when needed.
Once your case is resolved, there’s still cleanup work:
A personal injury lawyer doesn’t just get a settlement and disappear. They help ensure that the resolution actually works for you in the real world.
Read more: Five Steps to a Successful Personal Injury Case
Most personal injury lawyers—including Big Chad Law—work on a contingency fee basis.
That usually means:
There may also be case costs (for example, paying experts, filing fees, medical record fees). How those are handled should be clearly explained in your fee agreement.
For many injured people, contingency fees are the only realistic way to hire an experienced lawyer—especially when medical bills and lost income are already piling up.
Big Chad Law emphasizes this model so Arizona clients can get legal firepower without needing savings or a credit card.
Read more: Insurance vs You and the need for Personal Injury Lawyers
There are many personal injury firms. Big Chad Law stands out in a few key ways that matter for Arizona accident victims:
If you were hurt anywhere in Arizona—whether in a Phoenix crash, a Chandler slip-and-fall, or a trucking accident near Kingman—Big Chad Law can review your case at no cost and explain exactly what they can do for your situation.
A personal injury lawyer doesn’t just “file paperwork.”
They:
If you’ve been hurt anywhere in Arizona and you’re wondering what a personal injury lawyer actually does—or whether hiring one is worth it—Big Chad Law Injury & Accident Lawyers can walk you through your options with a free, no-pressure case review.
If you had no injuries and only very small property damage, you might not need a lawyer.
But if you:
it’s worth at least getting a free consultation. What feels “minor” now can turn into a bigger medical issue later, and quick low settlements can leave you covering costs out of your own pocket.
It depends on:
Some straightforward cases settle within a few months. Others—especially those involving serious injuries or litigation—can take a year or more. A good lawyer will keep you updated and explain what’s driving your timeline.
Most cases do not go all the way to a trial. Many settle during negotiations or after a lawsuit is filed but before trial.
However, if the other side refuses to offer a fair amount, your lawyer may recommend going to court and letting a judge or jury decide. Big Chad Law prepares each serious case as if it could go to trial, so the insurance company knows they’re dealing with a firm that’s willing to go the distance.
In many situations, yes.
In a lot of states, including Arizona, the law allows you to recover even if you were partially at fault, but your compensation may be reduced by your percentage of fault.
Because this can get complicated fast, especially when multiple drivers or parties are involved, it’s smart to talk to a lawyer about how fault might be argued in your specific case.
The sooner, the better.
Reaching out early helps:
If you’re in Arizona and were recently hurt, contacting a firm like Big Chad Law right away means you get a clear game plan before mistakes are made—or before the insurance company locks you into something that hurts your claim