Car Accident Lawyer in Las Vegas

What Should You Do After a Car Accident?

Follow these five steps if you are in an automobile accident:

• Assess your injuries and seek medical care
• Contact the police and request a report be done
• Photograph the scene and injuries
• Obtain a copy of the police report
• Call a car accident attorney

Should You Seek Medical Attention Immediately?

After a car accident, you should assess yourself and others for injuries to determine if an ambulance is required. After an accident, many people experience an adrenaline rush and do not feel their injuries until several hours later or even the next day. It is essential to seek medical care as soon as possible to determine the extent of your injuries and how best to treat them. Medical documentation is also critical for supporting your claim. 

Delaying medical care can compromise your health and weaken your potential claim. Seeking prompt treatment provides you with a professional assessment and creates an official medical record of the injuries sustained due to the accident. This documentation can become crucial in proving the validity and extent of your injuries when negotiating with insurance companies or presenting your claim in a legal setting.

Contacting the Police After a Car Crash

Always call the police when an accident occurs. Regardless of the severity, be sure to request an accident report. This helps ensure no facts about the accident can be skewed. Habitually bad drivers may use false insurance information and change their story after the accident. Requesting your report is a critical step in protecting yourself against negligence.

An official police report functions as an objective record of the incident, containing vital details such as witness statements, an initial assessment of fault, and road conditions at the time. This independent verification can serve as valuable evidence if disputes arise regarding the circumstances of the accident, providing credibility and support during the claims process or potential litigation.

Obtaining a Crash Report After an Accident

In Nevada, you can obtain an accident report via online request. 

• Requesting a Report from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department: If your accident occurred in Las Vegas, your report will likely be found with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Most traffic accident reports can be delivered through email via a secured link, but you can also elect to have them mailed or pick them up in person. Allow a minimum of 10 business days from the date of the incident before requesting a report. Once your request is received, you will be notified by email. 
•  Requesting a Report from the Nevada Highway Patrol: To request a crash report from the Nevada Highway Patrol, you can submit a crash report request to the Nevada Department of Safety.  Ensuring you have an accurate and complete crash report is vital for substantiating your claim. It contains details that can illustrate the accident's impact on your life, potentially increasing your compensation. 

Determining the Value of Your Auto Accident Claim

No exact formula exists for determining the amount of a Nevada car accident settlement. Instead, the value of a claim depends on many factors specific to the case.

Factors that contribute to the value of your claim include:

• The severity of your injuries, including scarring, disfigurement, pain, and emotional duress
• The cost of necessary medical expenses and predictable future medical expenses
• The total cost of repairing or replacing damaged property, such as your vehicle
• The total amount of your lost wages and lost earning capacity, including future lost earnings
• How much you contributed to the cause of the accident (your degree of fault, if any)

Nevada is a “fault” insurance state, so the laws allow an injured person to file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier. Furthermore, state law requires drivers to carry minimum liability insurance coverage. However, the presence of insurance coverage does not mean you will recover the entire amount of the policy.

Establishing Fault in a Car Accident

Proving that someone else was at fault for an accident usually involves proving that they were acting negligently in some way. Examples include: 

• Using a cell phone while driving 
• Driving while distracted 
• Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Ignoring traffic laws/rules of the road 
• Changing lanes suddenly without using turn signals
• Speeding or driving too fast for current road conditions 
• Failing to check blind spots before merging/changing lanes
• Engaging in reckless or aggressive driving behaviors 

These are just some examples of driver negligence. The more evidence you have for your attorney, the better. Solid evidence that can help prove liability includes witness statements, police reports, video footage, accident reconstruction analysis, and expert testimony. 

Call Cohan PLLC for Help with Your Las Vegas Car Accident Claim

We prepare every contested matter as if a trial is inevitable. After handling hundreds of cases and arbitrations, we have learned that intensive preparation is the best way to present a formidable case to a judge or jury. Our preparedness often gives us an advantage at the negotiating table, which can lead to avoiding a costly trial or appellate process through a favorable settlement or quick resolution.

We take an aggressive approach to every claim we manage. This is based on our experience defending Fortune 500 companies and insurance companies. We know their strategies and tactics from having represented them, and we use this advantage to protect your rights and your family’s future.

Beyond our preparation and aggressive strategies, we pride ourselves on fostering strong, trusting relationships with our clients. Communication is a fundamental pillar of our client service. From the initial consultation to the resolution of your claim, we are committed to keeping you informed and involved. Our goal is not only to advocate for your rights but also to empower you with knowledge throughout the process.

Learn more about how we can help during a free case review with an experienced and compassionate car accident lawyer in Las Vegas. Contact Cohan PLLC at (702) 623-3579.