Personal Injury Lawyers - Resources

In Phoenix, Arizona and Taking Cases Nationwide

We believe that the more insight you have into the workings of the legal system, the better prepared you will be for the challenges of the legal process. Below we have provided some basic information about the law and personal injury lawsuits. We have also provided links to other websites that you can visit for more information.

How the Law Works
How Personal Injury Lawsuits Work
Patient Safety Links
Cerebral Palsy Links
General Legal Research Sites
Federal Sites
Arizona Sites
Legal Employment Site
Legal Employment Newsgroups

How The Law Works

Simply stated, the law is divided into two major areas: Criminal and Civil. Criminal cases involve government prosecution of individuals charged with illegal conduct, such as robbery or murder. Civil cases are those dealing with family law, corporate law, and lawsuits brought by one individual against another. Personal injury cases fall under the jurisdiction of civil law.

Just as medical doctors today may be trained as specialists in one particular area of health care, lawyers may also emphasize in practice areas such as corporate, family, or personal injury law. It is critically important for an individual needing legal counsel to seek out a lawyer with the appropriately matched skills and experience.

In a civil suit involving a personal injury complaint, the person who suffers damages is known as the plaintiff. The person or entity accused of causing the injury or damage is known as the defendant. The objective of a personal injury lawsuit is to obtain justice in the form of compensation for the plaintiff on whose behalf the suit is filed.

How Personal Injury Lawsuits Work

Phase One:
A lawsuit is initiated when a complaint is filed in court against the defendant by the plaintiff's lawyer.
Phase Two:
In the discovery process, lawyers gather information that will be used to support or dispute allegations of the lawsuit.
Phase Three:
If the parties involved cannot agree on a negotiated settlement before the appointed trial date, the case proceeds to trial.

Phase One – The Complaint

A lawsuit is initiated when a complaint is filed in court against the defendant by the plaintiff's lawyer. The court numbers each case then issues a summons to each party named as a defendant. The defendant is served with a summons, a copy of the complaint, and is given a specified amount of time (usually 20 to 30 days) to file a formal response. The filing of a lawsuit does not always lead to a trial. An estimated 90 percent of all personal injury claims are settled before trial.

Phase Two: Discovery

In the discovery process, lawyers gather information that will be used to support or dispute allegations of the lawsuit. Lawyers for both sides have equal access to all information gathered during this phase. Discovery includes written questions called interrogatories, requests for documents, and depositions under oath from the parties, witnesses, medical professionals, product and liability experts, and other individuals who can shed relevant light on the claims and defenses in the case.

Each side usually requests extensive written documentation ranging from medical and employment records to photographs and product design specifications. Discovery often requires hundreds of hours logged by our lawyers, paralegals, nurses and other staff members.

During or after discovery, a settlement may be reached. This eliminates the third phase of a personal injury lawsuit, during which the case is tried before a judge and jury.

Phase Three: The Trial

If the parties involved cannot agree on a negotiated settlement before the appointed court date, the case proceeds to trial. The jury selection process then begins, wherein members of the community are called to appear in court as juror candidates. Lawyers from both sides may question the potential jurors, with the right to excuse those individuals who appear to lack impartiality. After a jury is selected, the actual trial can begin.

Without detailing the intricacies of courtroom procedure, the process can be briefly summarized as follows: Lawyers from both sides present opening statements to the jury outlining the case and any supporting evidence that will be presented. After the conclusion of opening statements, the plaintiff's attorney proceeds by presenting evidence to the court.

Evidence is usually a combination of oral witness testimony and physical evidence such as documents, photographs, and medical records. The defense attorney then has the opportunity to present evidence that disputes the plaintiff's claims.

Finally, each lawyer delivers a closing argument to the jury in a last attempt to influence the jurors in favor of his or her client. After deliberating and reaching a decision in secrecy, the jury presents its verdict to the court. If the verdict is in favor of the plaintiff, the jury also specifies a dollar amount to be paid by the defendant.

The jury may award compensatory damages to restore or "compensate for" the plaintiff's losses. In appropriate cases, the jury may also award punitive damages to punish or to deter the defendant and others from engaging in such conduct in the future.

Patient Safety Links

The National Center for Patient Safety (NCPS) embodies the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) uncompromising commitment to reducing and preventing adverse medical events while enhancing the care given our patients. The NCPS represents a unified and cohesive patient safety program, with active participation by all of the VA hospitals supported by dedicated patient safety managers. Our program is unique in healthcare; we focus on prevention not punishment, applying human factor analysis and the safety research of high reliability organizations (aviation and nuclear power) targeted at identifying and eliminating system vulnerabilities.

Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Patient Safety Alerts and Advisories 2005
Veterans Health Administration National Center for Patient Safety.

Cerebral Palsy Links

UCP: Main Page UCP (United Cerebral Palsy) is the world's premier gateway to disability resources on the Internet and is a network for people with disabilities.

NINDS Cerebral Palsy Information Page
Cerebral palsy information page compiled by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

NDSA Homepage
National Disability Sports Alliance (NDSA) homepage.

General Legal Research Sites

American Law Sources Online
A catalogue of legal resources for the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Very current.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Home Page
This service provides access to new Ninth Circuit opinions, an archive of older opinions, docket sheets, documents of the court, pattern jury instructions, links to other courts of the Ninth Circuit, and links to other court units such as the library. Also included are proposed changes to brief formats and a checklist of rule requirements for preparations of briefs and record excerpts. Opinions are easily retrievable using ISYS search software.

Hieros Gamos
This may be the most comprehensive legal site on the Internet. Links are provided to thousands of sites related to the legal profession.

Internet Law Library - U.S. House of Representatives (see LawGuru.com)

Internet Legal Resource Guide
This is an excellent site that provides easily accessed links.

Law Guru
Another major Internet site like Hiero Gamos, LawGuru advertises access to free legal research on 250+ legal search engines and tools.

Law Info
Excellent graphics and organization characterize this list of legal resources. There have been some problems reported with the currency of its listings.

Lectric Law Library
An excellent legal resource on the Web which tries to be as comprehensive as Hieros Gamos and Law Guru. Lectric Law Library does provide links to free resources but often leads the researcher into commercial offerings. Some clever leaps into legal humor make this an enjoyable resource to visit.

Legal Information Institute—Cornell University Law School
http://www.law.cornell.edu/
This location provides one of the most comprehensive listings of legal resources on the Internet, including court opinions, statutes, and rules and regulations.

Thomas—Legislative Information on the Internet
Thomas is one of the most current sources of federal legislative information, including floor activities in Congress, major legislation, legislative histories, congressional record text, and historical documents. It also provides links to congressional Internet services.

World Wide Web Virtual Law Library
This site is maintained by the World Wide Web Consortium. It provides numerous links to law-related sites and also allows searching by subject.

Specialized Federal Internet Sites

FEDWorld

U.S. Government Documents

Government Printing Office (GPO) Locator

United States Code

EDGAR (for SEC Filings)

Library of Congress Home Page

Bureau of Census Gopher

Bureau of Labor Statistics

Social Security Administration

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Environmental Protection Agency

Department of the Interior

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Central Intelligence Agency

Arizona Legal Sites

Arizona State Senate Capitol Complex
Official Web site with direct telephone numbers and emails
1700 West Washington Phoenix, AZ 85007-2890
Info Desk (602) 926-3559 Fax (602) 926-3429 Toll Free: 1-800-352-8404

Arizona House of Representatives Capitol Complex
Official Web site with direct telephone numbers and emails
1700 West Washington Phoenix, AZ 85007-2890
Info Desk (602) 926-4221 Toll Free: 1-800-352-8404

Tucson Office
400 West Congress St. Suite 201 Tucson, AZ 85701
Senate Info Desk (520) 628-6596
House Info Desk (520) 628-6593 Fax (520) 628-6615
Toll Free: 1-800-352-8404

Arizona @ Your Service
Extensive Arizona information.
http://www.az.gov/webapp/portal/

Bar Association
http://www.legaldir.com/
Bar association rules relating to lawyer ads on the World Wide Web.

Commission on Judicial Conduct
http://www.supreme.state.az.us/ethics/default.htm

Arizona State Constitution & Enabling Act
Indexed by article.
http://www.azleg.state.az.us/const/const.htm

Arizona Statutes
http://www.esia.net/arizona_statutes.htm

Arizona State Government Links
http://www.asu.edu/lib/hayden/govdocs/state/

Arizona Secretary of State Public Records.
http://www.sosaz.com/

Arizona Court of Appeals for Division 1
http://www.cofad1.state.az.us/

Arizona Court of Appeals for Division 2
http://www.apltwo.ct.state.az.us/

Arizona GovEngine - State Agencies Listing
http://www.govengine.com/stategov/arizona.html
Information about Arizona agencies, courts, departments, offices, and more.

Arizona Tax and Accounting resources
http://www.taxsites.com/states/arizona.html