Phoenix drivers put themselves and everyone on the road in danger when they speed, weave through traffic, tailgate, or engage in other reckless behavior. The resulting crashes frequently cause severe, sometimes permanent, injuries that can impact victims for years afterward.
Triumph Law Group can help if you sustained injuries in a crash with a reckless driver. Our Phoenix reckless driving accident lawyers have over a decade of legal experience and know what evidence is required to prove the other driver caused your injuries. You don’t need to worry about the cost of hiring an attorney, as you don’t owe us any attorney fees unless you recover compensation. Call 602-595-5559 now or complete our contact form for a free consultation.
Why You Need a Phoenix Reckless Driving Accident Attorney
Unlike drunk driving or speeding, there’s no objective test for reckless driving. Therefore, proving the other driver acted recklessly and caused the collision can be challenging. If you don’t know what evidence to look for and how to argue with insurance companies, you might not recover the money you need to cover your medical bills and other losses.
A Phoenix reckless driving accident attorney can manage your legal case while you concentrate on healing or other matters. Car accident lawyers know what evidence makes the biggest difference in these cases and how to present it effectively. Your attorney can also document all your injuries and negotiate with the insurance companies to help you recover maximum compensation. Finally, your lawyer can take your case to trial if the insurance companies won’t negotiate in good faith.
What Does Reckless Driving Mean?
Arizona law defines reckless driving as operating a vehicle with “reckless disregard for the safety of persons or property.” When you strip away the legalese, reckless driving happens when someone drives with no concern for the safety of other drivers or potential property damage. Reckless driving shows a deliberately antagonistic attitude toward safe driving.
Arizona law also includes a separate, related offense called aggressive driving. According to the law, a person commits the offense of aggressive driving when they break the speed limit, their behavior is an “immediate hazard” to another person or vehicle, and engage in at least two of the following illegal driving behaviors:
- Ignoring a stop sign or other traffic control device
- Passing a vehicle on the right
- Making an unsafe lane change
- Following another car too closely
- Failing to yield the right-of-way when required
It’s worth noting that these definitions apply to criminal cases in Arizona. The burden of proof is higher in criminal cases than in civil cases, and someone who doesn’t face criminal charges can still be liable in a personal injury case.
Examples of Reckless Driving in Phoenix
Common examples of reckless driving in Phoenix include:
- Speeding – Drivers speed so often that many people don’t consider it dangerous. However, speeding can be dangerous and reckless when a driver’s speed reduces their time and space to maneuver safely, particularly in crash situations. Furthermore, speeding increases the force of a crash and makes catastrophic injuries more likely.
- Tailgating – Drivers who follow too closely don’t have room to slow down and stop safely, making a crash more likely if the driver in front suddenly applies the brakes. Tailgating can also make the driver in front more anxious and cause them to lose focus on the road.
- Running red lights or stop signs – Running red lights, stop signs, or other traffic control devices is extremely dangerous because it puts cars directly in the path of oncoming traffic or cars from another direction. This reckless driving behavior can cause catastrophic T-bone or head-on collisions.
- Weaving in and out of traffic – Drivers who weave through traffic can easily lose control and collide with another car. In extreme cases, a car that spins out in a crash can strike other vehicles and cause a chain-reaction accident.
- Racing – Racing outside of a closed course puts the racing drivers and others in danger because they can lose control and collide with each other or other drivers.
- Aggressive lane changes – Drivers who change lanes without making sure it’s safe can sideswipe vehicles next to them and cause a crash. Similarly, a driver who cuts off another vehicle in the next lane over may cause the second driver to slam on their brakes, which can also cause a collision.
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol – Drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs have delayed reactions, impaired judgment, reduced inhibitions, and a high chance of falling asleep at the wheel. All of these risks put impaired drivers and those around them in severe danger.
- Passing in no-passing zones – Governments establish no-passing zones to prevent drivers from passing in unsafe areas, such as hills or sharp curves. Drivers who ignore these regulations may drive off the road, collide with another car head-on, or cause oncoming cars to swerve.
- Driving on the wrong side of the road – Driving on the wrong side of the road significantly increases the chances of a catastrophic head-on crash because it puts drivers directly in the path of oncoming cars.
Common Injuries from Phoenix Reckless Driving Accidents
Reckless driving accidents often involve high speeds and severe impact forces, which makes catastrophic injuries more likely. Common injuries from reckless driving accidents include:
- Traumatic brain injuries – Drivers or passengers involved in reckless driving crashes may hit their heads on a car’s steering wheel or interior, leading to concussions or other brain injuries.
- Spinal cord injuries – The force of a severe rear-end or T-bone crash can compress or fracture vertebrae in the spine or the spinal cord itself. These injuries commonly result in partial or complete paralysis.
- Broken bones – The extreme force of a reckless driving accident can dent a car and expose anyone inside to an impact from the incoming vehicle. Drivers and passengers can easily suffer broken hips, lips, arms, or ribs when this happens. Drivers and passengers may also suffer broken wrist injuries from bracing themselves or broken ribs from deployed airbags.
- Facial trauma – Cuts from shattered glass, the force of a deployed airbag, and other effects from a reckless driving accident can lead to severe facial injuries, potentially disfiguring drivers and passengers for life.
- Internal bleeding – The force of a reckless driving crash can be enough to cause internal bleeding, which is often fatal without prompt medical treatment.
Compensation in Reckless Driving Accident Claims
Depending on your injuries and other factors, your compensation in a reckless driving accident claim could include money for:
- Lost income and reduced future earnings
- Current and future medical expenses related to the crash
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- The cost to repair or replace your car or other damaged property
Deadline to File a Reckless Driving Accident Lawsuit
In most circumstances, you have two years from the date of a reckless driving accident to file a lawsuit. We urge you to speak to a personal injury attorney in Phoenix immediately so they can start your case promptly and preserve critical evidence.
Contact Our Phoenix Reckless Driving Accident Lawyers Now
You deserve a chance to hold a reckless driver responsible for their actions and your injuries. Call Triumph Law Group at 602-595-5559 now or complete our contact form for a free case review.
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