Being involved in a motor vehicle accident is inconvenient and disruptive even when nobody is hurt. When you suffer injuries in a crash, the stakes get higher, and so does the stress.
Get help from one of the experienced lawyers at Shook & Stone when filing a car accident claim in Las Vegas. A seasoned car accident attorney can smooth the settlement process and ensure you receive appropriate compensation for your injury.
What You Need to Know About Car Accident Claims in Las Vegas
Nevada follows the rule that a motorist who is at fault for an accident pays the losses of other people involved. All drivers must carry liability insurance, and the insurance company for the at-fault driver pays the claims. However, if the at-fault driver’s coverage limits are insufficient to fully compensate other people’s injuries and property damage, the at-fault driver is personally liable.
Nevada Revised Statute §4 84E.070(2) requires drivers to report accidents to the police if it produces an injury or at least $750 of apparent damage. Even minor body damage to a vehicle could exceed the $750 threshold, so reporting all accidents to the police is wise. If the dispatcher does not send officers to the scene, you can report the accident online. Even when the damage is minor, insurance companies may not pay a claim if there is no police report.
Avoid saying you are uninjured—many traumatic injuries do not produce symptoms until hours or even days later. Getting medical attention as quickly as possible after an accident is critical. If you feel you have any injuries, even minor ones, accept an ambulance if one is offered. Otherwise, have someone drive you directly to your doctor, a hospital emergency room, or an urgent care center for screening and evaluation. A Shook & Stone attorney in Las Vegas can use the medical record to help prove any injuries are crash-related.
Investigations After a Crash
When the police are called to an accident scene, they do a preliminary investigation to determine what happened. In many cases, their investigation consists of gathering the contact and insurance information from drivers and determining whether anyone violated any laws. If so, they may issue a citation, which is evidence of negligence. Investigations are likely to be more comprehensive if someone was seriously injured or died.
Anyone involved in an accident should report it to their insurer right away. Many policies require drivers to report accidents within a set timeframe, which might be as short as 24 hours. Insurance companies investigate all car accident claims to determine who is at fault. They consider the police report, witness statements, pictures of the crash scene, and damage to the vehicle to reconstruct what happened and assign fault.
Your insurance company and the other driver’s insurer will likely ask you to make a recorded statement after the wreck. Although you should report the accident immediately, avoid giving a recorded statement until you have discussed your situation with a qualified lawyer at Shook & Stone. Our Las Vegas attorneys can review your situation and help you prepare answers to the questions the insurance investigator is likely to ask.
Potential Damages in a Car Accident Claim
When an accident was not primarily your fault, you can claim compensation for your injuries. In the legal context, compensation one party pays to another after an accident is called damages.
Your economic damages are the costs you incurred because of the accident. These include property damage to your car and its contents, diminished income when the accident caused you to miss work, medical treatment, and incidental expenses. Non-economic damages provide compensation for your subjective experiences after the crash, such as:
- Pain
- Disability
- Emotional trauma
- Scarring
- Similar losses
Many accident victims underestimate their damages. One of Shook & Stone’s Law Vegas lawyers can help an injured person and their family calculate the accident’s full impact and ensure any settlement provides appropriate compensation.
Get Fair Compensation for a Car Accident Claim With a Las Vegas Attorney
Handling a car accident claim is practically a full-time job. You will be better off allowing a professional to manage it while you concentrate on regaining your health and moving on with your life.
Schedule a free consultation with our skilled lawyers at Shook & Stone when you are concerned about filing a car accident claim in Las Vegas. Call now.
