Fayetteville Personal Injury, Family & Lawyers

When a rear-end collision on I-49 leaves you seriously injured or a custody dispute affects your relationship with your children, you need a lawyer who’s experienced, dedicated, and ready to fight for your rights. At Horton Personal Injury Lawyers, we serve clients throughout Fayetteville and Washington County in two practice areas: personal injury and family law.

You’ll find our Fayetteville law firm at 3853 North Crossover Road, a short drive from the Fayetteville Historic Square. If you’ve suffered catastrophic injuries in a car accident, truck crash, or other preventable incident, we can fight for the compensation you need to cover your medical bills, lost wages, and other damages. If you’re filing for divorce or experiencing difficulties with your child custody arrangement, we’re also there, helping you address and overcome any hurdles.

We offer free consultations and take personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Call our law firm at (479) 333-8111 today to speak with an attorney who’s ready to help.

Why Choose Our Fayetteville Law Firm?

When you’re hurt in a motorcycle accident or your family is facing a custody battle, you need attorneys who know how to handle high-pressure situations and get results. The attorneys at Horton Personal Injury Lawyers have earned recognition from Super Lawyers and other professional organizations that evaluate lawyers based on peer reviews and case results. We’ve argued before the Arkansas Supreme Court and taken on insurance companies and opposing parties who thought they could outlast or outspend our clients.

• Proven Results in High-Stakes Cases: We’ve secured substantial settlements and verdicts in personal injury claims involving serious collisions, catastrophic injuries, and wrongful death. Our family law practice has achieved successful outcomes in contested divorces and custody disputes where parents’ rights and children’s futures were at stake. When negotiations fail, we’re prepared to take your case to trial.
• We Care About Your Future: From your first consultation to the resolution of your case, you’ll work directly with your attorney. We don’t hand off files or treat you like a case number. You’ll receive prompt communication, same-day callbacks when possible, and straight answers about your legal options.
• Extensive Trial Experience: Insurance adjusters and opposing counsel know we’re ready to litigate. We’ve tried cases in front of juries that have returned verdicts in our clients’ favor. That trial readiness translates into better settlement offers and stronger negotiating positions.
• Thorough Investigation and Preparation: We gather evidence like police reports and medical records, collect witness statements, consult experts, and build cases that hold up under scrutiny. Whether we’re proving fault in a collision or presenting custody evidence, we prepare every case as if it’s going to trial, because it might.

Both personal injury and family law cases can reshape your financial stability, health, and relationships. We take that responsibility seriously and fight to protect what you’ve worked for.

Personal Injury Lawyers in Fayetteville, AR

Personal injury law holds people and businesses accountable when their carelessness or reckless behavior causes injuries. In Arkansas, you must prove that someone owed you a duty of care, breached that duty, and caused your injuries as a result.

Unfortunately, claims adjusters aren’t on your side, even when you’re dealing with your own insurance company. Their goal is to pay as little as possible. Common strategies include offering quick, low settlements before you’ve finished treatment, asking for recorded statements they’ll use against you later, and pressuring you to accept an offer before you’ve calculated your total damages. 

When you hire an attorney, all communication goes through us. We handle insurer requests, preserve evidence before it disappears, and prevent mistakes that could tank your personal injury claim. Insurance adjusters know we’ll file a lawsuit if they don’t make a fair offer, which gives us leverage they won’t give an unrepresented claimant.

Personal Injury Cases We Handle in Fayetteville

• Car accidents
• Truck accidents involving 18-wheelers
• Motorcycle crashes
• Pedestrian accidents
• Dog bite cases
• Slip and fall accidents (premises liability)
• Catastrophic injuries
• Wrongful death cases

Common examples include distracted or reckless drivers who cause collisions, property owners who fail to fix hazards that lead to falls, and commercial vehicle operators who violate safety regulations. When negligence causes injury, Arkansas law allows injury victims to recover compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and property damage, but the statute of limitations gives you only three years from the accident date to sue. The sooner you call us, the sooner we can negotiate for the financial recovery you need.

Family Lawyers in Fayetteville, AR

Family law cases affect your relationship with your children as well as your finances and your long-term stability. Divorce compels you to divide assets that you’ve spent years building, while child custody decisions determine where your children live and how much time you’ll spend with them. Support and alimony orders can potentially impact your monthly budget for years to come.

These cases carry an emotional weight that other legal situations don’t. You’re not arguing over a breach of contract – you’re fighting for your relationship with your kids or protecting retirement accounts you’ve earned. This is why we balance compassion with firm legal advocacy. You need an attorney who listens to your concerns and fights for outcomes that protect your parental rights and financial interests.

Family Law Matters We Handle

• Fault and no-fault divorces
• Separate maintenance cases
• Child custody modifications 
• Child support 
• Spousal support (alimony)
• Property division of marital assets 
• Modifications of custody, visitation, and support orders
• Enforcement actions when ex-spouses violate court orders

We know the Washington County family courts and the judges who hear these cases. We’ve negotiated settlements that avoid the expense and stress of trial, and we’ve litigated contested hearings when agreement wasn’t possible. We always bear in mind that family law cases involve private, sensitive information, which is why we handle your case with the discretion and respect it deserves.

FAQS About Our Legal Representation in Fayetteville, AR

Do I Need a Lawyer for a Personal Injury Claim?

You’re not legally required to hire an attorney, but insurance companies know unrepresented claimants settle for less. Adjusters use tactics that work on people who don’t know their rights or how to value their personal injury claims. They’ll ask for recorded statements, request access to your entire medical history, and pressure you to accept quick settlements before you’ve finished treatment or calculated your total damages.

An attorney handles all communication with insurers and prevents mistakes that could hurt your claim. We know what evidence to gather, which experts to consult, and how to counter the strategies adjusters use to reduce payouts. If negotiations fail, we file personal injury lawsuits and take cases to trial. Most personal injury lawyers work on contingency, so you don’t pay attorney fees unless you recover compensation. That means you get experienced legal representation without upfront costs, and we only get paid when you do.

How Much Is My Injury Case Worth?

Case value depends on your medical expenses, lost income, future medical treatment needs, permanent injuries, and pain and suffering. Minor injuries with full recoveries settle for less than catastrophic injuries that leave you disabled or require ongoing medical care. Liability also affects value: clear fault cases are worth more than disputes where both parties share blame under Arkansas’s comparative fault rules.

We calculate economic damages first: past and future medical bills, lost wages, reduced earning capacity if you can’t return to your old job, and property damage. Then we account for non-economic damages like physical pain, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and permanent scarring or disfigurement. Serious injuries that affect your ability to work, care for yourself, or participate in activities you used to enjoy usually command higher settlements.

Insurance policy limits also play a role. If the at-fault driver only carries minimum coverage, that caps what you can recover unless you have underinsured motorist coverage or can pursue other defendants. An experienced attorney reviews your medical records, consults with doctors about future treatment, calculates all economic losses, and accounts for non-economic damages to give you a realistic estimate of what your case is worth.

How Long Does a Divorce Take in Arkansas?

Uncontested divorces where both spouses agree on property division, custody, and support can finish relatively quickly. You file the complaint, serve your spouse, wait for their response, submit a settlement agreement to the court, and attend a final hearing. When there’s no disagreement, the timeline is comparatively short.

Contested divorces take longer depending on how many issues you’re fighting over, how cooperative your spouse is, and court scheduling. Cases with custody disputes, hidden assets, business valuations, or complex property division add time. Discovery can take months when you’re requesting financial records, deposing witnesses, or hiring forensic accountants to trace assets. Temporary hearings for custody or support add more court dates.

Arkansas requires a cooling-off period, and judges won’t rush decisions that affect children or substantial assets. If you’re claiming fault grounds like adultery or cruelty, you’ll need time to gather evidence and present your case. Settlement negotiations can drag on when one spouse makes unreasonable demands. If you go to trial, you’ll wait for a spot on the court’s calendar, which can add months to the timeline. An attorney can push your case forward and help avoid unnecessary delays.

How Is Child Custody Determined in Arkansas?

Arkansas courts make custody decisions based on the child’s best interests. Judges consider each parent’s relationship with the child, living situation, employment stability, mental and physical health, and willingness to encourage a relationship with the other parent. They’ll also look at the child’s adjustment to home, school, and community, and may even consider the child’s preference if he or she is old enough to express a reasoned opinion. No single factor controls the decision.

In addition, judges tend to evaluate who’s been the primary caregiver, which parent has more flexibility to handle school schedules and medical appointments, and each parent’s ability to provide a stable home. They review evidence about parenting skills, involvement in the child’s education and extracurricular activities, and any history of domestic violence, substance abuse, or neglect. Courts want to see that both parents can communicate about the child’s needs and follow court orders.

Arkansas law doesn’t presume mothers get custody or favor one parent over another. Both parents start on equal footing. What tips the balance is evidence showing which custody arrangement serves the child’s needs. We can present testimony from teachers, counselors, doctors, and other witnesses who can speak to your relationship with your child and your ability to meet their needs.

Can Custody or Support Orders Be Modified?

Yes, but you must show a material change in circumstances since the last order. Examples include job loss, relocation, remarriage, changes in the child’s needs, or evidence that the current arrangement harms the child. Courts won’t modify orders just because you’re unhappy with them. You need proof that circumstances have changed enough to justify a new order.

For custody modifications, you might show that your ex-spouse moved in with someone who poses a danger to the child, that the child’s school performance has dropped, or that your work schedule changed and you can now provide more stability. Relocation cases require proof that the move serves a legitimate purpose and won’t harm the child’s relationship with the other parent. Support modifications typically involve income changes like job loss, raises, new children to support, or changes in the child’s expenses like medical needs or private school.

Arkansas courts want stability for children, so they won’t modify custody based on minor complaints or temporary problems. You’ll need documentation: school records, medical records, pay stubs, police reports, or testimony from witnesses who’ve observed the problems. The court will weigh whether the proposed modification actually improves the child’s situation or just shifts inconvenience from one parent to another. An attorney helps you gather evidence, meet the legal standard for modification, and present a case that convinces the judge that a change is warranted.

Contact Our Fayetteville Personal Injury & Family Lawyers Today

When you hire Horton Personal Injury Lawyers, you’re getting attorneys who’ve argued before the Arkansas Supreme Court and won cases against major insurance companies that tried to deny valid claims. We’ve built our reputation by taking on tough cases and achieving results that protect our clients’ rights and financial recovery.

Members of our legal team have earned Super Lawyers recognition and peer-reviewed awards that reflect our commitment to skilled advocacy. We don’t settle cases just to close files. We push for outcomes that account for your full damages and long-term needs, and we’re ready to go to trial when insurers or opposing parties won’t negotiate fairly. Please call our law firm at (479) 333-8111 or complete our online contact form to schedule your consultation today.