Reno Car Accident Lawyer

Car accidents happen unexpectedly in many ways, and the victim of an accident is likely to face many challenges and experience uncertainty, frustration, and anxiety in the aftermath of their experience. If you or a loved one recently suffered an injury in a car accident that another driver caused in Reno, you need an attorney you can trust to guide you through the legal proceedings ahead of you.

Thousands of accidents occur in the Reno area each year, and Nevada’s fault law requires proving fault if you want to recover appropriate compensation for the damages sustained in a recent accident. This process will be different after every vehicle accident, and no two victims will have the exact same recovery experience. If you believe another party is responsible for causing a car accident that resulted in damages, you can seek accountability and compensation for your losses.

The attorneys at Easton & Easton have years of professional experience handling all sorts of personal injury claims in Reno, including civil suits filed in response to car accidents. When you need an attorney you can trust to help you navigate your recovery efforts after an accident, we have the skills, resources, and experience you want on your side to reach the most positive outcome possible. Time is a critical concern when pursuing compensation for your damages, so it is vital that you reach out to legal counsel you can trust as soon as possible after another driver has injured you in Reno.

State law requires a driver to prove fault for an accident before they can recover compensation for their damages. Proving fault will require different forms of evidence depending on the specific details of a case, and your Reno car accident attorney can assist you in gathering all the evidence you will need to assert liability for your recent accident. Some of the most common causes of car accidents in Reno that generate civil claims for damages are:

• Distracted or inattentive driving. All drivers are expected to pay full attention to the road while operating their vehicles. Any level of distracted driving is dangerous as the driver will have less time to react to sudden changes in the road ahead of them.
• Exceeding the speed limit is not only a major contributing factor to the total number of accidents reported in the state each year but also the severity of resulting damages. Whenever an accident happens at high speed, the risk of serious injury is much greater. Excessive speeding could also lead to reckless driving charges for the at-fault driver.
• Moving violations. Whenever drivers fail to follow posted traffic signals or disrupt the flow of traffic, they inherently increase their risk of causing a serious accident. Running red lights or stop signs, illegal turns, lane changes, or failure to yield the right-of-way are just a few examples of how moving violations cause accidents in Reno.
• Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs. It is illegal for any driver to operate a vehicle while intoxicated, and penalties for DUI conviction typically include a heavy fine, jail time, and a driver’s license suspension. Penalties increase automatically if a driver has hurt or killed someone while driving under the influence, and they also face liability for the damages they inflicted.

No matter how your recent vehicle accident happened, your Reno car accident attorney can help gather all types of evidence you may need to firmly prove liability. This may include eyewitness testimony from those who saw the accident happen firsthand, physical evidence from the scene of the crash, and digital evidence like the other driver’s cell phone records.

It is important to remember that the state upholds a modified comparative fault rule that comes into play whenever a plaintiff shares fault with a defendant for causing their damages. Under this rule, the plaintiff will have a percentage of fault assigned to them to reflect their level of liability. This percentage is then deducted from their final case award, and they keep the remainder. However, the plaintiff must be less than 50% at fault; otherwise, they lose the right to claim recompense from the defendant.

Your Reno car accident attorney can be an invaluable asset for minimizing any comparative fault assigned to you. Depending on the total potential value of your case, even a slight amount of shared fault could amount to losing a sizeable amount of compensation, so if you do share liability for your accident it is crucial to minimize your fault percentage as much as possible. While comparative fault may diminish your recovery, the defendant’s illegal actions could enhance it in the form of punitive damages. Every case is different, and it is essential for the plaintiff to seek legal counsel from an attorney they can trust to have the greatest chance of maximizing their recovery as much as state law allows no matter what their claim entails.

Nevada law requires every driver to have a minimum of $25,000 in liability coverage for bodily injury to a single person, a minimum of $50,000 in liability coverage for bodily injury for injuries to multiple persons in a single accident, and at least $20,000 to cover property damage. These coverage requirements may be enough to fully compensate for the damages from a minor accident, but your total claimable damages may outpace the total amount you are legally entitled to claim if you suffered severe injuries. It is also possible to face various complications with the insurance claim filing process that you may not understand how to address on your own.

Insurance companies do not always handle claims in good faith and will typically look for all justifications they can find to deny a claim or offer the lowest settlement possible. When you have an experienced Reno car accident attorney representing you, you are far less likely to encounter such behaviors and more likely to receive your insurance settlement in a timely fashion.

Your Reno car accident attorney can help file your insurance claim with the insurance carrier for the at-fault driver, address any disputes raised against your claim, and verify that the settlement offer you receive is fair and reasonable under the terms of the auto insurance policy. Once you have recovered whatever compensation you can through auto insurance, the next phase of your recovery will be to start a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver, seeking compensation for the damages their insurance can’t cover.

Once you have recovered the compensation you can get through the auto insurance claim filing process, the next option you have for recovering any outstanding losses is filing a personal injury claim against whoever caused your accident. State law allows the plaintiff in a personal injury claim to seek complete repayment of their economic damages, which include the various financial effects of a defendant’s actions, and compensation for the pain and suffering they experienced.

Economic damages are generally proven with the appropriate documentation, and it is possible for the plaintiff to seek complete repayment of all financial losses they sustained because of a defendant’s actions. These can include anything not covered by the defendant’s auto insurance, such as property damage, medical expenses, and lost income. It’s important for the plaintiff to remember that they can not only claim compensation for immediate financial losses but also for the long-term economic impact of an accident. For example, you can claim compensation for future medical expenses you are likely to incur for the future medical care your injuries require, and you can also seek recompense for your lost earning power if you are unable to work and earn income after your accident.

Outside of economic damages, it is also possible for the plaintiff to claim pain and suffering recompense from the defendant responsible for their accident. There is no limit to how much the plaintiff can claim in an auto accident case in the state, and the amount sought should reasonably reflect the overall severity of the harm they suffered. Your attorney might seek a large lump sum to reflect the permanent harm you suffered, or they may opt for an amount to reflect the time it takes you to fully recover.

When you select Easton & Easton to represent your car accident claim in Reno, you are investing in years of professional experience in personal injury law. We have helped many car accident victims recover their damages and we are ready to put this experience to work in your recovery efforts. You have a limited time in which to pursue compensation for a personal injury, so it is vital that you reach out to an attorney you can trust as soon as possible after your accident to have the greatest chance of success with the recovery efforts you attempt.

Q: What Is the Statute of Limitations for a Car Accident?

A: If you intend to start a personal injury claim against the driver who caused your recent car accident, you must do so within two years of the date the accident occurred. However, your recovery from an accident is likely to begin with an auto insurance claim, and you face a much shorter time limit when filing this claim. It’s important to reach out to trustworthy legal counsel as soon as possible after an accident to have the greatest chance of success with all your recovery efforts.

Q: Who Is at Fault for a Rear-End Collision in Reno?

A: All drivers are expected to leave an appropriate amount of space between their vehicle and the vehicle in front of them. A general rule is to leave one car length of space for every 10 mph of speed. Whenever a driver hits another driver from behind, the rear driver is almost always liable for this type of accident. However, there are some situations in which the leading driver could share fault for this type of accident.

Q: Will a Driver Go to Jail for Causing a Crash in Reno?

A: It is possible for an at-fault driver to face jail time if they caused an accident through any illegal misconduct. Reckless driving and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs are the most commonly cited examples of this. The penalties they face for conviction would increase if they caused serious bodily harm or death, and they will also face a civil suit from the victim. Your Reno car accident attorney can advise you as to how the illegal misconduct of the defendant could affect your final recovery.

Q: Do I Need an Attorney to File an Auto Insurance Claim in Reno?

A: Technically, no, there is no requirement to hire an attorney for an auto insurance claim in Reno. However, you have a much better chance of success with the claim if you have legal representation on your side. Your attorney can draft the demand letter to the appropriate insurance company and resolve any disputes they raise against your claim. Ultimately, you are more likely to succeed with your insurance claim and streamline your receipt of a settlement offer when you have an attorney representing you.

Q: How Much Are Attorneys’ Fees for a Reno Car Accident Attorney?

A: Easton & Easton aims to make legal counsel as accessible as possible to those who need it most, so we do not charge upfront or ongoing attorneys’ fees. Instead, we take personal injury clients on a contingency fee basis. This means our client only pays a fee after we win their case, and their fee is a percentage of the total amount we recover on their behalf. This ensures there is no risk of paying more in legal fees than you win from your case.

The attorneys at Easton & Easton have earned a solid professional reputation as a leading choice for legal counsel in the Reno area due to our commitment to client-focused legal counsel. We learn as much as possible about every client we represent, providing individualized legal counsel in every case. If you believe you have grounds for legal recourse following a car accident that someone else caused in Reno, we can help. Contact us today to schedule your consultation with our team and learn more about the legal services we offer.