Understanding the legal terms in your personal injury case gives you a real advantage when talking to insurance companies, doctors, and attorneys. The guides below break down key Arizona injury law concepts in plain English — no jargon.
Arizona Personal Injury Law — Key Concepts
Comparative Negligence in Arizona
Arizona’s pure comparative fault rule — how fault percentages affect your recovery even if you were partly responsible.
Key cite: ARS § 12-2505
Statute of Limitations in Arizona
You have 2 years to file most personal injury claims. Miss it and the case is barred — with very few exceptions.
Key cite: ARS § 12-542
Pain and Suffering Damages
How non-economic damages are calculated — and why Arizona has no statutory cap on pain and suffering awards.
Key cite: AZ Constitution Art. 2 § 31
Wrongful Death Claims in Arizona
Who can sue when a family member dies due to negligence — and what damages surviving family members can recover.
Key cite: ARS § 12-611
Contingency Fee Lawyers
No upfront costs — how contingency fee arrangements work and what the fee covers in Arizona PI cases.
Key cite: Arizona Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 1.5
Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Arizona requires insurers to offer UM/UIM coverage. What it covers when the at-fault driver has no insurance.
Key cite: ARS § 20-259.01
Personal Injury Demand Letters
What goes in a demand letter, when to send it, and why the demand amount strategy matters for your final settlement.
Subrogation in Personal Injury Cases
When your health insurer seeks reimbursement from your settlement — what it means and how attorneys negotiate it.
Respondeat Superior — Employer Liability
How employers can be held liable for their employees’ negligent actions — key doctrine in truck accident and workplace cases.
Full Legal Glossary — Arizona
A-Z glossary of personal injury legal terms — from “affirmative defense” to “vicarious liability” — with Arizona-specific context.
Negligence in Arizona
The four elements every PI plaintiff must prove — duty, breach, causation, and damages — plus negligence per se and gross negligence.
Duty of Care in Arizona
How legal duty is defined by relationship — driver to other motorists, property owner to visitors, doctor to patient — and when it can be breached.
Punitive Damages in Arizona
Arizona’s “evil mind” standard for punitive awards — when they apply, how courts calculate them, and why there is no statutory cap.
Key case: Rawlings v. Apodaca (1986)
Premises Liability in Arizona
Landowner duties to invitees, licensees, and trespassers — how visitor status determines the level of care owed in slip-and-fall and property injury cases.
Medical Liens in Arizona
Hospital liens under ARS § 36-2903, Medicare/Medicaid subrogation, and workers’ comp liens — what gets paid out of your settlement and how to negotiate them down.
Key cite: ARS § 36-2903
Dram Shop Liability in Arizona
When bars and restaurants can be held liable for serving alcohol to someone who then causes a drunk driving accident — Arizona’s social host and dram shop rules.
Loss of Consortium in Arizona
Compensation for a spouse’s loss of companionship and support when their partner is seriously injured — who can claim it and how Arizona courts calculate it.
Sovereign Immunity in Arizona
When and how you can sue the Arizona state or local government for negligence — the limited waivers under Arizona’s governmental liability statutes.
MedPay Coverage in Arizona
Medical Payments coverage — how Arizona’s MedPay works alongside your health insurance and UM/UIM coverage in personal injury claims.
Independent Medical Examinations (IME)
What an IME is, why insurers request them, and what your rights are when an insurance company sends you to their own doctor in an Arizona PI case.
Structured Settlements in Personal Injury
Lump-sum vs. structured settlement payments — the tax advantages, tradeoffs, and when periodic payments serve seriously injured plaintiffs better.
Need Help With Your Case?
These guides are educational — every case is different. If you were hurt in an accident anywhere in Arizona, call Wood Injury Law at (623) 207-0000 for a free consultation with Attorney Josh Wood directly.