Car accident
Car Accident Attorneys in Tucson, Arizona
The firms in this guide
- Hollingsworth Kelly Law Firm Call Hollingsworth Kelly Law Firm: (520) 882-8080
- Rockafellow Law Firm Call Rockafellow Law Firm: (520) 334-1354
- Karnas Law Firm, PLLC Call Karnas Law Firm, PLLC: (520) 571-9700
- Zanes Law Injury Lawyers Call Zanes Law Injury Lawyers: (520) 777-7777
- Schmidt and Sethi Law Firm, PLLC
1. Hollingsworth Kelly Law Firm
Practice Focus: Car accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, drunk driving accidents, truck accidents, medical malpractice, catastrophic injury, wrongful death litigation
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, T-bone accidents, DUI-related accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, catastrophic injury cases, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, pedestrian accidents on I-10 and I-19, multi-vehicle pileups
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical lien resolution, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims, expert witness coordination, accident reconstruction
Background: Louis Hollingsworth is a Certified Specialist in Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation by the State Bar of Arizona. Born and raised in Tucson, he has obtained jury verdicts and settlements exceeding millions of dollars. The firm combines 50 years of courtroom experience. Hollingsworth Kelly has been recognized as a Best Law Firm in U.S. News and World Report since 2012. The firm includes Hon. John F. Kelly (Ret.), who served on the Pima County Superior Court bench for 22 years, and Julia Kaiserman, former head of the Fraud Department at the Pima County Attorney’s Office.
Location: 3501 North Campbell, Suite 104, Tucson, Arizona 85719
Contact: (520) 882-8080 | https://www.hollingsworthlaw.com/
Consultation: Free consultation, contingency fee basis (no fee unless recovery is obtained)
2. Rockafellow Law Firm
Practice Focus: Auto accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, medical malpractice, catastrophic and burn injuries, slip and fall accidents, wrongful death, insurance bad faith
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, multi-vehicle accidents, distracted driver accidents, uninsured and underinsured motorist claims, fatal vehicle accidents, dram shop liability cases, defective roadway accidents, head injuries, spinal injuries
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, dram shop liability claims, uninsured motorist claims, accident investigation, expert witness retention, property damage claims
Background: Leighton H. Rockafellow founded the firm over 35 years ago. He is AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and certified as a specialist in personal injury and wrongful death and as a civil trial specialist by the State Bar of Arizona. The firm has more than 40 years of combined experience. Notable results include $4 million for a car crash resulting in paraplegia, $2 million for a car crash resulting in brain injury, and $750,000 for a truck versus car crash with brain injury.
Location: 2438 East Broadway Boulevard, Tucson, Arizona 85719
Contact: (520) 334-1354 | https://www.rockafellowlaw.com/
Consultation: Free consultation available during business hours, evenings, and weekends by appointment; contingency fee basis
3. Karnas Law Firm, PLLC
Practice Focus: Personal injury, auto accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, dog bites, slip and fall accidents, wrongful death
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, intersection accidents, red light runner accidents, multi-vehicle collisions, child injury claims, vehicle defect claims, distracted driving accidents, drunk driving accidents, catastrophic injury cases
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical provider coordination, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims, child injury claims
Background: The firm has over 50 years of combined experience and has recovered over $50 million in damages for clients. The firm has served over 10,000 clients. Lead attorney M. David Karnas founded the firm and has received recognition from the National Trial Lawyers Top 100, Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys, and Lawyers of Distinction. The firm operates offices in Tucson, Phoenix, and Yuma.
Location: 4810 E. Broadway Boulevard, Tucson, Arizona 85711
Contact: (520) 571-9700 | https://karnaslaw.com/
Consultation: Free consultation, contingency fee basis, bilingual services available (Spanish)
4. Zanes Law Injury Lawyers
Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, bus accidents, construction accidents, dog bites, wrongful death, premises liability
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, T-bone accidents, speeding accidents, distracted driving accidents, DUI accidents, hit-and-run accidents, uninsured motorist claims, underinsured motorist claims, multi-vehicle pileups
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, accident investigation, evidence documentation, medical bill management, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims
Background: The firm has over 25 years of experience with a reported 99% success rate. Founded by Doug Zanes, the firm has recovered over $500 million in compensation for clients. Zanes Law maintains offices throughout Arizona, including Tucson and Phoenix. The firm has experience with Arizona’s pure comparative negligence laws and local traffic patterns on I-10 and I-19 corridors.
Location: 4580 E Grant Rd #101, Tucson, Arizona 85712
Contact: (520) 777-7777 | (866) 499-8989 | https://zaneslaw.com/tucson-injury/car-accident-lawyer/
Consultation: Free consultation available 24/7, contingency fee basis (no upfront fees)
5. Schmidt and Sethi Law Firm, PLLC
Practice Focus: Personal injury, car accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, wrongful death, catastrophic injuries, medical malpractice
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, T-bone accidents, intersection accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, brain injuries, spinal injuries, burn injuries, catastrophic injuries, wrongful death from auto accidents
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, accident reconstruction, medical lien resolution, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims
Background: The firm has recovered over $100 million for clients. The attorneys are board-certified in personal injury and wrongful death litigation. The firm has AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell. Attorneys have been recognized by Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America. The firm maintains a 98% success rate with most cases ending in fair settlement. The firm is committed to community involvement in Tucson and Southern Arizona.
Location: Tucson, Arizona (specific address available upon contact)
Contact: Contact through website | https://www.azinjurylaw.com/
Consultation: Free consultation, contingency fee basis
Arizona Fault, Deadline and Insurance Rules for Tucson Car Crashes
Arizona lets an injured driver recover even when partly at fault, but a claim against a city or other public entity runs on a far shorter clock than a claim against another driver. Both rules matter after a crash in Tucson.
Pure Comparative Fault
Under A.R.S. § 12-2505(A), the injured person’s fault does not bar the action; it reduces the damages in proportion to the injured person’s share. For example, imagine a Tucson driver with $70,000 in damages who is found 60 percent at fault: the recovery would be $28,000. The reduction does not apply in favor of a claimant who intentionally, wilfully or wantonly caused or contributed to the injury, and the defense of contributory negligence or assumption of risk is in all cases a question of fact left to the jury.
Two Years Against a Driver
A.R.S. § 12-542 requires an action for injuries to the person to be commenced within two years after the cause of action accrues, except as provided in § 12-551, and an action for wrongful death accrues on the date of death.
180 Days to Present a Claim Against a Public Entity
When a city, county, school or other public entity or public employee is involved, A.R.S. § 12-821.01 requires a claim to be filed with the person authorized to accept service within 180 days after the cause of action accrues. The claim must contain facts sufficient for the entity to understand the basis of liability, a specific amount for which it can be settled and the facts supporting that amount; a late claim is barred. Under § 12-821, the lawsuit itself must be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues.
Liability Insurance Minimums
For policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2020, A.R.S. § 28-4009(A)(2)(b) sets minimum liability limits of $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person, $50,000 for two or more people and $15,000 for property damage in one accident.
Tucson Car Accident Questions
Does every Arizona auto policy include uninsured motorist coverage?
No, not automatically. A.R.S. § 20-259.01(A) requires every insurer to make uninsured motorist coverage available and to offer it by written notice, in limits not less than the policy’s bodily injury liability limits, on a form approved by the director. The policy declarations page constitutes the final expression of the named insured’s decision to purchase or reject the coverage, so it shows whether the coverage was bought.
What must a driver do after a crash that injures someone?
A.R.S. § 28-661 requires the driver to stop immediately at or as close as possible to the scene and remain until the duties in § 28-663 are met: giving name, address and vehicle registration, showing a license on request and rendering reasonable assistance, including carrying an injured person to a physician or hospital. Under § 28-666, the driver must also give notice immediately, by the quickest means, to the local police department if the crash is within a municipality, to the county sheriff’s office or to the nearest highway patrol office.
Who can bring a wrongful death claim after a Tucson crash?
Under A.R.S. § 12-612, the action may be brought by the surviving husband or wife, child, parent or guardian, or the personal representative, for the benefit of the surviving spouse, children or parents, or of the estate if none survive. Section 12-613 directs the jury to award damages it deems fair and just with reference to the injury to the surviving parties, considering mitigating or aggravating circumstances.