Knowing which laws apply is helpful if you are injured in an accident in Arizona. According to the Arizona law firm Wattel & York, whether you want to file an accident lawsuit in court or deal with an insurance company in settlement talks, it’s vital to understand how Arizona personal injury laws and statutory rules work.
Arizona Statute of Limitations on Injury Cases
Like all states, Arizona also has a law known as the statute of limitations, which sets a deadline for bringing injury cases to court. You have two years from the personal injury to file your personal injury claim or lawsuit. This deadline also affects any case you file after an accident or injury. In most cases, the deadline starts running on your personal injury accident date. However, if you had suffered injuries you discovered later, the two-year time limit starts running on the date you discovered the injuries.
If you wish to file a claim against a county, city, or the State of Arizona, under Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 12-821 and § 12-821.01., you have to file a formal claim within 180 days and a lawsuit within one year.
Arizona’s Comparative Negligence Rule
If you try to hold someone responsible for your injuries and losses, they might argue that you were partly or totally at fault for your injuries. In Arizona, some specific laws apply to injury cases where you are partially responsible, which might reduce the amount of compensation you can recover.
For example, if you are 20 percent at fault for your personal injury accident, Arizona’s comparative negligence rule reduces your total compensation by 20 percent.
Arizona Auto Insurance Laws
When it comes to auto accident cases, Arizona uses an ‘at-fault’ system. That means you can try to settle your car accident claim with insurance companies or proceed to court to prove liability and pursue damages. It’s mandatory in Arizona to have auto insurance. Otherwise, you are subject to a penalty for breaking the law. The mandatory minimum insurance amount is:
- $10,000 in property damage liability
- $15,000 in bodily injury damages for one person
- $30,000 for two people or more
Arizona Dog Bite Rules
The state has specific rules that make a dog’s owner strictly liable if their pet injures someone. Under Ariz. Rev. Stat. §11-1025 and Ariz. Rev. Stat. §11-1020, regardless of the dog’s past behavior, the owner is responsible for an injury caused by their dog.
Even if the dog was on a leash or never bit anyone before and is non-violent or not a vicious animal, the owner is still liable. Dog bites can lead to severe injuries, including lacerations to the face or other body areas or significant trauma. If you are injured in an Arizona dog bite accident, you deserve to seek compensation for your scarring and emotional trauma.
Damage Caps in Injury Cases
A damages cap is a law that limits the compensation amount someone injured can receive in specific cases or for certain kinds of harm. Different states have different damage caps; however, Arizona has no caps on damages concerning personal injury cases. In fact, they are prohibited under the state constitution in Article 2, Section 31.
