Trying to merge in safety while on a busy interstate like I-10 can be stressful. Merging accidents can happen at any time. If your vehicle has been hit while merging, and you have been injured, you may be able to recover compensation with the help of a personal injury attorney.
A successful personal injury claim can help to pay for the damage done to your vehicle, medical expenses and any lost earnings while you are receiving treatment or recovering at home.
Interstate I-10 in Arizona
I-10 is a major east-west highway that connects California, Arizona and New Mexico. In Arizona, it enters the state from California near Ehrenberg, passes through the large metropolitan areas of Phoenix and Tucson, and then extends to the New Mexico border near the town of San Simon.
As with other major highways, certain sections of I-10 have been named as they pass through cities. In the Phoenix area, for example, I-10 is variously better known as the Papago Freeway and the Inner Loop.
Certain sections of I-10 are extremely busy. The section of I-10 with the largest number of lanes is in the Tempe area where the freeway is 12 lanes wide and carries over 300,000 vehicles a day. It’s easy to see why merging accidents can become commonplace in these conditions.
What to Do If Hit While Merging On I-10
Arizona, like many other states, has laws that allow an injured motorist claim compensation after an injury for which they were not to blame. Arizona has a comparative negligence rule that means that even if it is decided that you were partly to blame for your own injuries, you can still obtain compensation in proportion to the allocation of blame.
It is important to get your claim filed within Arizona’s statute of limitations. This is 2 years from the date of the injury or less if the merging accident was caused by someone working for a government agency.
In fact, it is advisable to get your claim filed as soon as you are ready to do so. The longer you leave it, the harder it is to find sufficient evidence to link the other driver to your injuries.
Evidence to Gather If Hit While Merging On I-10
If you have been injured and are considering filing a personal injury claim, you will need to obtain evidence which clearly links the accident to your injuries and establishes that a certain person’s negligence caused the accident.
Suitable evidence includes the police report made at the time of the crash and witness statements. You may be able to obtain your own evidence while at the scene of the crash by obtaining witness contact details and taking photos of damage done to the vehicles involved.
Don’t forget to get copies of any medical reports and collect any invoices for medical treatment as well as evidence of lost earnings while you cannot return to work.
Hire a Personal Injury Attorney
Settling a personal injury claim after a merging accident can be difficult unless you have an experienced personal injury attorney to help you prepare your case. Successful claims depend on being able to prove who was at fault.
Your attorney can help you obtain valuable evidence and negotiate skillfully with the insurance adjuster assigned to your claim.
