How are the Various Arizona Courts Different?

When you are injured by a negligent party in Arizona, you can file an Arizona personal injury claim to recoup compensation for your losses. Where you file your Arizona personal injury claim is dependant on the details of your specific situation. Remember though, under Arizona law, you have a two-year time frame from the date of your accident to file your claim. This timeframe is known as the statute of limitations.

It may seem like that is a long amount of time, but anything can come up that could cause you to miss the deadline. This is why it is so important not to delay in starting the Arizona personal injury claim process so that you don’t miss out on your opportunity to obtain compensation. Working with the Arizona personal injury attorneys at ELG, you will be assured that your Arizona personal injury claim can be handled properly.

What are the Differences Between the Courts?

Justice of the peace courts

An Arizona justice of the peace court is limited in which cases that it will hear. When you have a traffic violation, a civil protection order, domestic restraining order you can plead your case at a justice of the peace court. Additionally, tort cases where a settlement will not be more than $10,000 are also heard here. Within the justice of the peace court, there are small claims divisions. These divisions only see cases in which damages will not be more than $3,500.

Superior courts

Every county across the state of Arizona has a minimum of one superior court. Superior courts are responsible for hearing the most cases as they handle both Arizona civil and criminal cases. Typically, if you have an Arizona personal injury claim, you would be taking it to a superior court. To be heard, you must be suing for damages that are no less than $1,000. While there are minimums to the damages your case is claiming, there are no caps so even the most expensive cases in the millions will be taken to the superior court.

Federal courts

When you have a case where there was a violation of federal law or if there was misconduct associated with the United States Constitution, you would be having your case heard in the federal court. The other types of cases a federal court will see are those that have a plaintiff who does not live in the same state as the defendant and the case is worth at least $75,000. Some cases have the potential to be seen in a federal court but they could also be filed in a state court. To understand the ins and outs of where the best place to file, it is best to seek the advice of an experienced Phoenix serious injury attorney.

Appellate Court

When you are handed down a decision from the superior court and you disagree with it, you would take it to the appellate court for reconsideration. This is where the outcomes of cases have the ability to be appealed. When the appellate court still provides you with a decision you disagree with, you would go to the Arizona Supreme Court where the decision may or may not be heard.

Speak with an Arizona Personal Injury Attorney

The Arizona personal injury attorneys can answer all of your questions regarding the Arizona personal injury claims process. To have an experienced Arizona serious injury attorney at ELG examine your accident situation, please call (623) 877-3600 to schedule your free consultation.