Primary Location
Phoenix Personal Injury Lawyers
2700 N Central Ave Suite 320, Phoenix, AZ 85004, United States
Phone: (602) 905-7766
Call us at (855) 855-8910
Call us at (855) 855-8910
Every accident victim in Phoenix asks the same question: what's my case actually worth? There's no single answer. Your settlement depends on a mix of factors that are unique to your situation.
Medical bills get the conversation started. Hospital stays, surgeries, PT appointments, prescriptions, imaging. All of it counts. But here's the thing most people miss: the bills alone don't drive the number.
Your lost wages play a big role too. Missed paychecks, used-up PTO, a job you can't go back to because of your injuries. And then there's the stuff that's harder to put a dollar sign on. Pain. Anxiety. Not being able to pick up your kids the way you used to.
A few things that push settlement values up or down in Phoenix:
How bad are your injuries? A strained neck from a fender-bender and a herniated disc requiring surgery are two very different conversations with an insurance company.
What did treatment cost? We're talking past bills and what you'll need going forward. Future surgeries, ongoing therapy, medication you'll be on for years.
Did you lose income? Current lost wages and your ability to earn what you used to earn both factor in.
How much coverage does the at-fault party carry? Their policy limits create a practical ceiling in a lot of cases. It's frustrating, but it's reality.
One thing working in your favor: Arizona doesn't cap compensatory damages. So if you've got a severe injury, the sky really is the limit on what you can recover. Phoenix's heavy traffic on I-10 and I-17 means multi-vehicle pileups are common, and those wrecks near Arcadia and Maryvale tend to involve serious injuries that raise settlement values.
Our attorneys secured a $1.25 million settlement for a client rear-ended on the freeway who needed spine surgery. Lost earnings were a big part of why that number landed where it did.
Arizona uses what's called pure comparative negligence, spelled out in A.R.S. 12-2505 [1]. In plain English: you can still get money even if the accident was partly your fault. Your payout gets cut by your share of the blame.
So if a jury says you're 40% at fault on a $100,000 claim? You walk away with $60,000. Found 20% responsible? You keep $80,000. Simple math, complicated fight.
Here's where it gets messy. Insurance adjusters in Phoenix love to pile fault onto you. It's their favorite move because every percentage point they add to your column saves them money. Sun glare on Camelback Road? They'll argue you should've been wearing sunglasses. You slowed down at a yellow light? They'll say you stopped too suddenly.
We push back on that. Hard. We use accident reconstruction, witness statements, dashcam footage, traffic camera recordings. Whatever it takes to keep your fault percentage where it belongs.
When you file a claim after an accident in Phoenix, your damages break into two buckets. Knowing the difference helps you figure out if an offer is covering everything.
These are the concrete numbers. Medical bills you've already paid. Future treatment your doctors say you'll need. Wages you missed while recovering. Reduced earning capacity if you can't do the same job anymore. Property damage to your vehicle. The cost of a wheelchair, medication, or modifications to your home.
Non-economic damages are trickier to calculate but just as real. The pain that wakes you up at 3 AM. Anxiety every time you get behind the wheel again. Missing your daughter's soccer games because you can't stand on the sideline. Scars that make you self-conscious. The strain on your marriage.
Phoenix medical costs run above the national average, and Maricopa County is no exception. When an adjuster pulls up some national database to lowball your medical expenses, your attorney needs to call that out. Your treatment happened here, at Phoenix prices.
Arizona also allows punitive damages in extreme cases. If someone was driving drunk or acting with reckless disregard for your safety, the court can tack on extra money to punish that behavior.
You got a check-sized number in the mail from the insurance company. Before you get excited, slow down. Most first offers are designed to make you go away, not to make you whole.
A real offer should cover your full medical bills. Not 80%. All of them. It should account for future treatment too, the follow-up surgeries your surgeon recommended, the PT sessions you haven't started yet.
It should replace your lost income. Past and future. And it should include something meaningful for pain and suffering, not a token $500 line item tacked onto the end.
First offers from insurers are almost always below what the claim is worth. They're counting on you being overwhelmed, exhausted, or just ready to move on. That's their strategy.
We had a client with a soft tissue injury. The insurance company's final offer before trial? $12,500. Our attorneys took it to a jury. Verdict came back at nearly $50,000. More than four times what the insurer wanted to pay. Not every case goes to trial, but this one shows what happens when you don't just take whatever they hand you.
If an offer skips over your future medical needs, walk away from it. If it pretends your pain doesn't exist, reject it. You didn't cause this accident, and you shouldn't subsidize the insurance company's profit margin. Our insurance dispute lawyers in Phoenix make sure you don't.
When an insurer consistently low-balls offers or delays without a valid reason, it may cross the line into bad faith insurance conduct that entitles you to additional damages beyond the underlying claim.
People ask us all the time: is hiring a lawyer really worth it when they take a percentage? Short answer: yes. And the numbers back it up. Studies consistently show represented claimants recover significantly more, even after the attorney's fee comes out.
What does your attorney actually do that changes the outcome?
First, we build a demand package that tells your story with evidence. Medical records, bills, expert opinions, documentation of every loss. A sloppy demand gets a lowball response. A thorough one sets the tone.
Then comes negotiation. Adjusters do this for a living. They know every trick. Your attorney matches their experience and pushes back when they try to minimize your injuries.
Liens and subrogation are another place where your attorney earns their fee. If your health insurer or workers' comp carrier paid your medical bills, they want that money back from your settlement. We negotiate those liens down, sometimes significantly, so you take home more.
And if the insurance company refuses to come to a fair number? We file suit. Phoenix courts often require mediation before trial, and a skilled local attorney uses that process as leverage. The threat of a Maricopa County jury is a powerful motivator.
We work on contingency. You pay zero upfront. No fee unless we recover money for you. Your interests and ours run in the same direction.
The Simon Law Group brings over 250 years of combined experience and more than $600 million recovered for clients to every negotiation. That track record from our Phoenix injury law practice matters when you're sitting across the table from an insurance company.
When do I get paid? Clients ask us this question more than any other. And the honest answer is: it depends.
Straightforward claims, clear liability, minor injuries, responsive insurer, those can wrap up in a few weeks to a couple months. You finish treatment, we send a demand, they pay.
But plenty of cases aren't straightforward. Disputed fault. Serious injuries that need months of treatment. Multiple parties pointing fingers at each other. Those cases take six months or longer. Settling too early, before you know the full extent of your injuries, usually means you're shortchanging yourself.
Once both sides agree on a number, here's how it plays out. You sign a release that ends your right to come back for more money on this claim. The insurer cuts a check, typically within 30 days. Your attorney takes out fees and pays off any medical liens. Then you get the rest.
Arizona gives you two years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit under A.R.S. 12-542 [2]. That sounds like plenty of time until it isn't. Evidence disappears. Witnesses move. Memories fade. And Maricopa County Superior Court timelines add their own delays if your case ends up in litigation.
Don't sit on this. Call early.
Roughly 95% of personal injury cases settle before trial. And for good reason. Settlement is faster, less expensive, and takes the gamble out of a jury verdict. For a lot of Phoenix injury victims, a solid settlement is the smart move.
But some cases belong in front of a jury.
You should think about trial when the offer on the table is insultingly low for a permanent or severe injury. Or when fault is genuinely disputed and you believe a jury will see it your way. Or when the insurance company is dragging their feet, lowballing you, refusing to engage in good-faith negotiation.
Phoenix gives you an advantage here. Maricopa County juries have a reputation for larger verdicts compared to rural Arizona courtrooms. Insurers know this. When your attorney has a track record of actually trying cases in Maricopa County, the other side takes settlement negotiations more seriously.
Bottom line: your lawyer should be someone who can walk into a courtroom and win. Our trial attorneys in Phoenix do exactly that. That willingness to go to trial is what keeps insurance companies from taking advantage of you.
A client's auto collision required disc replacement surgery. Our legal team negotiated a $1.5 million settlement without going to trial. The key was building a case that showed the full impact on our client's daily life and future earning ability.
Another client needed spinal decompression surgery after an accident. We settled for $925,000 before litigation even started. Getting that done early meant our client could focus on recovery instead of a drawn-out legal fight.
And a three-car pileup left a client with a lumbar discectomy. We pushed for $500,000 in that settlement, and our client went back to full-time work.
Every case is different. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Settlement value always traces back to the legal framework behind your claim — what Arizona counts as compensable, how comparative fault adjusts your recovery, and how the statute of limitations pressures both sides.
What's the average personal injury settlement in Phoenix? It ranges widely. Minor soft-tissue stuff like whiplash or sprains usually settles between $5,000 and $15,000. Fractures and concussions land in the $15,000 to $70,000 range. Severe injuries, think TBI, spinal cord damage, paralysis, often exceed $500,000. Arizona's pure comparative fault rule, the absence of damage caps, and the collateral source rule all shape the final number. Start with a free case review in Phoenix to understand where your case falls.
Our attorneys have handled personal injury cases across Arizona and California. We know how Phoenix insurance companies operate, and we know how to push back.
That number reflects real results for real families — medical bills paid, lost wages recovered, and futures protected.
You pay nothing upfront. Our fee comes out of your settlement or verdict. If we do not win your case, you owe us nothing.
Accidents do not follow business hours. Neither do we. Call (602) 905-7766 any time — nights, weekends, and holidays.
Our Phoenix team works out of 2700 N Central Ave, Suite 320. We know the roads, the courts, and the insurance adjusters you are up against.
“After a crash, you need a team that answers the phone, explains your options, and fights for every dollar you are owed. That is what we do at The Simon Law Group.”
Over 250 years of combined attorney experience
Phoenix office at 2700 N Central Ave, Suite 320 |
Licensed in Arizona and California
Crashes caused by impaired or drunk drivers
Whiplash, back injuries, and low-speed collision claims
Hit-and-run crashes and unidentified driver claims
Serious injuries from head-on and wrong-way crashes
High-speed crashes on Phoenix freeways and surface streets
Simple claims can wrap up in weeks. Contested cases with big injuries? Six to 18 months is common. Maricopa County mediation requirements can add time, but they also create a structured opportunity to reach a deal before trial.
Generally no, at least not on the portion that compensates you for physical injuries. That's protected under federal and state law. Punitive damages and interest on the award are a different story, those get taxed. Worth checking with a tax professional for your specific situation.
After attorney fees, which typically run 33% to 40%, plus medical liens and case costs, most people take home between 50% and 65% of the gross settlement. Your attorney will map this out for you before you agree to anything.
Almost never. First offers are lowball offers dressed up to look reasonable. A personal injury settlement lawyer in Phoenix knows what your claim is actually worth and will negotiate accordingly.
It can. Your payout drops by whatever percentage of fault gets assigned to you. But even at 49% fault, you still collect. And a good attorney fights to keep your fault percentage as low as possible.
You're not out of luck. Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, called UM/UIM, can kick in. An attorney can dig into every available policy, including umbrella coverage and third-party claims, to find money for your case.
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