How Car Accidents Can Affect Anyone

Even if you follow all of Nevada’s driving protocols to a T, there is always the chance that you will find yourself involved in a car accident. Mechanical failure in your car may cause you to swerve into other vehicles or even off the road. Another driver may neglect to signal before cutting across a lane, or texting while driving may be at play.

Before you find yourself in a car accident, facing what may be a life-changing catastrophe, you should learn more about how to respond in the event of a disaster. If you are ever injured or even involved in a car accident in the local area, be sure to reach out to an experienced Las Vegas car accident lawyer as soon as possible to receive the legal representation you need.

First Steps After a Car Accident in Las Vegas

If you have ever found yourself in a car accident before, you will already know the intense emotions that you experienced just after the crash. There was a sudden shock, as what had been an average drive was now a major emergency. You might have broken a bone or been worried that your bumps and bruises pointed to internal injuries. Then came the anxiety about whether anyone else was hurt or if you would be considered responsible for the accident.

Though your first thoughts after a collision in Nevada may be to call a skilled Las Vegas car accident lawyer, that priority should wait until you have moved yourself to a safe location and contacted emergency personnel. While you should not leave the scene of the accident until a police officer has told you to do so, you must move at least a few feet away from the car or cars involved in the accident. If there are other people who have been injured, you can help to move them as long as they do not have serious injuries. Inspect the area for traffic and dangers such as gas leaks or small fires, as these may lead to further disaster.

As soon as you are at a safe distance from the car accident, call 911. If you are badly injured or cannot access your phone, ask someone nearby to make the call instead. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department covers both Las Vegas itself and the whole of Clark County, so you should not have to worry that your call will be redirected among several local police departments. Be sure to ask for an ambulance, and again, do not try to move anyone else affected by the accident if he or she appears to be badly injured. Trying to move another person or yourself after a major injury can potentially worsen the problem, so it is best to leave these matters to emergency medical technicians.

While you are waiting for the police and the ambulance to arrive, you should start to take notes about the car accident. If your phone allows you to do so, take photos of every vehicle involved in the accident, paying careful attention to the damage to each car, the positions of the cars relative to each other, and the overall scene of the accident. Write down the names and contact information of any witnesses, and be ready to provide your own name, license plate number, and insurance information when prompted. Every account from an eyewitness can strengthen your case, so collect as much information as possible for your car accident lawyer to use later on.

The Most Common Injuries in Car Accidents

You may walk away from a car accident with few injuries if any. Unfortunately, some people are not so lucky. That’s why you should familiarize yourself with the more serious injuries that you could potentially suffer. By far, injuries to the head and neck are the most common result of car accidents, regardless of where the collision occurs. Drivers and passengers often hit their heads against dashboards, headrests, or steering wheels whenever a car strikes another vehicle, an object, or comes to a sudden stop. Cognitive damage can follow, as impacts to the head and neck easily lead to traumatic brain injuries such as concussions. This damage may be temporary, but some impairments may last for years after the accident. In addition, if the head is jerked back and forth, damage to the muscles and ligaments of the neck can cause whiplash.

Injuries are also prone to occur in other areas of the body. Bones of the arms, legs, and abdomen can break upon impact, and severely damaged organs can start to fail. In addition to broken bones, the ligaments and cartilage in other joints — such as the wrists and knees — can experience tears. The spinal cord may be affected as well, causing painful hernias and permanent nerve damage. You must document every detail of these injuries. Obtain copies of paperwork from hospital personnel, physicians, and specialists, as these will be instrumental in your health insurance claims. Your Las Vegas car accident lawyer will also be able to use this paperwork at a later date to represent you better in your lawsuit.

Do I Need a Car Accident Attorney to Receive Compensation?

If your vehicle has ever suffered any damage, you may have spoken with your own insurance company about repairs. In fact, everything may have gone smoothly. After all, it would be unwise for your insurer to push back over minor dents, scratches, and dings resulting from bumping into a safety barrier or curb stop. Such positive interactions may lead you to believe that you won’t need a car accident attorney to get fair compensation. Unfortunately, many accident victims learn the hard way that they’re wrong in this assumption.

If you’ve suffered physical harm or other damages that could result in a personal injury claim, an insurance company knows they may be on the hook for major compensation. They’ll typically try their best to offer a settlement that’s less than you deserve. This can be the case when dealing with the insurer of the other driver or even your own insurance company in the case of hit-and-runs or uninsured motorists. If an adjuster contacts you, they want you to accept a settlement before ever filing a car accident claim.

If you fall into this trap, you could miss out on significant compensation. After all, initial medical bills and property damage aren’t the only losses you may suffer. You could face additional expenses in the future, and insurers will rarely offer money for pain and suffering. When you have a car accident lawyer in Las Vegas on your side, though, these companies are less likely to take advantage of you.

Don’t speak with an adjuster before contacting a California & Nevada personal injury lawyers. They’ll try their best to have you accept a low offer, and in most cases, they will even attempt to get you to admit some level of fault (e.g., saying you may have violated traffic laws). This can be detrimental to your case. Before doing anything, contact Murphy & Murphy Law Offices for a free consultation.

What if I Was Partially Responsible for My Car Accident

One of the most tragic mistakes that car accident victims make thinks they’re not entitled to compensation because they were partially at fault. They may believe they’re lucky that the other driver’s liability insurance is even covering their property damage. This is a mistake since Nevada is a “modified comparative negligence” state. This means that victims of auto accidents are not barred from receiving compensation simply because they had some measure of fault in their accident.

For instance, imagine that a driver was speeding down a highway when a negligent motorist ran a red light and struck them. Had the first driver not been speeding, they probably could have avoided the collision. This means all drivers involved share some level of responsibility. Of course, most would conclude that people who run red lights are most at fault in motor vehicle accident cases. If a judge or jury decides that the driver was 90% at fault for running the light — and then returns a verdict of $100,000 for the accident victim — the victim would still get $90,000 even though they were partially at fault.

It’s important to note that Nevada has a “51% Bar Rule.” This means a plaintiff cannot recover damages if they were at least 51% at fault for the automobile accident. Of course, these percentages are up to the court to decide. That’s why you should contact an auto accident attorney to review your case. You will learn whether filing a lawsuit is the right approach or if the insurance company’s offer is appropriate.

The essential thing to remember is that — even if you violated traffic laws or were otherwise partially negligent — you may still be able to receive compensation for lost wages, medical bills, and other expenses.

Choosing the Right Attorney for My Car Accident Claim

Having an automobile accident attorney on your side increases the chance of you getting a fair court award or insurance company settlement. Choosing the right legal representation, however, may seem like a daunting task. If you go the wrong route, you may end up with a settlement mill that does little more than get you the minimum that liability insurance will cover. Fortunately, you can avoid this by being just a little proactive when researching auto accident attorneys.

Here’s what you should look for:

• Experience in the legal field: You might find a first-year attorney that’s the best in town, but that typically only happens in the movies. Working with an experienced car accident lawyer in Las Vegas will typically offer a better chance at fair compensation.
• Handles cases involving auto accidents: It would be unwise to hire a tax attorney for a criminal charge. The same can be said in other areas of law as well. Find yourself a legal representative that frequently handles car wreck cases.
• Results are key: When you sit down for a free consultation — and yes, an initial consultation should always be free — ask prospective car crash attorneys about their successes in similar situations. They should have a history of winning cases.
• Who handles the case: When you come in for a free consultation, are you brushed off to a paralegal, or do you sit down with an attorney? At Murphy & Murphy Law Offices, you’ll meet directly with our auto accident attorneys.
• Check online reviews: Online reviews aren’t everything, but they will provide a clearer picture of the personal injury lawyers in your area. This small bit of research can make a difference when choosing an attorney to handle your auto accident claim.
• Are fees on a contingency basis: Initial consultations shouldn’t be the only time you’re not spending money on a lawyer. Find an attorney that works on a contingency basis. This means that — if they don’t get you compensation — you don’t owe them money.

After experiencing an auto accident due to someone’s negligence, you deserve to be compensated fairly. Every decision you make — from the accident scene to the conclusion of a settlement or trial — plays a significant role in your case’s outcome. Making the right choice when choosing legal representation, though, might be the most significant decision you make. Contact us at Murphy & Murphy Law Offices today to get started.

How Much Is My Car Accident Worth?

You could read every car accident attorney guide on the internet, and you still wouldn’t get a legitimate estimate on the value of your personal injury claim. That’s because all motor vehicle accident cases are different. For instance, the modified comparative negligence rule could make one automobile accident worth less than a very similar collision. However, this is far from the only variable that could affect your case’s outcome.

In fact, two accident victims in the same vehicle could receive very different settlement offers from the insurance company — and if they both went to court, the outcome of their cases could be vastly different. Imagine that each victim breaks their pinky during an auto accident. This might not seem significant for the driver who answers customer service calls for a living, but what if their passenger is a concert pianist? You can see that — in this situation — each injured party could face very different levels of lost wages.

The best way to get an idea of what your case is worth is to contact a car accident attorney right away. These legal professionals can help you understand the potential value of your case along with assisting you in dealing with the insurance company, court filings, and more. An automobile accident can cause serious disruptions to your life, but with the right legal help, you can be made whole again.

When Should I Contact a Las Vegas Car Accident Lawyer?

After filing a police report and seeking medical attention, it may be tempting to go home and simply lay down in bed. If you suffered a serious bodily injury and are stuck in the hospital, you may have no other option than to lie down. This urge is understandable — even among those who know they need to start researching personal injury lawyers — because they think they have plenty of time to deal with seeking compensation. Unfortunately, this frequently results in lower payouts than car wreck victims deserve.

This is because Nevada has a statute of limitations when it comes to personal injury cases. Even if it’s clear that the at-fault driver was negligent, you cannot file a claim once the statute expires. This holds true even with a severe car crash that results in years of medical expenses. Of course, two years may seem like plenty of time. Unfortunately, any hesitation in contacting an experienced law firm can result in a failure to recover maximum compensation. That’s because these cases become more difficult as time goes by.

The simple fact is that evidence disappears. Memories fade. Witnesses move. In fact, insurance companies have more time to build their case when you procrastinate. For instance, it only takes one innocent post on social media that seems to indicate your injury isn’t severe — and your entire claim could falter. If you or a loved one is injured in a car accident, the time to reach out to an attorney and seek compensation is now. Every moment that passes makes it less likely that the other party will be held accountable.

Get the Maximum Compensation You Deserve

The Nevada Department of Transportation has a goal of “Zero Fatalities” each year, and while the state has taken major strides towards realizing this goal, car accidents in the Las Vegas area and statewide are still an all too common tragedy. The Nevada DOT reports that there were 349 fatal motor vehicle accidents in 2021 — with hundreds of innocent individuals dying in these collisions. This statistic is still far less than the tens of thousands of people who are injured in non-fatal car accidents every year.

Car accidents begin and end in the space of just a few seconds, but the consequences can last for days, months, or years afterward. In addition to the damage to your car, you or your loved ones may suffer a personal injury, and insurance coverage might prove difficult to obtain. If you are injured in a car accident in Las Vegas, Clark County, or elsewhere in Nevada, you will need the guidance of a personal injury lawyer with experience in Nevada state law during every step of your case.

Contact us today to speak with dedicated Las Vegas car accident lawyer Craig Murphy by calling (702)369-9696 for a free consultation. He’ll provide the assistance necessary for you to start the process of receiving the compensation you deserve following your automobile accident.