Las Vegas Car Accident Lawyer &
Personal Injury Attorney

What Should You Do After a Las Vegas Car Accident?

The moments after a motor vehicle accident can be scary and confusing. However, what you do at the accident scene matters for your health and your legal rights. If you want to recover compensation later, following these steps can help your legal team build a strong case.

Move to Safety and Call for Help

Your first priority is always safety. If you can, move your car out of traffic to avoid more motor vehicle accidents. Check yourself and others for serious injuries. Even if you feel okay, call 911 to report the auto accident. Under nevada law, you must report crashes that involve injuries or a certain amount of property damage. When the police arrive, they will create police reports that act as an official record of what happened.

Collect Evidence at the Scene

If you are physically able, try to gather as much information as possible before you leave. Use your phone to take photos of all cars involved and any visible property damage. It is also smart to get witness statements and contact information from people who saw the crash. Be sure to exchange insurance policy details and driver’s license numbers with the other driver. However, avoid admitting fault or saying you are sorry, as insurance companies might use those words against you during the legal process.

Seek Medical Attention Immediately

You should always see a doctor right away, even if you do not think you have serious injuries. Some issues, like a traumatic brain injury or internal damage, do not show symptoms immediately. Going to a hospital or clinic creates medical records that prove your injuries came from the automobile accident. Without these records, it is much harder for car accident lawyers to pursue compensation for your mounting medical bills.

Avoid Talking to Insurance Companies Alone

Soon after the crash, an adjuster from the other driver’s insurance company may call you. They often look for ways to pay a small amount rather than a fair settlement. You are not required to give them a recorded statement without legal representation. Our law firm recommends talking to a car accident attorney before signing any papers. We can help you navigate complex legal matters and make sure the insurance company respects your legal rights., but they are not considered evidence of fault in court. Police reports and statements from drivers are privileged and cannot be used to unfairly reduce your compensation. Our attorneys work to protect your rights and make sure your share of fault does not unfairly limit your financial recovery.

Understanding Nevada Car Accident Laws

When you are involved in a car accident, it is important to know that Nevada law has specific rules for how victims can seek compensation. Nevada is known as an “at-fault” state. This means the driver who caused the automobile accident is responsible for paying for the damage and injuries they caused. Usually, their insurance policy will cover these costs up to a certain limit.

The 51% Rule for Shared Fault

Sometimes, both drivers may have made a mistake. In these cases, Nevada uses a rule called modified comparative negligence. This law says you can still recover compensation as long as you are not more than 50 percent at fault. If a judge or jury decides you are 51 percent or more responsible for the crash, you cannot get any money for your claim.

If you are found to be partially at fault but less than 51 percent, you can still get a fair settlement, but it will be reduced. For example, if your total medical expenses and other costs are $100,000 but you are 20 percent at fault, you would receive $80,000. Insurance companies often try to prove liability is mostly yours so they can pay less, which is why having a strong legal team is so important.

The Statute of Limitations: Your Legal Deadline

In Nevada, you only have a certain amount of time to take legal action after serious accidents. This is called the statute of limitations. For most motor vehicle accidents, you have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. If you wait even one day past this two-year mark, the court will likely dismiss your case, and you will lose your legal rights to pursue compensation.

There is a separate three-year deadline if you are only seeking money for property damage to your car. However, because most serious accidents involve both injuries and car repairs, it is best to act within the shorter two-year window. Starting the legal process early helps your car accident lawyers gather fresh evidence, like witness statements and clear photos from the accident scene, before they are lost.

Common Causes of Car Accidents in Las Vegas

There are many reasons why car accidents happen every day, but certain behaviors are more common in Las Vegas than others. Our law firm has found that most motor vehicle accidents are preventable and usually occur because of human error.

Distracted Driving

Drivers can easily lose focus if they are doing other things while behind the wheel. When a driver is not paying attention, they may swerve into another lane or fail to see brake lights in time to stop. Cellphones are the biggest cause of distracted driving, whether someone is texting, taking a call, or using social media. In Nevada, it is illegal to use a handheld device while driving. Other common distractions include eating, using a GPS, or tending to pets and children in the vehicle.

Speeding

Speeding is a major factor in many serious accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), speeding plays a role in about one-third of all traffic deaths. Drivers who go over the speed limits are a danger to everyone on the road. High speeds make it much harder to react to a sudden problem, and the force of the crash often leads to more serious injuries for injured victims.

Driving Under the Influence

Drunk driving and drugged driving are illegal and extremely dangerous. Under Nevada law, a drunk driver can be arrested if their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is 0.08% or higher. These limits are even lower for younger drivers and commercial truck drivers. Alcohol and drugs slow down a person’s brain and body, making it impossible to drive safely. These crashes often cause life-changing harm to injury victims and their families.

Driver Fatigue

Many motor vehicle accident cases in Las Vegas NV, involve driver fatigue. This happens when a driver is too tired or lacks enough sleep to stay alert. Drowsy driving is often compared to drunk driving because it slows your reaction time and ruins your judgment. This is a common problem in a 24-hour city where many people work late shifts or stay out late enjoying the local attractions.

Reckless Driving

Reckless driving happens when people ignore traffic laws and the safety of others. This includes behaviors like tailgating, running red lights, and changing lanes without using a signal. When drivers act this way, they put everyone at risk for a serious automobile accident. Our injury attorneys work hard to prove liability in these cases by using evidence like witness statements and footage from the accident scene to show that the other driver was acting carelessly.

Common Car Accident Injuries

The harm caused by a motor vehicle accident can range from minor to life-changing. At Friedman Injury Law, our legal team regularly works with injury victims who are dealing with a wide variety of serious injuries. Even a low-speed automobile accident can put enough force on your body to cause lasting damage.

Our injury attorneys help clients who are suffering from:

• Traumatic brain injury and concussions: Often caused by hitting your head on the dashboard or steering wheel.
• Spinal cord injuries: These can lead to back pain or even partial or full paralysis.
• Whiplash injuries: Common in rear-end collisions when the neck is jerked back and forth quickly.
• Broken or dislocated bones: High-impact crashes frequently cause fractures in the arms, legs, or ribs.
• Internal organ damage and internal bleeding: These are serious injuries that may not be obvious right at the accident scene.
• Severe lacerations: Deep cuts often caused by broken glass or metal.
• Emotional distress: The mental trauma of a crash can be just as difficult to handle as physical pain.

In many car accident cases, injured victims find it impossible to return to work while they heal. This usually leads to a loss of income, making it very hard to stay caught up on household bills and mounting medical expenses. If you have lost a family member due to someone else’s negligence, you may also need to talk to our law firm about a wrongful death claim to protect your family’s future.

Compensation You May Be Entitled to After a Car Accident

If you have been hurt in a crash, you may be wondering how you will pay for your recovery. In a car accident claim, the money you receive is called “damages.” Nevada law allows injured victims to seek compensation for several different types of losses. The goal is to make sure you get a fair settlement that covers all of your needs, not just the bills you have right now.

Economic damages are the costs that have a specific dollar amount. You can usually prove these by showing receipts, bills, or pay stubs. These include:

• Medical expenses: This covers your past and future doctor visits, hospital stays, surgeries, and physical therapy.
• Lost wages: If you missed work because of your injuries, you can recover the income you lost during that time.
• Property damage: This pays to fix or replace your car and any personal items that were broken in the accident.
• Future lost earnings: If your injury is serious enough that you cannot do the same job anymore, you can seek money for the income you would have earned in the future.

Some losses do not come with a price tag, but they still affect your life every day. These are called non-economic damages. They are meant to help with the emotional and physical toll of an automobile accident. Examples include:

• Pain and suffering: This is money for the physical pain and discomfort you have to live with because of the crash.
• Emotional distress: This covers the mental impact of the accident, such as anxiety, depression, or fear of driving.
• Loss of enjoyment of life: If you can no longer take part in hobbies or activities you used to love, you can be compensated for that loss.

In rare cases, you might receive punitive damages. Unlike other types of compensation, these are not meant to pay you back for a loss. Instead, they are meant to punish a drunk driver or someone else who acted with extreme negligence. To get these, your legal team must prove the other person acted with malice or a conscious disregard for the safety of others.

Don’t Make a Mistake, Call Blake!

If you’ve recently lost a loved one or suffered serious injuries in a Las Vegas accident, call Friedman Injury Law at (702) 970-4222 today. We’re a nationally recognized law firm with a proven record of winning even the toughest cases. Since 2020, our firm has been a trusted advocate for injury victims and grieving families across Nevada. Led by attorney Blake S. Friedman, Esq., who has recovered over $100 million for clients, we bring experience, compassion, and relentless dedication to every case we handle. Experience matters. Put ours to work for you. Call Blake for a free consultation today. We’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and you pay nothing unless we win.

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