When people are involved in a car crash, fault is not always one-sided. In many instances, blame can be shared by all the parties involved. However, just because you may have been partially responsible for an Arizona motor vehicle accident, it does not mean you cannot recover compensation for the losses and injuries you sustained.
In the below guide, we will go over what happens if you are partly at fault for a Yuma car crash and how an experienced Yuma car accident attorney can help you.
Pure Comparative Negligence Laws in Arizona
Arizona follows a pure comparative negligence doctrine, which means under the laws, when people are involved in a motor vehicle accident, they can recover for the costs and injuries they suffered. However, this amount will be reduced by the percentage of their fault in causing the accident.
Consequently, if the value of a person’s claim was $500,000 and they were 15 percent at fault for a crash, they may be able to still obtain $425,000. However, more importantly, based on these laws, even if a person was 99 percent responsible for a crash, they could still recover one percent of the damages allowed.
Protect Your Rights Following an Arizona Car Crash
If you contributed to a Yuma motor vehicle accident, there are things you should do following the crash to help protect your legal rights, especially since the insurance companies will try to fight even harder to prove your fault so that they can pay you the least amount possible. For these reasons, taking action after a motor vehicle collision is important in protecting your financial recovery. Here are some steps you should take:
Contact the Authorities
Contacting the police after a car crash in Yuma will provide you with not only the medical care you need, but they can also conduct an investigation and write a police report which can contain helpful details of the collision, such as what occurred, witness statements, and the police officer’s conclusions regarding who was responsible.
Do Not Admit To Anything
Even if you were partially at fault for the accident, you need to be careful what you say to those around you. This means do not admit any responsibility for causing the crash, apologize for what happened, or make any statements regarding what you believe occurred. These types of comments can help the other side argue you were the most to blame for the crash, which can impact the amount of money you can receive.
Gather Evidence
Try to gather as much evidence following the accident, including photos and videos of the crash scene, the vehicles involved, their placement on the road, and any other details that can help show what happened and who was at fault for the collision.
Contact Territorial Law, LLC, Today and Fight for Your Rights
Even if you contributed to a car accident in Yuma, you may be able to pursue financial damages. However, to better understand these options, contact Territorial Law, LLC today or call us at 928-766-4705 to schedule your free case consultation and review your legal options.