Car Accident Lawyer
A car accident can alter your life in an instant. According to the Nevada Department of Public Safety and Transportation, the number of fatal car accidents in Clark County, where Las Vegas is located, increased by more than 24% between 2020 and 2021. The total number of crashes has increased by 18%. If you have been in an accident, you understand how traumatic it can be.
Even minor accidents cause hours of lost time dealing with insurance and repair shops. That is why, following a collision, you should contact a top car accident attorney in Las Vegas. Accidents Vegas can handle the negotiations with the insurance companies, doctors, and the other driver for you.
Steps to Take After an Accident
When you are in a car accident, your first priority should always be to get medical attention for yourself or anyone else involved who requires it. If you are in a rideshare vehicle, both Uber and Lyft now provide the option to call 911 directly from their apps.
You must also remain on the scene or risk being charged with a crime. Then, if possible, take additional measures to protect your rights later.
Call The Police
Nevada requires those involved in an accident resulting in injury, death, or property damage to notify the people. Don’t assume that another driver or your rideshare driver will contact the police. Make the call yourself.
If you are in an Uber or Lyft vehicle, use their app to report the crash to the ridesharing company.
Collect Information
Obtain the name, address, driver’s license number, license plate number, and insurance information for each driver involved in the accident. The easiest way to accomplish this is to photograph their driver’s license, license plates, and insurance cards.
Then, photograph the damage to each vehicle. Photograph any visible injuries you may have. Next, write down a detailed account of the accident while the details are still fresh. We recommend using your phone’s voice-to-text feature and then emailing yourself. That way, the date and time are automatically saved for you.
Seek Medical Attention for Any Health Issues That Develop
In the aftermath of an accident, your body’s stress response can prevent you from experiencing pain. However, after a few hours or days, you may notice symptoms of whiplash, concussion, or other injuries. Do not ignore them. It is preferable to seek medical attention right away rather than leaving injuries untreated.
Get in Touch with a Las Vegas Car Accident Lawyer
In the days following the collision, you may be overwhelmed by physical, emotional, and financial demands. Allow an attorney familiar with insurance claims and medical billing procedures to assist you with these burdens.
How a Las Vegas Car Accident Lawyer Can Assist You
There are numerous reasons why you should contact an attorney immediately following an accident rather than waiting until you have problems. When you do contact an attorney, you want to hire the best car accident lawyer in Las Vegas. At Accidents Vegas, we prioritize customer service and want to help you get through this difficult time as painlessly as possible.
When you hire an attorney before speaking with insurance adjusters, you get the benefit of having a seasoned professional explain how the insurance claims process works. Your lawyer can explain the questions the adjuster will ask and how you should respond to them. If an attorney is involved, insurance companies will not succeed in forcing you a low-ball settlement offer.
A Las Vegas car accident attorney can also help you comply with Nevada state law by notifying the police and filing a report with the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. If you are in the hospital, caring for an injured loved one, or have had to return home from out of state, knowing that these matters are being handled by a trusted professional will put your mind at ease.
You may also notice that medical bills begin to pile up while you are recovering. An attorney can work with doctors and hospitals to reduce or delay payments while you recover. Accidents Vegas can advise you on how to deal with financial issues and time away from work.
If you’re not sure if your case requires legal representation, please call us. We will discuss your case with you and let you know if we can help. Other Las Vegas car accident lawyers are known for using high-pressure tactics, but we will leave the decision up to you. The consultation is free, so there is nothing to lose by speaking with us.
Reasons to Avoid Accepting a Quick Settlement
After an accident, your insurance company may offer you a quick settlement. While the money may seem appealing when you are under the pressure of mounting bills, it is usually a bad idea to accept. These initial settlement offers usually do not cover all of your medical and auto expenses, let alone keep you afloat while you are out of work. And once you agree to settle, you cannot ask for more money later.
Instead, hire a top car accident lawyer in Las Vegas to fight for fair compensation that meets all of your needs. If you were in a serious accident, you may need to schedule additional surgeries or medical treatments in the future. Some collisions result in long-term disabilities and reduce your future earning potential. And if you’re out of work, you’ll need a settlement to help you pay your bills. We will consider all these factors when determining the value of your case and the amount of compensation you require.
Time Limits for Filing a Lawsuit
Another reason to contact an attorney as soon as possible is that time is of the essence. Under Nevada law, you have two years from the date of your accident to file a lawsuit. Because your attorney will need time to investigate your case and draft a civil complaint, you should not wait until the last minute.
What is the Value of Your Claim?
The first question many clients ask is how much their case is worth. The answer is determined by a variety of factors. However, Accidents Vegas focuses solely on injury cases, so we have the expertise to maximize your recovery. We have obtained settlements for our clients ranging from $25,000 (when insurance claimed there was no coverage for the loss) to more than $1,000,000. The factors listed below will determine your compensation.
Vehicle Value
The most obvious starting point is the cost of repairing or replacing your car. If you were driving a brand new Tesla and it was totaled, your damages would undoubtedly be greater than those of an older vehicle involved in a less serious accident.
Liability
The next step is to determine who was at fault in the crash. Nevada uses a modified comparative negligence law. This means that the law requires determining each party’s percentage of faults. As a result, even if you were partially responsible for the accident, you may be able to collect compensation. However, if you were more than 50% to blame, you will be unable to recover anything.
Injuries
The extent of your injuries has a significant impact on the value of your case. Many accident victims have long-term issues that require ongoing treatment. We will not settle your case until we understand the full scope of your future medical needs. Any estimate of the value of your case must include all anticipated healthcare costs.
Accidents Vegas handles all types of car accident injuries, including the following:
- Head and brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Neck and shoulder injuries
- Lower and mid-back injuries
- Facial fractures
- Broken bones
- Internal organ damage
- Whiplash
- Soft tissue damage
- Amputation
Car accidents are always unpredictable and traumatic. After a collision, you may sustain severe injuries that cause emotional, physical, and financial hardship. Fortunately, you do not have to face these consequences alone. A Las Vegas car accident attorney can assist you in filing a claim and seeking compensation for your losses.
Damages
The law divides the compensation you receive, also known as damages, into three categories: economic, noneconomic, and punitive damages.
Economic damages are tangible losses. The value of these items is usually easy to calculate using bills and receipts, which is why it is critical to keep track of them. Examples of economic damage include:
- Car repair costs
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Bills for property damage
Noneconomic damages compensate you for the intangible losses caused by the accident, which include:
- Physical and emotional pain
- Inconvenience
- Suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Physical impairment
- Post-traumatic stress
- Loss of companionship
Finally, punitive or exemplary damages are meant to punish the defendant or set a precedent. They are rarely awarded, but they may be justified if the person at fault was guilty of oppression, fraud, or malice. Nevada restricts punitive damage awards to:
- If the compensatory damages award exceeds $100,000, it is multiplied by three.
- If the award is less than $100,000, it is multiplied by $300,000.
However, these limits do not apply in certain situations, such as when the driver who hit you was intoxicated or high on drugs.
Assessing all relevant and appropriate damages in your case requires dedication. Accidents Vegas will devote time and effort to developing a strong case. Our mission is to fight for our neighbors’ well-being in Las Vegas.
Other Factors
An experienced Las Vegas car accident law firm goes beyond the basics to investigate all possible causes of an accident. In some cases, road conditions and inclement weather had an impact on drivers. It is also possible that one of the drivers lost control due to a mechanical defect or malfunction. Accidents Vegas will thoroughly investigate your claim and hire any specialists required to prove your case.
Reach Out to Our Las Vegas Car Accident Law Firm to Safeguard Your Rights
Accidents Vegas has its reputation within the Las Vegas community. While other Las Vegas car accident attorneys seek a large number of cases, we focus on providing quality representation. We take the time to listen to our clients, return their calls, and run an organized, honest business. We wish to give back to the city that has given so much to us.
We work tirelessly for our clients, and the results speak for themselves. When you entrust your case to Accidents Vegas, you will understand why we are the best injury attorney in Las Vegas. Contact us now for a free consultation.
