If you’re wondering, “Is it worth hiring a personal injury attorney?” after an accident in Las Vegas, you should seek a free consultation. A lawyer will thoroughly investigate the circumstances of your accident, establish liability on the part of the responsible party, and take care of negotiating with insurance companies on your behalf.
Understanding Personal Injury Cases
A personal injury lawsuit is a legal action taken by an injured person against the responsible person or entity. The purpose is to receive compensation for losses such as medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. To win, you need to prove negligence or fault. Once this has been established, the court will determine the value of your damages, or you can settle before going to court.
Types of Personal Injury Cases
Knowing the types of personal injury cases can help you identify whether you have a legitimate claim.
Car Accidents
Car accidents are a frequent cause of personal injury cases. If you have suffered injuries in a car accident caused by another driver’s negligence, you may have a legal right to seek compensation for your medical expenses, lost earnings, and pain and suffering.
Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice cases deal with injuries caused by a healthcare provider’s negligence or inappropriate treatment. In such cases, the doctor or other healthcare professional may have broken a rule or taken incorrect, negligent, or inappropriate actions while treating the patient.
Product Liability
If a person sustains an injury while using a defective product, he or she may be entitled to seek compensation. However, certain types of injuries, such as those caused by unavoidably dangerous products, are not included.
Slip and Fall
A slip and fall accident on public or private property can lead to compensation for the injured person. In such cases, the strength of the case depends on the safety of the environment, and the case is strengthened if the property was unreasonably or unexpectedly dangerous to others.
Wrongful Death
Wrongful death claims arise when a person dies due to someone else’s negligence. For example, if an unmarked construction site leads to a fatal accident, the victim’s family may be entitled to compensation.
Is There a Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Cases?
In Nevada, the personal injury statute of limitations states that you have two years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit. However, if the victim has passed away, and you wish to file a wrongful death lawsuit, the two-year period begins from the date of the victim’s death, not the date of the injury.
What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney?
After an accident, you may be considering, “Do I need a personal injury lawyer?” When you hire a personal injury lawyer, you gain several advantages. A lawyer can help you navigate the legal system, inform you of your legal options, and negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf.
Knowledge of Nevada’s Legal System
If you’re pursuing a personal injury lawsuit, it’s essential to have an experienced lawyer by your side. He or she can help you navigate the complex legal system and the legal strategies of your opposing party, who is likely to have their own legal counsel. A personal injury lawyer will know how to sue for emotional distress alongside other damages, if necessary, to maximize your claim. Without a lawyer, you may find yourself at a disadvantage and struggling to understand the legal process.
Ability to Negotiate With Insurance Companies
Insurance companies often use tactics to persuade accident victims to accept lower compensation than they may be entitled to. Negotiating with insurers can be challenging, especially when you are dealing with financial losses and injuries. By hiring an experienced attorney, you can have someone handle the negotiations with the insurance company on your behalf. Legal representation can result in higher settlements because lawyers understand the tactics used by insurance companies, and will not be pushed into accepting unfair settlements.
Factors to Consider When Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney
To safeguard your rights, it is crucial to select the appropriate legal representation. This necessitates knowing how to choose the right personal injury lawyer.
Experience and Track Record
When you are in search of an injury attorney, one of the key factors to consider is their experience. If you are dealing with a legal matter involving your injury, then it’s highly likely that you will need to work out a settlement or file a lawsuit. Therefore, it’s important to have someone on your side who has experience handling cases similar to yours. An experienced attorney will know what common mistakes in a personal injury case to avoid. By looking at an attorney’s years of practice and history of successful wins or settlements, you can make a more informed decision on which attorney is the right fit for you.
Availability and Communication
It is essential for an attorney to communicate with you in a way that you understand and be willing to listen to your story. If a lawyer promises to get you millions of dollars before even hearing about your case, you should consider finding another lawyer.
Good personal injury attorneys will listen carefully to what you have to say, take time to analyze the information, and then respond accordingly. Effective listening skills also demonstrate other valuable qualities in a lawyer, such as analytical thinking and deductive reasoning.
It is also important to ask potential attorneys about how they communicate with clients. You need to have someone who is available to answer your questions and provide updates on your case.
The aftermath of an injury caused by the negligence of someone else in Las Vegas, Nevada can leave you struggling to recover. As your advocate, an accident attorney will take on the legal processes, allowing you to focus on your recovery.
