Our practice areas include:
Personal Injury - Includes serious spinal cord and brain injuries, dog bites, burns, explosions, drunk driving, workplace injuries and insurance claims.
Motor Vehicle Accidents - Includes car accidents, bicycle / bus / motorcycle / truck accidents, drunk driving, hit and run, rollovers and pedestrian accidents.
Wrongful Death - Includes every area of personal injury law and damages may cover funeral expenses, loss of consortium by the surviving spouse and children, loss of future earnings, medical bills and pain / suffering.
Defective Products - Includes cases involving dangerous or defective consumer products and household appliances, including toys, ladders, chemicals, and cosmetics.
Our personal injury and wrongful death practice involves serious medical conditions such as traumatic head, brain and spinal cord injuries that have resulted from motor vehicle (car / motorcycle / truck / pedestrian) accidents as well as injuries from defective products.
Click here for more information on our individual areas of practice.
Melanie Beauchamp, the principal attorney at Beauchamp Law Office, P.C., is a graduate of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and she strongly believes that a law firm exists to serve the needs of the client. Ms. Beauchamp holds a master's degree in economics in addition to her law degree and clerked for two separate justices at the Supreme Court of Arizona after graduating law school. This experience gave her a unique insight into the legal process and judicial system that she applies to her practice today. After leaving the Supreme Court, she practiced at a large Phoenix firm before establishing her current practice. She is active throughout the community and participates in many charitable activities, including the festival of lights, local high school charities and various other children's causes.
At Beauchamp Law Office, P.C., we understand that the legal process can be confusing and daunting, which is why we promise to give frequent case updates, to promptly return phone calls / emails and to communicate effectively with our clients to ensure they make the best decisions for themselves and their families. We stress service in our practice and provide clients with the following:
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Free initial consultations with an attorney - not a paralegal; |
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Toll-free access at 1-888-551-0927; |
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Personal care and attention by an experienced attorney; |
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Efficient and effective legal representation; |
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Contingency fees in injury cases - no recovery no fee. |
Contact the wrongful death attorneys of the Beauchamp Law Office P.C. at our office in Phoenix, Arizona today. For immediate assistance call us toll-free at 1-888-551-0927.
What to do After an Accident
Immediately after an accident you should protect your legal rights by doing the following:
• Do not leave the scene. Get the police involved and be sure to exchange insurance information.
• Help the injured. Call for paramedics and be ready to give an accurate location of the accident.
• Avoid additional car accidents. Make sure your vehicle is not presenting a safety hazard to other motorists by using flares or hazard lights.
• Do not admit responsibility for the car accident to other drivers, passengers, or to the police for that matter. Simply give a brief statement to the police about how the accident occurred.
• Obtain information of others. You should get the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of anyone involved in the accident or any witnesses. If possible, take pictures to document the accident scene including skid marks, road obstructions, and damage to vehicles.
• Notify your insurance company. You should provide your insurance company with all information they request concerning the facts of the car accident.
• Never speak to the other insurance company without the advice of an attorney. They record your statement and can possibly twist your words to shift the blame of the accident on you.
• Consult a doctor if you have been injured. Some injuries may not appear right away. Just because you do not feel as though you have been injured it does not mean that an injury has not occurred.
• In Arizona, you have a two-year statute of limitation period in which you must file a lawsuit or your claim is lost. By seeking an attorney immediately, the accident can be investigated while the events are still fresh and evidence can be documented.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do I need to see a doctor? I’m not hurt that bad.
You should always see your primary care physician after any accident. By not seeing a doctor right away, you risk further injury and possibly longer treatment. A minor injury could be a sign of a more serious injury. Insurance companies will also argue over the severity of your injuries by the failure to see a doctor immediately and could try to blame those injuries from an unrelated incident.
2. What compensation will I receive?
Basically, you are entitled to any costs associated with the accident. These include medical bills, prescriptions, out-of-pocket costs such as hot or cold packs, lost wages, mileage to and from doctor offices, and your pain and suffering. You will also be reimbursed for the damage to your car, including towing charges and a rental car.
3. Can I use my personal health insurance to pay my medical bills?
Yes. These claims can take awhile before they are resolved so we strongly recommend our clients to use their medical insurance to pay their bills. You will still be able to claim those same medical bills for reimbursement – whether they are paid or not. However, certain health insurance companies may request reimbursement from the accident claim.
4. What do I do if the other driver has no insurance?
Unfortunately, this is more common than we would like to see. However, if you carry uninsured motorist coverage on your vehicle, you can file a claim with your own insurance company. They will treat your claim the same as if you were filing a claim with the other driver’s insurance company. Because insurance companies have such a wide variety of available coverage, you should seek the expert advice of an attorney.
5. What if the other driver does not have enough insurance to pay my claim?
So you have filed your claim and the settlement amount is much lower than the total amount of your claim. In this event, you have a right to file a claim with your own insurance company if you have underinsured coverage. An expert attorney knows how to look for such coverage and make sure you are completely reimbursed for your claim.
6. When is the best time to settle my case?
The best time to settle your case is when your doctor has release you from treatment. Anytime before that release, you would end up being personally responsible for any additional medical bills incurred. You have two years after the date of your accident to settle your claim with the insurance company. However, if you are still treating the time can be extended by filing a lawsuit. At Beauchamp Law Office, we think your health is important and would never jeopardize your claim by settling early.
7. The other driver’s insurance company wants me to give a statement. What should I do?
We recommend that you not provide a statement. Remember, they record these statement and insurance adjusters are very good at twisting the facts. It should not be necessary for you to make a statement for liability to be established; however, in some cases it can be necessary. You should have an experience attorney with you when making a statement to protect your rights and ensure that a proper statement is given.
8. They want me to sign a medical authorization. Why?
Unfortunately, insurance companies have a general medical authorization that gives them the right to obtain any medical records, whether they are accident related or not. Unrelated medical records may be used against you and could jeopardize your claim. Beauchamp Law Office handles this for you. We get your medical records related only to the accident and provide them to the insurance company so that the injuries you sustained are the only ones the insurance company knows about.
9. They sent me a check in the mail for my accident. Can I cash it?
No. If you cash the check you are accepting that payment as full settlement of your claims. Any medical bills or other related costs will then become your personal responsibility. Of course, it is in the insurance company’s best interest to settle claims before you hire an attorney so they can reduce the amount of money you are justly entitled to.
10. What can I do to help my claim?
Since we are not there at the time of the accident, the best thing you can do is take pictures of the accident scene, include the damage to the cars, any skid marks on the road, any conditions such as a pot hole or obstruction in the road, and anything you feel would be helpful to your claim. You should also take pictures of your injuries while they are fresh. You may find this to not be very appealing, but those pictures are very important to your claim. In a few days when your injuries have peaked, such as bruising, you should take additional pictures.
About Ms. Beauchamp:
Ms. Beauchamp's practice emphasizes defending the rights of the accused impaired driver (DUI), personal injury, civil litigation, misdemeanor criminal offenses, traffic violations and civil and criminal appeals. Ms. Beauchamp and her staff are dedicated to responsive and efficient service. Ms. Beauchamp is an aggressive and experienced trial attorney who works vigorously to protect and assert the rights and privileges of her clients. Ms. Beauchamp uses technology to ensure the highest quality legal services and cost effectiveness for her clients.
Ms. Beauchamp has a law degree from the University of Virginia, a Masters in economics from George Mason University and a bachelor of arts, honors, in economics from York University in Toronto, Canada. Ms. Beauchamp attends legal education seminars and meets weekly with other members of the criminal defense bar to discuss strategy, case law and trial techniques.
Arizona Personal Injury Attorney