When you live, work, or play in Summerlin, your car is essential to everything you do. Whether you plan to bike a local trail or cheer your team at Allegiant Stadium, you need your car to transport you there and back. It's inconvenient and stressful when a negligent driver crashes into your car. It's even more disruptive when they seriously injure you.
If you have questions about your legal rights after an accident, contact our Summerlin car accident lawyer. We can determine if a negligent driver owes you compensation.
Not every accident is serious enough to cause catastrophic injuries, but sometimes you sustain injuries after a low-speed crash. Whether you're dealing with minor injuries or catastrophic trauma, the negligent driver or their insurer should compensate you.
Unfortunately, that doesn't always happen. When you work with Edward Bernstein and Associates, our car accident lawyer protects your legal rights. We handle the legal details while you take time to heal.
Why Contact Edward Bernstein and Associates?
At Ed Bernstein and Associates, our lawyers have seen how car accidents and injuries disrupted our clients' lives. Regardless of a driver's negligence, insurance companies don't always do what's right. When establishing a working relationship with clients, we immediately protect their rights. We assess any legal complications and evaluate damages. When appropriate, we intervene with liability insurers and take steps to recover fair compensation.
We Investigate Every Case
We don't take it for granted that a liability insurer will take responsibility for their insured's actions. We conduct our own investigation and consider the issues independently.
We begin with our client's version and search for evidence that supports their case.
- Obtain police and other official reports
- inspect the accident site and take photographs
- Canvass the area for unidentified witnesses
- Take witness statements
- Verify vehicle driver and owner
- Determine if the other driver was in a company car or on company business
After we complete our investigation, we review the liability issues and determine who is responsible.
We Place all Responsible Parties on Notice
Sometimes the person who crashes into your car isn't the only one responsible for your damages. Someone else might own the vehicle, or the driver could have been conducting business for their employer. A negligent driver won't always explain these complications. When we assess liability, we determine all responsible parties and place them on notice.
This is particularly important when an injured person sustains catastrophic injuries. When more than one person or entity is responsible, our clients may have access to both primary and excess insurance policy limits.
We Intervene Before a Liability Insurer Deceives You
The other driver's liability insurance carrier will probably contact you when you sustain serious injuries in a car accident. Before you agree to discuss your claim, you should understand that they represent the person who harmed you. Even if they don't believe their insured caused your accident, they want as much information as possible.
To establish a claim, they need to know your version of the accident, your diagnosis, and your potential for recovery. After they obtain your information usually in a recorded statement they may deny liability for your claim.
Our law firm prevents this deception by intervening for our clients immediately. We handle all communications, information exchanges, and settlement negotiations when appropriate.
We're Here When You Need Us
Ed Bernstein and Associates have law offices in Summerlin. Our attorneys handle accident-related injuries involving private passenger vehicles, commercial trucks, rideshares, motorcycles, and other vehicles. We also help clients recover compensation for workers' compensation, premises liability, and other types of injury claims.
Contact our Summerlin Car Accident Lawyers
If someone injured you in a car accident, don't let an insurance company deceive you into jeopardizing your rights. Call us, and we'll give you a free consultation to discuss your case. Contact us by email or text, or give us a call.
Our Law Firm's Results
Our car accident attorneys have worked aggressively to recover compensation for our injured clients. We prepare each case early by assessing the legal issues and evaluating the injuries. When a client felt comfortable entering the negotiation process, we worked to resolve their case in a way that provided the most benefit.
We have negotiated with insurers, self-insured entities, and their legal representatives when possible.
We have participated in facilitated negotiations through mediation and other Alternative Dispute Resolution procedures. Wherever possible, we have worked to settle cases informally. We have had no problem initiating a lawsuit and trying a case when necessary.
Client Testimonials and Reviews
Our Summerlin car accident attorneys have recovered compensation for many injured clients in the Clark County area. Every injury and accident is unique, so we can't promise the same outcome as any other client.
We're proud of our past results, so we invite you to visit our Testimonial Pages. That's where our clients share their personal experiences with our law firm. You may also view client comments on Google, Yelp, and other public review sites.
Car Accident Injury Compensation
Car accidents can be simple fender benders or horrific crashes. Regardless of the injury severity, when you are the injured party, it affects your life in every way. You incur unexpected medical bills. If your injuries cause impairments, you lose income when you can least afford it. Sometimes you simply learn to live with pain.
As your car accident lawyer, it's our job to prove that our client's case has significant value. During settlement negotiations, we present our talking points and describe the injuries. We must also present evidence to support our case. We look for the answers to these critical questions during the early investigative and preparation stages.
Can We Prove That the Other Driver Caused the Accident?
Accidents often involve a mix of complex and simple factors. Drivers of all ages crash because of alcohol or drug impairment, distracted driving, speeding, and other risky behaviors. Sometimes the pavement is worn, the weather reduces visibility, or obstructions become contributing factors.
Ultimately, we must still examine the evidence and measure liability using a simple negligence formula.
- Did the other driver have a duty to operate their vehicle safely? (drive appropriately for pavement conditions, stop at a red light, and put the phone away while driving)
- Did they fail to meet that duty? (text while driving, speed through an intersection, lose control of their vehicle)
- Did the other driver's actions cause the accident? (Did their action/inaction cause the crash? Did anyone else commit a negligent act?)
- Did the accident cause or contribute to our client's injuries?
Can We Prove an Injury's Value?
Before our Summerlin car accident lawyer negotiates an injury claim, we determine its potential car accident settlement value. Our legal team reviews the available medical information. We obtain narrative medical reports explaining the victim's diagnosis, prognosis, temporary and permanent disabilities, and other injury-related issues.
We ask our clients how their injuries affected them personally, professionally, and emotionally. We also research recent verdicts and settlements to determine current case values.
In Summerlin, we can negotiate a settlement that includes economic damages and non-economic damages. We sometimes ask a jury for punitive damages if we try the case.
Economic Damages
We produce documentation for all out-of-pocket expenses due to accident-related injuries. We negotiate compensation for past and future expenses when a client will continue to need treatment.
Economic damages often include:
- Lost income and lost earning capacity
- Doctor bills
- Medications
- Hospital expenses
- Mobility structures and devices
- Prosthetics
- Physical and psychological therapy
- Medical transportation
- Replacement services
- Funeral and burial expenses
Non-Economic Damages
We negotiate compensation for subjectively evaluated damages such as psychological, emotional, and other injuries.
These often include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Psychological trauma
- Disruption of marital and family relationships
- Functional losses
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Temporary and permanent disabilities
Exemplary Damages
Nevada Revised Statutes allow courts to punish a defendant by awarding exemplary damages. We must produce clear and convincing evidence that proves the negligent person was guilty of oppression, fraud, or malice.
Car Accidents in Clark County
Summerlin is a small community, but its entertainment and sports venues draw their share of tourists and traffic. The accidents on Summerlin's streets contribute to Las Vegas and Clark County's casualty statistics.
Nevada's Zero Fatalities website provides the most recent data for car accident fatalities in Clark County.
- Total Fatal Crashes in Nevada: 364
- Total Fatalities in Nevada: 396
- Total Fatal Crashes in Clark County: 235
- Total Fatalities in Clark County: 257
The Worst Streets in Summerlin
The Nevada Department of Transportation's Five-Year Crash Data Map provides accident data for streets and intersections throughout Nevada.
Over the five years studied, multiple accidents occurred on these streets in the Summerlin area.
- Summerlin Parkway: 325 crashes
- Warm Springs Road and Fort Apache Road: 43 crashes
- Rampart Boulevard and Durango Drive: 128 crashes
- West Lake Mead Boulevard and North Rampart Boulevard: 94 crashes
You Have a Deadline to Settle a Nevada Injury Claim
When you sustain injuries in an accident in Summerlin, Nevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 11, Limitation of Actions, generally gives you two years to resolve your claim. You lose your right to recover compensation if you don't settle or file a lawsuit by the deadline.
Two years seems like plenty of time to resolve an injury claim. When you're focusing on your recovery, the days fly by, and it's easy to miss the deadline. Our lawyers track our clients' statutes of limitation and take action before it's necessary. We discuss settlement and litigation options, and we help our clients make a decision long before our clients reach this critical deadline.
Common Car Accident Factors
Serious accidents often involve alcohol or drug impairment, speeding, and other risky driving behaviors. The publication Nevada Traffic Safety Facts shares accident causation data based on five years of Nevada police reports. These factors contributed to fatal accidents most frequently.
Some crashes involved more than one contributing factor.
- Impaired driving: 42.7 percent
- Lane departures: 37.1 percent
- Speeding: 32.1 percent
- Navigating intersections: 32.0 percent
- Distracted driving: 3.7 percent
The report also describes the types of car accidents that occurred most frequently over five years.
- Angle impacts
- Sideswipes
- Head on crashes
- Rear end collisions
Frequent Car Accident Injuries
A vehicle's safety system protects occupants from serious and catastrophic injuries during a minor car accident. Unfortunately, seat belts, shoulder harnesses, airbags, steel reinforcements, and other devices can't protect an occupant during a severe impact.
When a crash occurs, the impact usually determines injury severity. The force of an impact increases significantly when a larger vehicle hits a private passenger car, a speeding driver fails to stop, or an alcohol-impaired driver isn't paying attention at all.
A minor impact can cause soft tissue sprains, strains, and other injuries. If an impact severely shakes an occupant, they can experience closed-head trauma and brain damage. Due to their physical frailty, older people and young children often sustain unexpectedly severe injuries.
A variety of injuries can occur during a car accident.
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Disc fractures and dislocations
- Fractured and shattered bones
- Soft tissue injuries
- Internal organ damage and bleeding
- Burns
- Lacerations
- Puncture wounds caused by broken bones
- Loss of bodily functions
- Fatal injuries
Dealing With Liability Insurance Companies
When a liability insurance investigator contacts you, it doesn't mean they will ultimately pay your claim. It's their job to get as much information as they can. In most cases, claim investigators are friendly and pleasant. That's how they talk you into scheduling an appointment, discussing your injuries, and consenting to give a recorded statement. It doesn't seem like a deceptive move until they deny your claim or offer you a low settlement.
When an insurance company representative says they want to talk to you, remember they represent the person who hurt you. It's their job to minimize the insurance company's losses. When they call, just say no and contact our Summerlin car accident lawyers as soon as possible.
What to Do After an Accident?
Our law firm takes necessary steps to recover damages for our clients.
We also ask that our clients do their part to protect their legal interests.
- Dial 911. NRS §484E.030 mandates that drivers report all accidents involving injuries.
- Get immediate medical attention and follow your doctor's orders.
- Contact our Summerlin accident attorneys for a free consultation.
- Keep a journal describing your injuries, treatment, pain, and emotional difficulties. This helps your attorney understand how your injury affected you.
- Don't talk to liability insurance investigators. You could say something that jeopardizes your rights.
- Understand that insurance companies may be watching you: Even if you have legal representation, they never stop trying to learn more about you and your injuries.
Contact Our Summerlin Car Accident Lawyers
If a Summerlin car accident hurts you, contact Ed Bernstein and Associates immediately. We can arrange a consultation with our legal team, but you don't have to commit to immediate action. Our initial meeting lets you discuss your accident and learn more about your legal options with our personal injury lawyers in Summerlin. We listen to you and determine if we can recover compensation from the person who hurt you.
For your free consultation, email us, leave a message on our contact page, or call us at (702) 830-5233.