Firm News & Blog
Discovery and Disclosure: Why So Many Rules?
Your case thrives or dies under Arizona’s strict discovery and disclosure rules After a lawsuit is filed and served on the defendant, and after the Defendant files a responsive Answer to the lawsuit, the case enters discovery and disclosure. During this extended period leading up to trial, the parties exchange, produce, and create evidence in […]
December 4, 2018 Posted in Civil Litigation Comments Off on Discovery and Disclosure: Why So Many Rules?
Arizona’s Approach to Selecting Judges and Justices
Arizona’s Approach to Selecting Judges and Justices is Unique to our nation It’s election season and in Arizona, voters are asked every six years whether a judge or justice should keep their job: thus the long list of judges on our ballots. Arizona is unique to other states when it comes to the way in […]
November 1, 2018 Posted in Arizona News Comments Off on Arizona’s Approach to Selecting Judges and Justices
Navigating the New Tiered System of Case Management in Arizona
Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure There are new Rules in place that radically change how cases are litigated Effective July 31, 2018, the Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure were amended to classify cases into three tiers, or classifications. The tiers are based on estimated case value, and were designed to eliminate unnecessary discovery and make […]
October 4, 2018 Posted in Civil Litigation Comments Off on Navigating the New Tiered System of Case Management in Arizona
IWS: Injured While Shopping
The lawyers at the Rockafellow Law Firm personally take nearly every incoming phone call for a potential case. When it comes to potential slip and fall or trip and fall claims, we often hear a common misconception floating around: that if you’re hurt within a store or place of business, the business is automatically liable and […]
August 13, 2018 Posted in Personal Injury, Premises Liability Comments Off on IWS: Injured While Shopping
There’s a New Collision Center for Reporting a Collision Within Tucson City Limits
About five years ago, the Tucson Police Department stopped arriving at the scene of “non-injury” collisions within their jurisdiction. “Non-injury” was defined as not requiring ambulance transport from the scene. Keep in mind, it is certainly possible to be badly injured in a collision but not know it until a day or two after the […]
July 15, 2018 Posted in Auto Accidents Comments Off on There’s a New Collision Center for Reporting a Collision Within Tucson City Limits
Arizona’s Civil Verdicts in 2017
The trend continues. Total trials are down. For the first time ever in Arizona, defense verdicts exceeded Plaintiff’s verdicts. Only one verdict was over $10 million. Four of the top ten verdicts came from Pima County. Many of the top ten verdicts were not injury cases but were business disputes. Mohave, La Paz, Yuma, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Cochise, Graham, Coconino, Greenlee […]
June 15, 2018 Posted in Civil Litigation Comments Off on Arizona’s Civil Verdicts in 2017
Medical Malpractice 101
Leighton Sr. explains the basic requirements of a viable medical malpractice claim. Leighton Rockafellow Sr. was recently recognized by “Lawyers of Distinction” for Excellence in Medical Malpractice Law. Leighton Sr. did his first Medical Malpractice case in 1979, and has continued to do that work ever since. Leighton Sr. screens the calls that come into the […]
May 15, 2018 Posted in Medical Malpractice Comments Off on Medical Malpractice 101
FASTAR Arrives in Pima County
A new pilot program in Pima County drastically changes the rules for smaller civil claims. As of November 1, 2017, there are new rules in Pima County for resolution of smaller cases certified to be less than $50,000. The acronym FASTAR stands for “Fast Trials and Alternative Resolution.” Most small car accident cases still fall under […]
April 15, 2018 Posted in Civil Litigation Comments Off on FASTAR Arrives in Pima County
Negligence Per Se
In Arizona, negligence can be presumed if you are injured while someone is breaking the law. What does that mean for your personal injury claim? Arizona has many laws that are designed to protect us from each other. Various enforcement agencies, including local police departments, county sheriff departments, state public safety departments, and federal departments […]
March 15, 2018 Posted in Negligence Comments Off on Negligence Per Se
Criminal Restitution vs. Civil Compensation
What are the differences and similarities between the two? According to Arizona law, a victim of a crime is entitled to receive from the convicted criminal the full economic value of the victim’s losses as determined by the Court. A.R.S. §13-603(C). This restitution is included in the Sentencing component after the criminal has either pled guilty or […]
February 15, 2018 Posted in Civil Litigation Comments Off on Criminal Restitution vs. Civil Compensation
