Car Accident

Determining fault in a car accident is one of the most important and complex matters for anyone with injuries. Nevada law requires the driver who caused the accident to pay for injuries and damages to the injured parties. A Las Vegas auto accident attorney will evaluate the circumstances of the accident and help you decide if filing a claim is the right choice for you.

At your consultation, the accident attorney will look at the evidence you have for your case. Bring any photos you took of the accident scene, eyewitness accounts, a copy of the police report, the date and location of the accident, and the makes and models of the cars involved.

The accident attorneys at Bay Law Accident Attorneys offer a free consultation to discuss the details of your claim. If you decide to pursue your claim, we will work on contingency, so you pay nothing unless you receive compensation. We will negotiate with the insurance company and represent you in court if we can’t reach an agreement. We understand how difficult it is to navigate the accident claims process while trying to heal from your injuries. We get to work fast to help you get better.

Each state has minimum auto insurance requirements that every driver must carry. In Nevada, the minimum amount of liability insurance coverage is $25,000 in bodily per person and $50,000 in bodily injury per accident. They must also carry $20,000 in property damage.

Many people only carry the minimum amount of insurance required to drive their vehicles. Although you have the option to buy additional types and amounts of coverage, getting more insurance increases your premium payments. The problem is that medical bills and the cost of a new vehicle is typically more than the maximum payment by the insurance company. Two types of coverage you should add include uninsured/underinsured motorists and medical payments (Medpay.) These will help you cover injuries to yourself and your passengers regardless of who is at fault for an accident.

You should carry more than the minimum amount of liability required by the state. If you are at fault for an accident that causes injuries and damages far above the amount of your insurance, the injured party can sue you for the balance of the compensation. The only way that auto insurance protects you is when you carry enough. If you can’t afford higher premiums, consider getting a higher deductible to lower your payments.

Nevada does require filing a police report for most car accidents. However, there is no law preventing you from filing an insurance claim without a police report. Don’t be surprised if the insurance company protests your claim. The accident report is a key piece of evidence. Without it, you will have a difficult time getting the full amount of compensation that you deserve.

Your Las Vegas car accident attorney will use the information in the police report to build your case. It contains a great deal of information about how the accident took place. In addition to details about where and when the accident occurred, the report also provides the names of eyewitnesses, an assessment of the damage to both vehicles, and whether either driver was cited for a violation.

The police report serves as the foundation for your car accident case. If you need to file a claim with the insurance company, you should try to obtain a copy first. Read through the report and determine if there are any discrepancies between your account and that of the responding officer. If there are, describe them to your accident attorney. There might be other evidence to help support your understanding of the events.

No, Nevada is a fault state, meaning that the person who is determined to be at fault for the accident is responsible for any damages or injuries. Determining who is at fault is essential to getting compensation. Often, the insurance company will try to put the blame on the victim to keep from having to pay a settlement.

Nevada also follows a modified comparative negligence rule. This means that you can still collect a settlement if you are partially to blame if you are less than 50% liable. If the court determines that you were 25% to blame for the accident and you are awarded $100,000, you will only receive 75% or $75,000. If you are determined to be 75% to blame, you can’t receive any compensation.

Bay Law Accident Attorneys has a team of accident lawyers in Las Vegas who are ready to investigate your case. We know the kinds of evidence it takes to prove fault and the tactics used by insurance companies to shift the blame back to you. We also have the expertise to negotiate with insurance companies to get you a fair settlement. You should never have to navigate the claims process with the insurance company on your own.

Getting medical attention for your injuries is always the first priority after a car accident. You should also check to see if anyone else is seriously injured. If your symptoms aren’t serious enough to require emergency transportation, stay at the scene to get contact and insurance information from the other drivers and any witnesses.

Use your cell phone to take pictures of the vehicles, their license plates, traffic lights and signs, and any conditions that might have contributed to the accident. Look for skid marks on the road or any obstructions that might have contributed to the wreck. Make sure that you or someone else calls the police. When they arrive, ask them how to get a copy of the police report.

Report the accident to your insurance company right away. You do not need to contact the other driver’s insurance company. If the insurance adjuster from the other driver’s insurance company tries to contact you, refer them to your accident attorney. Often, insurance companies try to contact accident victims early on and make them an offer that is too low. That’s one reason that you need the services of a Las Vegas car accident lawyer to represent you.

Your time limit for reporting a car accident to your insurance company will depend on the terms of your policy. You should make every effort to understand all the terms of your policy. Failing to do so might allow the company to deny you coverage later on.

Drivers sometimes opt not to file an insurance claim when they hit a stationary object, or no one else got injured in the crash. Under these circumstances, you might prefer to pay for any damages out of pocket to avoid increasing your insurance rates.
For more serious accidents where law enforcement responds and makes a report, you should report the accident. The same is true for accidents where even minor injuries occurred. The insurance company will receive a copy of the police report. If you haven’t reported it, the insurance company might penalize you by reducing or canceling your coverage.

If the driver that hit you was driving intoxicated at the time of the accident, they must obtain an SR-22 from their insurance company before they can get their driver’s license reinstated. This document serves as proof of financial responsibility that the driver has the minimum liability coverage to keep their driver’s license in Nevada.

Nevada requires you to call the police after an accident unless there are no other vehicles or even minor injuries involved. Failing to report an accident can result in having your driver’s license suspended for up to one year.

Failing to call the police after an accident in which someone is injured might be considered a hit-and-run felony. It’s a good idea to call the police even if no one appears to be injured. Some injuries don’t present symptoms for hours or even days after the accident.

Sometimes drivers have reasons for not wanting to report the accident. They might try to persuade you to just settle the damages out of pocket without involving law enforcement. They might have a suspended license or have a warrant out for their arrest. If they become hostile, calling the police is probably the best solution.

Remember, it’s your legal obligation to report an accident any time there are injuries. If it’s a judgment call, don’t take chances. Meeting your legal obligation will help protect you when delayed injuries appear later.

If you broke a law when the accident happened, you might be partially at fault. As long as you were less than 50% at fault, you can still file a claim for compensation in Nevada. Since the assignment of fault determines whether the insurance company must pay your claim, it is often an arguing point between the two sides.

Your accident attorney can help you determine what portion of the accident is your fault. Even if your share of the liability is small, the insurance company will try to shift the blame to you. This is a common tactic when handling insurance claims in the state.

If you are partly at fault for the accident, it will reduce the amount of compensation that you get. Although the award will still be for the same amount, an equivalent portion will be deducted from it. Depending on the damages you might receive, even a percentage of the compensation might be enough to relieve your financial losses.