Car Accidents

Helping Victims of Auto Accidents in Fort Smith

As you struggle to recover from the injuries you sustained in your accident, the financial burden associated with that process of recovery can be a lot to bear. Though this can all be overwhelming, you will need to remember that we have helped countless people who were in situations like your own. At McCutchen Napurano - The Law Firm, our Fort Smith attorneys will do everything they can to help you recover compensation for your injuries so that you can put this all behind you.

Car Accident Claims in Fort Smith

Our Fort Smith attorneys possess the experience and the resources you will need to pursue any car accident claim, including those involving:

There is no reason that you should have to shoulder the financial burden of an accident for which you are not responsible; our Fort Smith legal team will do everything they can to help you fight for the compensation you need. Our Fort Smith lawyers have over 50 years of combined experience representing victims of all types of automobile collisions.

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What should I do now?

If you or your family has been affected by a car accident, you probably have a lot of important questions that you will need to have answered by a Fort Smith attorney, including:

Who is responsible for the accident?
Who will fix my car?
Who will pay my medical bills?
What will I do if I cannot go back to work?

Though there will be a lot to take care of after the accident, our Fort Smith legal team is here to explain everything and to help you get your life back on track.

What happens after my accident?

The 10 things you should do after your car accident.

At McCutchen Napurano - The Law Firm, our Fort Smith attorneys will work closely with you to assess each of the damages you sustained in the accident, including: your property damage—the damage to your vehicle and to any other personal property, the severity of your injuries and the extent of medical care you will require, and the insurance coverage that is available from all the involved parties so that we may work to maximize the value of your case.

Even if it appears that there is little or no visible damage to your vehicle, you may have sustained injuries from the accident. Despite their minor appearance, low-speed, rear-impact collisions can cause spinal injuries that can affect you for the rest of your life. These cases generally require more expertise than others; therefore, it will be important to have a lawyer who has successfully handled these types of accidents before. Attorney and firm founder Joey McCutchen is a board member of CRASH, a California research team that invests millions of dollars in the science of these types of collisions. Additionally, our team partners with the experts at Digital Motion X-ray to help our clients identify injuries from low-speed collisions as soon as possible.

Depending on your accident, it may become necessary to retain accident reconstruction experts, engineers, medical specialists, and other professionals to make your claim even more clear to the jury. As part of this process, it may also be necessary to dispute the accident report itself, typically because police reports may be inaccurate or incomplete. With so much at stake, our Fort Smith attorneys only work with the most experienced accident reconstructionists to help us tell your side of the story and hold the responsible party accountable.

What if I don’t have injuries?

If you were in an accident in Fort Smith and were lucky enough to escape without any injuries, you may not need a lawyer. However, it is still a good idea to get checked out by your doctor since severe injuries may go undetected for some time. Still, if you were not injured, you will likely be able to handle your claim without a lawyer. To learn about how to pursue a property damage claim in Fort Smith on your own, click here.

What will McCutchen Napurano - The Law Firm do for me?

The legal strategy that our Fort Smith attorneys develop with you will be intended to recover all of the damages you sustained as the result of the accident, including:

If you or your loved ones have been injured in a car accident in Fort Smith, you will need to do everything you can now in order to protect your present and future interests. Remember, do not be discouraged by the insurance company—they are simply looking to delay or deny your claim to make sure that they get away with compensating you as little as possible.

Do I need a Fort Smith auto accident attorney?

After an auto accident, most people believe that the insurance company of the responsible party will simply repair their car, pay their medical bills, and get them back to where they were before the accident happened. After all, that’s what insurance is for, right?

Unfortunately, many insurance companies are more concerned about protecting their bottom line than they are with taking care of you and your family after an accident. They will attempt to pay you as little as possible, oftentimes much less than you deserve in the hope that you will just go away. Alternatively, they will make you play the waiting game by delaying, denying, or defending your claim altogether.

As many accident victims in Fort Smith find out first hand, the less insurance companies pay out in claims, the more profitable they become. Don’t play the insurance company’s game; make the first move by calling the Fort Smith car accident attorneys at McCutchen Napurano - The Law Firm.

Arkansas Car Accident Statistics

The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) recently filed a report to the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) about key traffic accident metrics in the state. According to its data, traffic accidents led to 693 deaths and 2,721 serious injuries in 2021, raising the five-year average to 580 deaths and 2,556, respectively. While serious injuries were considerably below the state’s five-year target of 3,103.8, deaths were 8% above the five-year target of 536.3.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that of those 693 fatalities:

364 occurred in single-vehicle accidents
116 involved a large truck
203 involved a rollover
419 involved a roadway departure
109 occurred in intersections

Furthermore, of all traffic fatalities:

30% were in passenger cars
14% were in pickup trucks
18% were in sports utility vehicles (SUVs)
3% were in vans
4% were in large trucks
14% were on motorcycles
11% were pedestrians
1% were cyclists

The NHTSA also found that 408 fatalities occurred on rural roads, while 285 happened on urban roads. Per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT), rural roads were about 42% deadlier than urban roads.

Of the 448 passenger vehicle occupants who died that year, 228 were not wearing seat belts, versus 180 who were (40 fatalities were coded “unknown”). Arkansas has trailed the national average for seat belt use in each year from 2017 to 2021, often by eight or more percentage points.

Alcohol and speed were two of the top contributors to fatal traffic accidents, accounting for 185 and 148 fatalities, respectively.

There were 96 motorcyclist fatalities in 2021, 53 of whom were not wearing a helmet at the time, or 55% of the total. Elsewhere, the NHTSA noted that motorcycle deaths tripled in the years following Arkansas’s repeal of its mandatory helmet law in 1999.

Seventy-nine pedestrians and 10 cyclists were killed in traffic accidents that year. The NHTSA has said that it believes these deaths were due primarily to motorist behavior, as the preponderance of fatal accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists involved no improper actions on the victim’s part.

Frequently Asked Questions

Many of the people that we work with are reaching out to a lawyer for the first time. Though the process of hiring a lawyer can seem intimidating to some, the team at McCutchen Napurano - The Law Firm is committed to making the process as intuitive as possible. If you are considering hiring a Fort Smith car accident attorney, we know that you have questions, and we are here to make sure that all of your concerns are addressed. Read over our frequently asked questions and get in touch with us today at (479) 783-0036 to dive into the specifics of your case with a member of our team.

How Does Car Insurance Work in Arkansas?

The state of Arkansas follows a traditional fault-based system regarding car insurance. This means that if you are injured in an accident caused by someone else, the at-fault party’s insurer will ultimately be responsible for covering your expenses. At a minimum, Arkansas requires drivers to obtain coverage for the following:

$25,000 covering bodily injury or death
$50,000 covering total bodily injury or death
$25,000 covering damaged property

In addition to this coverage, Arkansas drivers can choose to purchase more comprehensive coverage to protect themselves in the event of an accident. This form of insurance is referred to as personal injury protection (PIP). However, since Arkansas is not a no-fault insurance state, you are not required to purchase this form of coverage.

How Do I Get The Compensation I Need?

Typically, pursuing the compensation that you are owed can be done in three ways, by filing a personal injury claim, by filing a third-party claim with the responsible party’s insurer, or by filing with your insurance company who will likely file a subrogation claim against the at-fault party’s insurance company. Recovering the total amount of compensation that you deserve can be complicated to do alone, especially if you are already dealing with considerable pain and expense. If you hire a lawyer to manage your personal injury case, you have a better chance of reaching a satisfactory settlement expediently.

When Should I File?

Ark. Code § 16-56-105 requires injury victims to take legal action within three years of being injured in an accident. This means that for most injury victims the clock starts ticking the same day that the accident occurs. While three years may seem like a long time, if you are serious about collecting the maximum amount of compensation, you should reach out to a lawyer as soon as possible. Giving your lawyer a healthy amount of time to investigate, value your claim, and build your case will yield the best possible results.

Consult with a Car Accident Attorney in Fort Smith

If you or your loved one has been injured in a car accident anywhere in Fort Smith, you should speak with a Fort Smith car accident attorney, at McCutchen Napurano - The Law Firm to begin assessing the legal action that may be available to you. To discuss the particulars of your claim with one of our personal injury attorneys, please call our offices at (479) 783-0036 or take a moment to fill our web contact form.