Getting hurt in a car or truck accident may be the first time you’ve considered contacting an injury lawyer in Nevada. This could be the first time that you’ve had to file a significant auto insurance claim. You’re confident you have a right to compensation, but the process is unfamiliar. However, a lawyer handling Nevada personal injury cases will be very familiar with the issues confronting you. The advantages of legal representation could potentially lead to a higher settlement.
Advantage 1. Answers About Insurance Coverage
You might have a decent grasp of your benefits under your own auto policy, but a car accident will often require you to file against another party’s insurance. This is because Nevada is a fault state that puts the financial burden on whoever has the majority of fault for the collision.
You could need help getting clear answers about what other insurance policies will pay for. An insurance adjuster may confuse you with jargon and find ways to reduce compensation. Even worse, the insurer may divert fault onto you.
With a car accident lawyer in Nevada on your side, you won’t have to take an insurance adjuster’s word for anything. Your lawyer understands how insurance laws work in the state and can explain to you what the policy will cover and how much.
Advantage 2. Accident Investigation
Recovering damages depends on documenting fault and the expenses that resulted from your injuries. A car accident lawyer in Nevada can track down information about what happened.
In addition to analyzing the police report, a law office could take pictures of vehicle damage and injuries. If necessary, your lawyer could consult an accident reconstruction specialist to get an expert opinion about the circumstances of the crash.
A lawyer may also take action to preserve evidence that could be crucial to your case. With the preservation of evidence letters and subpoenas, a lawyer will acquire cell phone records or surveillance video, if any exists. Cell phone records can prove that someone made a call or was texting when the collision occurred.
Figuring out the actual cause of your accident is vital for identifying appropriate insurance coverage. For example, if a parts defect or shoddy workmanship at a repair shop was the problem, then the insurance policies of those third-party companies would be your source of compensation.
Advantage 3. Accurate Valuation of Your Damages
In general, an individual is vulnerable to undervaluing a claim due to inexperience with the process. You may not realize how long your recovery will take or if any long-term physical or mental problems will arise. An injury lawyer in Nevada has learned how to identify every dollar that the law entitles you to.
For Nevada personal injury, you have a right to collect economic damages and sometimes non-economic damages. Economic damages come with receipts or documentation proving what your out-of-pocket expenses were.
Economic damages include:
- Ambulance and hospital bills
- Doctor and medication bills
- Physical therapy and other rehabilitation services
- Lost income
- Medical equipment and devices
- Home health care
- Vehicle repair or replacement
Non-economic damages are harder to put a dollar figure on, but a car accident lawyer in Nevada can recognize when the evidence could support collecting this additional compensation.
Non-economic damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Disfigurement
A lawyer knowledgeable about car accident damages knows when and how to pursue these non-economic damages. Successfully winning them may require intense negotiations and expert testimony.
Advantage 4. Stronger Negotiating Position
An accident lawyer has been trained to converse with opposing parties in complex and contentious conversations. An insurance company will hire an adjuster specifically trained to be a tough negotiator.
With legal representation, you improve your position by putting your negotiations in the hands of someone who knows the law and is motivated to secure as much compensation as legally possible.
Advantage 5. Knowledge of Court Procedures
Although most car accident cases settle out of court, lawsuits sometimes become necessary. Should you need to assert your rights in court, a car accident lawyer will already know how to file the appropriate paperwork with the court and submit evidence for your case.
Without legal support, you would have to determine court procedures independently. Courts are very bureaucratic, and the learning curve is steep if you have not done this before. Time is important because the statute of limitations gives you only two years to file a lawsuit or lose your right to compensation.
Advantage 6. Personal Injury Trial Experience
When an accident case goes to trial, you need a lawyer capable of obtaining the full amount of damages sustained. This starts with careful choices during jury selection and continues when presenting evidence and examining witnesses in court. Words matter. Having an experienced injury trial lawyer could mean the difference of millions of dollars in your pocket.
Advantage 7. Access to Expert Witnesses
Complex cases with questions about the long-term effects of an injury or fault for the accident may rely on expert witnesses. Car accident lawyers cultivate a network of expert witnesses, like doctors, engineers, or accident reconstruction specialists. The expert opinions of these individuals could be critical for winning your case.
Talk to an Injury Lawyer in Nevada
Healing from serious injuries is challenging enough without dealing with confusing letters and phone calls from an insurance company. Legal representation unburdens you from the difficulties of negotiating a settlement or going to court. To place your case in the hands of a respected accident lawyer, contact Lach Injury Law now and receive your free consultation.