Las Vegas, Nevada Personal Injury Lawyers

OUR FIRM PROVIDES FREE PERSONAL INJURY CONSULTATIONS

If you have been seriously injured, or lost a loved one in an accident, please contact a personal injury attorney at Abrams & Tanko, LLLP. We offer confidential consultations, flexible office hours and prompt, attentive service.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE IN A CAR ACCIDENT

It is important to understand your legal rights, and contact an experienced personal injury lawyer if you have been seriously injured in a car accident. It is imperative that car accident victims understand that the other driver's insurance company, as well as your company, may have interests that are different and adverse to your own. You should not speak to any representative from any insurance company without first consulting an attorney.

Our personal injury attorney will take steps which will help prove liability (who was at fault), and maximize your results. Your attorney reviews all available insurance policies covering not only medical bills, and lost wages, but ultimately coverage for residual damages, disabilities, past and future lost earnings, pain and suffering, disfigurement, and loss of quality of life.

As the case proceeds, your attorney will conduct "discovery" to gather information from the opposing party. During this time, your attorney should make sure that you have the best medical treatment possible, and properly document your injuries and their effect on your life.

RULES OF CONDUCT AT AN ACCIDENT SCENE

If your car is involved in an accident, do not leave the scene of the accident. If you do not stop for an accident, you may be subject to criminal penalties.

When you have been the victim of someone else's lack of care in operating their automobile, it is important that you contact the local police department immediately in order to preserve your rights. Do not allow the other driver to convince you that this should be "handled among ourselves." Calling the police department is especially important if you feel any pain or injury as a result of the accident. Remember, if there is a lawsuit later on, the other driver in the accident may have a completely different story when the matter reaches court than the one that he or she tells you at the scene of the accident.

After a collision, if it is safe to do so, do not move your vehicle until the police arrive so that the police can survey the scene, and ensure that evidence regarding how the accident occurred is preserved. If your vehicles are obstructing the flow of traffic, try to move your vehicle the shortest distance possible from the place of impact without obstructing further traffic.

Exchange information with the other driver. Police reports can take weeks to be completed, and the other driver's information will be necessary for your attorney to begin the process of representing you in your case. Obtain the following information from the other driver:

• Name
• Address
• Telephone Number
• Driver's License Number
• Name of Insurance Company
• Policy Number
• Names of Passengers (including their address and phone number)

It is also important to obtain the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of any witnesses to the accident.

• Make notes as to the time of day, weather conditions, road conditions, street lights, and the presence or length of skid marks. Try to make a diagram noting the location of the vehicles, crosswalks, stop signs, and traffic signals. You may want to keep a disposable camera in your car to take pictures of the scene of the accident.

• When you exchange information with the other driver, and give facts to the police, do not feel obligated to admit responsibility for the accident. The things that you say immediately following an accident may be used against you during the course of litigation. You may think that you were responsible for the accident, and later learn that the other driver caused it, or the other driver was equally at fault.

• If you are injured, do not exit your vehicle. Many people, even when they feel pain, will refuse medical attention at the scene of the accident, and travel home. Then, after several hours of increasing pain, they will finally go to the hospital, and present themselves at the emergency room. When their case reaches court, this delay in seeking medical attention is often used against them as a weapon to prove that the accident did not cause the injury. If you feel pain at an accident scene, and an ambulance is offered, utilize the ambulance services to go immediately to the closet emergency room.

• Before you allow a tow truck driver to pick up your car, tell the driver where to take the car, and get the name, address, license number, registration number, and telephone number of the driver, and the towing company.

THINGS TO REMEMBER AFTER THE ACCIDENT

Always report any motor vehicle accident that you are involved in to your insurance company. It is your obligation under your insurance policy to report all accidents.

If you are receiving medical care for injuries you received in the automobile accident, it is important that you follow up on your medical care on a consistent basis. A doctor may recognize injuries, sometimes serious, that are not readily apparent from the first emergency room visit or to you, even at a later date.

The period of time within which you must sue, or otherwise you will be barred from suit is called a "Statute of Limitations." States don't often have the same rules, and the time period may depend upon the legal theory of your suit. In Nevada, the statute of limitations is two (2) years from the date of the accident to recover damages for injuries to a person or for the death of a person caused by the wrongful act or neglect of another.

There are three (3) types of damages for which you can seek compensation.

• General Damages - These include your pain and suffering, mental and physical, and your general disability
• Special Damages - out-of-pocket losses, lost earnings, and bills for medical treatment
• Punitive Damages - additional money judges and juries can add to the other damages to punish especially bad conduct

DO YOU HAVE THE RIGHT INSURANCE COVERAGE TO PROTECT YOURSELF?

UM/UIM Coverage

UM/UIM stands for Underinsured and/or Uninsured coverage. This is a coverage option that you can purchase through your insurance agent which covers you in the event that you are involved in a car accident with someone who has no car insurance coverage of their own, or insufficient coverage to compensate you for your injuries.

Med-Pay or PIP Coverage

Med-Pay is short for medical payments coverage. PIP stands for Personal Injury Protection. This is a coverage option that you can purchase through your insurance agent which pays for medical bills incurred as a result of a motor vehicle accident. In some states, medical payments paid by a med-pay policy or PIP policy are not subject to repayment to the insurance company, unlike health insurance.

For further information about the law offices of Abrams & Tanko, LLLP and how we can help with your personal injury case, please contact us today.