A personal injury attorney, knows that when you work hard living day to day, it can be frustrating when the flow of your life is interrupted by someone else’s negligence. Be it an auto accident, slip and fall, or other cases of negligence, you’ll need an excellent personal injury attorney. Our Law firm will go the distance for you until we reach the end of your case.
Personal Injury
All personal injury cases involve some kind of negligence. And that negligence often results in the following scenarios:
- Intentional Acts: When an individual performs an act to intentionally cause harm to another person. This applies to the various forms of physical and mental assault and battery.
- Accidents: When an individual is careless in his or her actions and conduct, resulting in a scenario that unintentionally causes harm to another person. Auto accidents, dog bites, slip and fall accidents, construction accidents, and other work-related incidents usually fall into this category.
- Defamation: When an individual declares a statement claiming something usually untrue that is meant to harm another person’s reputation. The result of the damaged reputation is often lost income and reduced access to various beneficial opportunities.
- Defective Products: When an individual is harmed by the usage of a device or other sold product; usually caused by a defect in manufacturing or the composition of the sold item. More often than not, the harm is usually unintentional. In its worst form, it often occurs due to a company’s attempt to save money or ignorance in the proper preparation or creation of the product.
What You’ll Need
Before you seek out a personal injury attorney, you’re going to need to gather your evidence for the claim you’re about to make. This can include pictures, witness testimony, the damaged “object” in question, whether it’s a car or your own body. This, along with the records of all the attempts to fix and rehabilitate said “object.”
And that’s the easy part. The hard part is finding a personal injury attorney that will fight for you. This means finding someone capable of taking your evidence, doing the required research, and ultimately putting together a solid, successful argument in your favor.
Why Hire a Personal Injury attorney?
Some injury scenarios require an attorney’s assistance because litigation is the only means of seeking compensation. But what about things like car accidents? Indeed, if both drivers had insurance, you could file a claim with the insurance company.
Unfortunately, insurance companies are not always cooperative or willing to act in good faith. And even when they do cover a claim, it may not be enough to compensate you for your serious injuries and property damage fully. This is one of the many reasons why it’s crucial to work with a personal injury attorney, even if your case is seemingly straightforward.
Insurance Companies Don’t Act in Your Best Interests
It sounds illogical that a company you pay to insure you would not be acting in your best interest. But insurance companies make a profit by rejecting claims and minimizing payouts. If you want to negotiate with the claims adjuster personally, you may not know if you’re getting a lowball settlement offer or wrongly being denied coverage. Moreover, appealing a claim may not be helpful if you are ultimately appealing to the very insurer that denied or underpaid your claim, to begin with.
Even if your case never goes to trial, hiring a personal injury attorney could significantly increase your chances of a fair settlement. It shows that you are serious about getting what you deserve and that you won’t be taken advantage of.
Insurance Coverage Limits May Not Be Enough
Even if you are lucky enough to work with an honest and generous insurance company, the payout you receive may not be enough to fully cover your losses if you have suffered serious injuries or disabilities. Insurance policies have coverage limits that most of us don’t pay attention to until it’s time to file a claim. If you were seriously injured or paralyzed in a motor vehicle accident, for instance, your medical bills alone may be higher than the coverage limits on your policy.
Hiring a personal injury attorney can help you hold all at-fault parties liable and maximize your potential for compensation.
Hiring an Attorney Comes with almost No Financial Risk to You
Personal injury cases are almost always taken on a contingency basis. This means that the attorney charges you nothing up-front and does not get paid unless he helps you recover money. The attorney fees are paid out of a portion of the jury award or settlement. When you hire a personal injury attorney, the attorney essentially assumes the financial risk for the case.
Moreover, most personal injury attorneys also offer free initial consultations, at which they’ll discuss the accident, your injuries, and whether you likely have a winning case. Regardless of the outcome of that first meeting, you haven’t paid a penny.
How Your Personal Injury Attorney Can Help with Insurance
When it comes to working with insurance companies, you may think you can handle the agents themselves. Surely if the accident was someone else’s fault, then it will be no big deal to try and get compensation for your injuries, right? Wrong. Insurance agents are not there because they want to help you out after being in an accident. They are there to protect their company, their clients and give you the lowest settlement amount they can. This is why it is helpful to have a personal injury attorney on your side who can help you with insurance agents.
What is the negotiation process like with insurance agents?
Thankfully, when you work with our team, you know you have a personal injury attorney on your side who will fight against an insurance agent who is trying to give you a bad deal. Typically, your personal injury attorney will write a demand letter and send it to the insurance company. This letter will state:
- The kinds of expenses and losses you have had to pay (such as medical bills or property damage)
- What happened in the accident, and what the facts are
- What you and your attorney have agreed to as a fair settlement amount
A demand letter is critical because it can set the entire tone for the negotiation process, and it will set the starting point. After the insurance company receives this letter, they will likely do one of three things.
- They will agree to the amount you and your attorney asked for
- They will not agree to that amount but will counter-offer with another lower amount than what you asked for
- They will refuse the demands altogether
While you may be worried that the insurance agent will refuse your demand, it is far more likely that they will instead make you a counter-offer that is much lower than what you were asking. There are usually multiple rounds of negotiations between your attorney and the insurance company. If you and the insurance agent reach a settlement that you believe is fair, you can settle outside of court. However, if not, you may have to work with your attorney to file a personal injury lawsuit. When this happens, the insurance agent may reconsider a fair settlement instead of going to court.
You Want an Advocate on Your Side
Finally, hiring a personal injury attorney can be beneficial. Having this kind of professional advocate on your side, who understands what you’ve been through and will fight to get you the compensation you deserve, can only benefit your situation. Further, the peace of mind that comes with having a personal injury attorney on your side should ultimately not be underestimated.
You’ll know a great personal injury attorney in when you find one experienced in successfully taking cases to trial. Our expertise comes from our history of practicing exclusively in the area of personal injury law. Our hardworking staff will stay on top of things and are dedicated to keeping you up to date on the status of your case. Call today to get your free consultation started with a personal injury attorney today!
Catastrophic Injuries
According to national statistics, there are almost 50 million people who seek out medical attention each year for unintentional injuries they suffer. The majority of these injuries occur in some type of accident. While any type of accident injury can physically, emotionally, and financially wreak havoc on a victim’s life, a broken bone or deep lacerations will eventually heal, and the victim will eventually go back to their day-to-day life. But for some accident victims, this will never happen because the injuries they sustain are considered “catastrophic.” A personal injury attorney knows that catastrophic injuries often have a devastating effect on both the victim and their family, forever altering life plans and life goals.
Under the Code of Laws of the United States of America, a catastrophic injury is defined as “an injury, the direct and proximate consequences of which permanently prevent an individual from performing any gainful work.” In other words, any injury that prevents a victim from being able to financially support themselves and/or their family can be considered a catastrophic injury.
When a victim suffers an injury that is so severe they are unable to work, it is often also the case that the injury’s severity also leaves them unable to do other activities, such as walking or even taking care of themselves. Some of the more common catastrophic injuries that a personal injury attorney sees in the cases he or she handles include the following:
- Brain injuries: Brain injuries can range from mild to severe, but even a mild brain injury can leave permanent health issues for a victim. More severe injuries can leave a victim in a coma or in a vegetative state, requiring 24-hour care.
- Burn injuries: Burn injuries are not only extremely painful, but the more severe the burn, the more complications victims suffer with. Many burn injury victims struggle with infections, as well as the disfigurement and/or permanent scarring the injuries themselves leave.
- Spinal cord injuries: Every message the brain sends out to the different parts of the body travels through the spinal cord. When the spinal cord is injured, these messages cannot get through and this can leave victims unable to feel sensations, move limbs, or even unable to walk. In severe cases, the injury to the spinal cord can even affect a victim’s ability to breathe and require the use of mechanical ventilation in order to keep the victim alive.
The lifelong medical costs and care that a catastrophic injury victim requires can be astronomical, along with all the other losses the victim and their family suffer.
Contacting an attorney Can Ease the Process
Our personal injury attorney, tells prospective clients that seeking legal guidance will be critical after an accident. Some victims may be unsure of whether they should consult an attorney or take legal action at all. However, there are clear indicators to be aware of when considering whether this is in your best interest. Know that our team can play an essential role in ensuring that you do not miss the timeframe to pursue your claim and ensure that your interests are kept at the forefront when managing possible claim denials and negotiations with the insurance company.
Here are some things to consider when determining whether legal representation is suitable for you:
There are Stringent Timeframes
The statute of limitations is the amount of time accident victims have to take legal action against negligent parties for their losses. In Nevada, victims have two years from the date of injury to pursue a legal claim. Once the timeframe closes, in most cases, victims will not have the ability to seek compensation. There are a few exceptions, for example:
- The victim was a minor at the time of the accident
- The victim was not aware they were injured until later down the road
Despite these, know that when victims contact an attorney soon after their accident, they will have a professional who can ensure that timeframes are adhered to. Regardless of whether your losses were significant, if you allow the statute of limitations to expire, you could risk walking away without the ability to take legal recourse. Victims who have suffered losses shouldn’t be left to manage the accident’s impact without assistance from the responsible party. Our personal injury attorney can play a crucial role in assisting with the pursuit of your claim.
You Need Time to Focus on Recovery
Injuries can be impactful, resulting in physical pain, emotional disturbance, and financial loss. When another was responsible for these outcomes due to negligence, they should be held accountable. If you have been injured, one of your first calls should be to a legal professional. This is especially true if injuries resulted in substantial losses. Recovery after an accident can be extensive and rife with challenges, and the added stress of a legal claim can feel incredibly overwhelming. With a legal professional, you can focus on your recovery and feel confident knowing that you have an attorney in your corner who can represent your best interests.
Insurance Company Challenges
When you file a claim with the insurance company after an accident, an adjuster will be assigned to your case. While this may seem pretty straightforward, keep in mind that insurance companies are looking to pay out as little as possible. As a result, victims could experience:
- Claim Denials
- Low Ball Settlement Offers
- Attempts to Reduce the Value of Your Claim
- Skillful Negotiation Tactics
When contending with injuries, victims may struggle to manage the claims process with insurance companies. It can be difficult for a person who has never undergone the process to have a good idea of how best to outline their losses, and negotiations can be stressful. As a result, victims may settle their cases for far less than they deserve.
The days, weeks, and even months following an accident can leave victims feeling vulnerable and even worried about the future.
Why Is It Important to Act Fast?
You need to contact a personal injury attorney right after the accident occurs because Nevada has a statute of limitations in place that makes it impossible to file for compensation if you miss the deadline. There are other reasons, too, that it is important to act quickly in a personal injury case. First, your attorney will take care of all the paperwork you need to turn in. He or she will make sure it is all filled out properly and promptly. Second, your attorney may want to speak to the insurance agents on your behalf so that he or she can figure out the best way for you to get compensation. Sometimes this will be by settling outside of court, but other times it is necessary to file a suit. Your experienced attorney will have a good idea of what your case may be worth so that you can make the best decision for your unique case. Finally, your attorney will be able to give you advice on how to proceed in court. He or she may recommend having expert witnesses or hiring a team of investigators to look at the accident scene to see if there is anything else that could be added to your case. Strong evidence is very important for getting the compensation you need and deserve.
Will the Assistance of an attorney Really Help?
Having an experienced personal injury attorney who knows the Nevada personal injury laws on your side will definitely be an enormous asset. Not only will your attorney be able to give you advice every step of the way, but he or she will likely help you get greater compensation than you would have on your own. For example, a personal injury attorney will know how much other people have been compensated for similar injuries and will be able to calculate what he or she thinks you deserve for your case. Your attorney will also think of things you likely would not — such as compensation for future medical bills and compensation for lost wages due to missed work. These are only a few of many things that you could file for. Let a skilled attorney help you get what your case is worth. Contact our firm today to set up an initial consultation. We can go over the unique details of your case and offer different suggestions on how to move forward. As we mentioned, there is no risk in hiring us to help with your case. If you do not win you do not owe us anything, regardless of how much time and money we put into your case.