Car Accident Attorney in Las Vegas

What Should You Do After a Car Accident?

Your immediate priorities after a collision are safety, medical needs, documentation, and timely reporting. Avoid debating fault at the scene or giving an insurer a detailed recorded statement before you understand the situation.

Follow these five steps after an automobile accident:

• Assess your injuries and seek medical care
• Contact the appropriate law-enforcement agency
• Photograph the scene, vehicles, and visible injuries
• Obtain the applicable traffic-collision report
• Contact a car accident attorney

Should You Seek Medical Attention Immediately?

After a car accident, assess yourself and others for injuries to determine if emergency care is needed. Many people experience an adrenaline rush after a crash and may not feel injuries until hours or even days later. It’s essential to seek medical care promptly based on your symptoms and professional medical advice. Medical documentation is also important for supporting your insurance claim. 

Contacting the Police After a Car Crash

Contact the appropriate law-enforcement agency and follow its instructions for reporting the crash. Reporting requirements and agency responses can depend on where the collision occurred, whether anyone was injured, and whether the vehicles are blocking traffic. Exchange driver, vehicle, and insurance information, but don’t admit fault or speculate about the cause.

A traffic-collision report can document involved drivers, witnesses, roadway conditions, and other information gathered by the responding officer. It may become important evidence, but it doesn’t always contain a final or binding determination of legal fault. Liability should be evaluated using the complete available evidence.

Obtaining a Crash Report After an Accident

The process for obtaining a report depends on the agency that investigated the collision. Processing times and release options can change, so verify current requirements directly with the responsible agency.

• Requesting a Report from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department: If the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated your accident, information about requesting a report is available from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Eligible reports may be requested online, in person, or by mail. The department advises that many reports require processing time before release.
• Requesting a Report from the Nevada Highway Patrol: For a crash investigated by the Nevada Highway Patrol, use the applicable request process. Keep a copy of the report with your photographs, medical records, repair documents, and insurance correspondence.

Determining the Value of Your Auto Accident Claim

No reliable formula determines the value of every Nevada collision claim. Valuation depends on liability, the severity and duration of the injuries, available insurance, and the quality of the documentation supporting each loss.

Several factors can affect the value of a car accident claim:

• The severity of your injuries, including scarring, disfigurement, pain, and emotional distress
• The cost of necessary medical treatment and expected future care
• The expense to repair or replace damaged property
• Lost wages or reduced earning capacity, including future income
• Your contribution, if any, to the accident
• The applicable insurance policies and coverage limits

Nevada is an at-fault insurance state. An injured person may pursue a claim against an at-fault driver and that driver’s liability carrier, but the existence of insurance doesn’t guarantee payment of the full policy limit or complete compensation for every loss.

For injuries requiring extended treatment, we can work with medical professionals and life care planners to evaluate future medical care. We also examine employment records and other evidence relevant to lost wages and reduced earning capacity. During a free consultation, our Las Vegas car accident lawyers can help identify which losses require further documentation.

Establishing Fault in a Car Accident

Fault is established by connecting a driver’s conduct to the collision and the resulting injuries. An insurer’s early opinion isn’t conclusive, particularly when witness accounts conflict or several parties may share responsibility.

Common examples of negligent conduct include:

• Using a cell phone while driving
• Driving while distracted
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Ignoring traffic laws and rules of the road
• Changing lanes without signaling
• Speeding or failing to adjust speed for road conditions
• Failing to check blind spots before merging
• Engaging in reckless or aggressive driving

Useful evidence can include witness statements, traffic-collision reports, photographs, video footage, vehicle damage, electronic data, medical records, and accident reconstruction analysis. We investigate the available evidence and work with qualified professionals when technical analysis is appropriate.

Nevada Deadlines, Insurance & Reporting Issues

Under NRS 11.190, Nevada’s general limitation period for a personal injury action is two years, but exceptions and claim-specific rules can change the applicable deadline. Claims involving a government entity, a minor, a death, delayed discovery, or another special circumstance may require different procedures or earlier action. A case-specific review is safer than relying on a general deadline.

Nevada generally requires minimum motor-vehicle liability limits of $25,000 for injury to one person, $50,000 for injury to two or more people, and $20,000 for property damage. Those minimum limits may be insufficient in a serious-injury case. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage may provide another source of recovery, subject to the policy terms and Nevada law.

Reporting obligations and record-access procedures depend on the crash circumstances and investigating agency. Preserving insurance notices, correspondence, photographs, repair estimates, and medical documentation can help an attorney identify deadlines and coverage issues during a free case evaluation.

Understand Your Options Without Upfront Attorney Fees

At Cohan PLLC, our car accident lawyers work on a contingency-fee basis. You don’t pay attorney fees or costs upfront, and attorney fees are collected only if we recover compensation for you. The fee arrangement is explained before representation begins.

A no-pressure consultation can help you understand possible next steps, evidence concerns, insurance issues, and whether further legal review is appropriate. You can ask questions before deciding how to proceed.

Ask our Las Vegas auto accident lawyers about your options. Contact us online or call (702) 623-3579 to schedule your free consultation.