A car accident is a terrifying event. It doesn’t matter if it involves single or multiple vehicles. One of the first questions that come to mind is if you’ll receive compensation to repair the car after the accident. Thankfully, if you’re involved in an accident in Las Vegas, Nevada, you’ve several options to seek compensation to repair your vehicle.
You can receive the money for the repairs from your insurance company, the other driver’s insurance company, or the at-fault driver. According to Nevada law, it’s the responsibility of the at-fault driver or their insurer to compensate you. They should pay you for the cost you’ll incur to repair the vehicle or replace it if it's totaled. They should also reimburse you for renting a similar car if yours has to be fixed for some time.
Have you been involved in an accident and you aren’t sure who will cater for the repairs? Then, you have come to the right place! Read on to understand how to receive compensation for car repair after a vehicle accident in Las Vegas.
Proving Who’s At Fault In An Accident
The at-fault driver may immediately accept the liability and pay for the damages when involved in an accident. In other cases, though, the driver will not accept responsibility, and their insurance company may try to evade the obligation of paying for the damages. It's therefore critical to contact an experienced Las Vegas personal injury attorney when you are involved in an accident.
The attorney will advise you on what to do immediately after the accident. Also, they will represent you in court to receive your total compensation for the damages caused to your car as a result of the accident. In addition, if your vehicle is totaled or destroyed, your lawyer will also ensure you receive compensation equal to the maximum value of your car.
How To Be Compensated For The Repair Of Your Car After An Accident
According to Nevada law, if a defendant is responsible for an accident, they should compensate you for the damages the accident caused. The defendant or their insurance company should cater for the cost of repairing the vehicle. In addition, they should compensate you for the medical bills you incur due to the accident, pay for your vehicle’s repair costs, lost wages, your lost earning capacity, and pain and suffering you suffer as a result of the accident. In some cases, you have to hire another car as yours is undergoing repairs. The at-fault party should also compensate you for the expense you will incur hiring the vehicle.
Understanding Who Pays For Your Repair Costs After An Accident In Nevada
You can have your car repaired through different avenues after an accident. First, your insurer can pay for your vehicle’s repair even if you aren’t at fault. They do so if you have purchased an optional collision policy cover. According to the policy, it’s your insurer's obligation to cater for the repairs. It doesn’t matter who’s responsible for the accident.
It's prudent to go the collision coverage way as it's one of the fastest avenues to have your car repaired. In addition, if the investigations reveal the other party was at fault, your insurer will pursue them or their insurer for reimbursement.
It's possible to receive compensation even when you don't have collision insurance. If the other driver has auto liability insurance in Nevada, you can pay for your repairs and seek reimbursement from the other driver or their insurer. You can also wait until the court determines the case before you repair your car. You can also cater for the damages of the vehicle only. Finally, you can wait for investigations to conclude before you cater for other emergencies like your medical bills the accident caused.
If the other driver does not have insurance, you should sue them directly so that the court compels them to pay you for the damages. But, again, it’s critical to employ the services of an experienced personal injury lawyer in Nevada to help you file the case in court. If the other driver is uninsured, the other option you have is to seek payment from your insurer. You can only do so if you have underinsured motorist insurance.
Is It Mandatory To Report An Accident To Your Insurer?
Most Nevada insurers have a policy that requires you to inform them of an accident immediately it occurs. If you fail to inform your insurer, they might not cover the costs to repair your damaged vehicle.
Before you receive any compensation for an accident, you must file a claim. If the other driver doesn’t have insurance or you need your insurance to pay for the damages, you must be very careful of what you say when you contact the insurance adjuster.
Unless you plan to cover the repair costs from your pocket, you should always contact the insurance company. When you call, don’t accept fault. Ideally, you should call your personal injury lawyer first, who should call the insurance company on your behalf. It might be prudent to do so since you might still be traumatized after the accident. After that, you simply inform your insurance agent of the accident by calling their number. It’s usually on your insurance card. You can also do a simple online search to find your insurance company’s number.
When an accident happens, the other driver may inform their insurance company. In turn, their insurance company informs your insurance company about the accident. If your insurer learns about your accident from another insurance company, they might refuse to pay for the cost of the repairs. Your insurance company will argue you didn't inform them of the accident, which is against their insurance policy. Therefore, it is critical to inform your insurance company about the accident immediately to avoid losing out on your premium.
However, in some cases, it's not necessary to inform your insurance company about the accident. Or it might not make sense to notify the insurance company about the accident.
For example, if you suffer minor damage to your car and can pay for the repair, then it's not necessary to inform your insurance company.
When the accident results in minor damage or injury, it's not necessary to inform your insurer. Additionally, if the other driver is willing to pay for the repairs and cover the medical expenses from their own pockets, it's not necessary to inform the insurance company. However, when signing the policy agreement, it’s critical to read the fine print. Doing so will enable you to understand what the policy requires you to do in case of an accident.
According to Nevada law, if the damage resulting from the accident is more than $750, you should report the accident to the DMV. In addition, if anyone is injured, you should also report the accident to the DMV.
Will An Accident Claim Raise Your Insurance Premium?
Different insurance companies have different rules for premium pricing, especially when you file for an accident claim. However, several factors affect your insurance premium after filing for an accident claim. First, your insurance company will determine whose fault caused the accident. They will also check the number of claims you have filled on the policy, check for how long you’ve insured your car with them. Lastly, they will check your type of insurance cover.
The effect your accident claim has on your premium depends on your insurance company. If your insurance company offers accident forgiveness, your insurance premium rates will not be affected, provided the accident was not your fault. However, this forgiveness only happens for the first accident claim.
If you are involved in multiple accidents, your premium rate might go up. In addition, some insurers may refuse to renew your insurance cover if you are involved in several accidents, even if they aren’t your fault.
No matter who is at fault, it's critical to inform your insurance company immediately after the accident happens. It’s also vital to involve the services of an experienced lawyer if you are involved in an accident, especially if the damages exceed $750 or someone has been injured in the accident.
Proving Property Damage To Your Car
The more evidence you have of what happened during the accident, the better to prove what transpired. You can collect this evidence by taking photos of the accident scene. You should also take pictures of the extent of the damage to all the cars involved in the accident.
If you don't have a smartphone capable of taking pictures, you can use a camera if you have one on-site. This photographic evidence is crucial to prove you are not at fault or to show the extent of your fault. Proving who’s at fault is critical to enable you to receive compensation from the at-fault driver or their insurance company.
If you don't take pictures immediately after the accident, it's advisable to go back to the scene as soon as possible. Carry a camera or a smartphone capable of taking photos. Take as many pictures as possible of the location. These photos are important as they will help your lawyer and your insurance company understand what transpired and absolve you of any fault.
Another critical step is gathering as much information as possible about any eyewitnesses present during the accident. Taking the eyewitness information or contacts is essential as you can contact them to collaborate on your version of what transpired. In addition, they can be helpful in court should the case go to trial.
However, be careful not to discuss the accident in detail with the witnesses. Likewise, don’t apologize for the accident, as doing so might amount to an admission of fault.
If you're cohesive enough after the accident, note down as much information about the accident. The sooner you note everything down, the better since your memory is still fresh.
Some of the most important details you should note down include:
- The Location Of The Accident,
- The Direction And The Speed At Which The Cars Were Traveling,
- Your Activity At The Time Of The Accident,
- And Any Other Detail Which Might Make it easier for your attorney or the adjuster to have a clearer picture of what happened.
Determining Whose Fault Caused The Accident
To determine the at-fault driver, adjusters from your insurance company and the other party’s insurance company will investigate what transpired. To gather as much information as possible, they will rely on police reports of the accident, the condition of your car after the accident, the photos of the accident, the extent of the damage to the other vehicle, the estimate of how much the repairs will cost, eyewitness statements, CCTV footage from nearby cameras if any. That’s why it’s critical to take pictures of the accident as soon as possible and take the contact information of any eyewitnesses. The photographs and eyewitness reports will help paint a clear picture of who’s at fault. The insurer will prepare an initial report on who’s at fault based on the information they gather.
Although you may want to explain the events to your insurance company, it's prudent to have an experienced personal injury lawyer do so on your behalf. At times, the insurance company might wrongly use a tenet of the law as a reason not to cover the repair expenses. Having a lawyer present the sequence of events ensures the insurance company honors their obligation if you aren’t at fault.
Additionally, you might think you were at fault, but it turns out that might not be the case. Your lawyer may find out through thorough investigation the other driver was at fault. For example, they may have been distracted while driving. On the other hand, the attorney might also realize a traffic light malfunctioned, and the accident isn’t your fault at all.
In Nevada, you can receive compensation to repair your vehicle even if you’re partially to blame for the accident. However, the extent of your fault should be within a certain threshold stipulated in the law.
What Does The Law State About Compensation When Your Car Becomes A Write-Off Or Is Totally Damaged?
Your car may be totaled as a result of the accident. If this happens, the law requires the insurance company to compensate you with a fair market value of your car’s worth. The insurance company will consider various factors to determine the fair market value of your vehicle. They will check the model, year of manufacture, and general condition of your totaled vehicle. Remember, although the company compensates you for the loss of your car, you can use the cash in whichever way you like. The law doesn’t compel you to buy another vehicle.
In Nevada and other states in the country, the value the insurance company places on your totaled vehicle might be way too low than its fair market value. Therefore, it’s critical to involve an experienced personal injury lawyer who will compel the insurance company to compensate you for the vehicle’s fair market value.
What You Should Do If The Repair Cost Is More Than The Estimate
The insurance adjusters do a pretty good job of coming up with the repair estimates. In most cases, the forecast will be correct. At times though, the cost of repair might surpass the estimates. For example, the mechanic might discover more damage that was undetectable during the damage cost estimation process.
Most Nevada insurance companies have repair shops with which they have a working relationship. Therefore, if you take your car to one of these repair shops, the additional cost isn’t a big issue as the insurer will resolve the problem with the repair shop.
However, the case is slightly different if you take your car to a repair shop with no working relationship with the insurer. To resolve the issue, you’ll have to negotiate with the repair shop to accept less money. Alternatively, you can negotiate with your insurer to cover the additional costs.
Once again, if you find yourself in such a situation, it's prudent to use the services of an experienced personal injury lawyer. The attorney will help you negotiate with either party so that you don’t end up paying for the extra costs out of your pocket.
Call a Las Vegas Car Accident Attorney
Being involved in a traffic accident is a traumatic event. You may suffer serious injuries, or your car might suffer significant damage. In addition, it might become stressful for you to source funds to repair your vehicle. Car-repair costs might run into hundreds or thousands of dollars. Luckily, this doesn’t have to be the case, as you can claim compensation from the at-fault driver or their insurer.
If you or your loved one is involved in a motor accident in Las Vegas, it's critical to enlist the services of an experienced personal injury attorney. The attorney will help you recover compensation for the repair of your vehicle after the accident. At Las Vegas Personal Injury Attorney Law Firm, we have represented car accident victims for many years. Contact us today at 702-996-1224, and we will fight to have you compensated not only for your injuries but also for your car damages.
