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If you’ve recently suffered from a car accident, the at-fault driver is required to pay your medical bills and other expenses. But with Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance, your losses will be covered regardless of who caused the accident.
We understand the nuance of personal injury cases, especially since Arizona is classified as an at-fault state. Get all your questions answered by contacting Shapiro Law Team, Arizona’s go-to firm for successful car accident settlements.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) is insurance coverage that helps cover damages like medical bills, funeral costs, lost wages, and more. What sets this insurance apart is its ability to cover these losses regardless of who’s at fault.
Medical Pay (MedPay) is an insurance policy that covers medical bills and other expenses resulting from a collision. MedPay is optional and will cover the vehicle owner and any passengers injured during the car accident. There’s no policy limit dictating the amount MedPay covers.
Many Arizona residents choose to tack on MedPay to their regular health insurance policy.
By Arizona law, all drivers must have insurance. This includes drivers and operators of motorcycles, mopeds, and even golf carts. Drivers who purchase insurance coverage must meet the minimum liability requirements:
Never get behind the wheel without insurance. Arizona requires these minimum requirements to pay for injuries or property damage should an accident occur. A policy can cover economic, non-economic, and sometimes even punitive damages.
Arizona is an at-fault state. This means at least one driver must be found liable for their negligence. Sometimes the percentage of liability is distributed between two drivers. We refer to this as comparative negligence.
If you’ve been found partially responsible for an accident, your insurance will cover some or all of the expenses resulting from the collision. For example, if you’ve been found 50% at fault for the car accident, you will be expected to pay 50% of the damages.
Unlike some states, Arizona does not offer or require PIP. Most carriers provide coverage for medical payments. However, medical payment coverage does not cover things like lost wages, pain and suffering, and emotional trauma. This is what sets medical payment coverage apart from PIP.
MedPay is also not required in the state of Arizona.
According to the Insurance Research Council (IRC), roughly 12.6% of motorists drove without insurance in 2019. That’s one out of every eight drivers in the United States. Of that number, an estimated 11.8% of motorists were uninsured in Arizona.
If you’ve been involved in a crash with someone who doesn’t have auto insurance or doesn’t meet the minimum coverage requirements, Uninsured Motorist (UM) and Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage will help pay for your losses.
Driving without insurance comes at a cost. If you’ve been pulled over for a traffic violation and can’t provide proof of insurance to law enforcement, you’ll be looking at hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in fines. These are the consequences of driving without insurance, depending on the type of offense:
Of course, if you can provide proof of insurance, the citation will usually be dismissed. Make sure you have proof of insurance in your glove box or somewhere within your vehicle at all times to avoid citations, and never drive without the minimum coverage requirements. Contact Shapiro Law Team with any questions regarding citations and fines; we’re happy to answer them.
If you’ve been pulled over for a routine traffic stop, you’ll need to show valid proof of insurance to law enforcement. To do this, you can show the officer a physical insurance card that lists your policy number. If you don’t have a physical copy, you can also pull out your phone to show them a digital copy of your insurance card.
Other official policy documents might also suffice when required to show proof of insurance.
Determining fault following a car crash should be handled by an experienced car accident lawyer. A lawyer will use evidence like a police report, witness statements, and visuals such as photographs to prove the fault of the negligent party. Here are a few ways our lawyers at Shapiro Law Team determine fault for car accidents:
Proving fault can be tricky. That’s why we recommend you don’t try to represent yourself during legal proceedings. The legal landscape is complex; we’re here to help alleviate your stress in the aftermath of a car crash. Get expert legal help by calling David Shapiro at Shapiro Law Team. We’ll be waiting on the other line.
Life gets complicated after a car accident. We’re here to guide and support you every step of the way. Get your rightful compensation when you contact Shapiro Law Team—Phoenix and Scottsdale’s preferred five-star law firm. With a proven track record of successful settlement stories, we promise to fight tooth and nail for your maximum payout. Get started by contacting us for a free, confidential consultation.
Remember, Shapiro Law Team operates on a contingency fee basis. That means if we don’t win, you won’t pay us a penny. Let’s turn your life around now.