If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, the first questions are what happened, who may be responsible, and what the injury has cost you. A judgment or settlement in someone else’s case cannot tell you the value of yours.
Types of personal injury cases
Some injuries result from intentional actions. Many accident cases involve negligence. For example, a driver has a duty to pay attention to the road. If the driver looks at a phone, hits another car and injures someone, an attorney may examine the duty, the breach, the connection between the conduct and the injury, and the resulting damages. The answers can differ in a trucking accident, slip and fall, dog bite or defective product case.
A serious injury alone does not establish who was at fault. Nevada’s comparative negligence law describes how shared fault can affect certain claims. Medical expenses, lost income and the ways an injury affects daily life can all be relevant to assessing damages.
What to bring to your personal injury consultation
- Names and contact information for the parties involved and possible witnesses.
- Insurance information, photographs and a police report, if available.
- A written timeline and a brief description of how the injury has affected you.
- Medical bills, diagnoses, treatment plans and records of income lost.
- Any written insurance offer and any release you have been asked to sign.
Ask which parts of the claim remain uncertain, whether a settlement or a trial is being considered, and what any proposed release would cover. If an attorney proposes a contingency fee, ask how the percentage is calculated and who pays case expenses. Nevada’s professional conduct rules address written contingency-fee agreements. See also what to do right after a car accident.
