Super Lawyers has once again named Attorney Craig Drummond to their Top Laywers list as a “Rising Star” in the Mountain States. No more than 5% of Attorney’s are selected for inclusion to Super Lawyers and only the top 2.5% are selected as Rising Stars. This is Craig’s 5th consecutive year of receiving this award.

WHAT IS SUPER LAWYERS

Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations.

Here is a link to an infographic from superlawyers about the selection process.

Craig Drummond will be able to assist you to acquire monetary compensation for your injuries and damages and reduce the unnecessary stress after your accident. Request a free case evaluation. We will help with your case. You can trust that you are working with a team that is greatly equipped to assist you.

It is ironic but accidents involving police cars do happen and unfortunately, people are injured as a result.  That is exactly what happened on December 28^th when a police car collided with two sedans.  The police officer was driving an unmarked Chevy Impala.  It had lights and sirens but when it went through an intersection with a red light, it hit both a Honda Accord and a Honda CRV.

News 3 Las Vegas reported that the Honda CRV had two women and a small child inside and the Accord was driven by a local Las Vegas man. Those four people had to be treated at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center.

Officer Safety a Topic of Concern for Car Accident Lawyers in Las Vegas

Law enforcement officers do an important job in keeping our city safe.  There can be no dispute that when we need help, they are who we trust to come to our aid.  Whether after an accident or a break-in, the automatic thing to do is call 911.  We trust officers to help us stay safe which is what makes these types of accidents so disconcerting.

No one ever anticipates getting into a wreck with a police officer since they are expected to drive safely and follow the rules of the road.  Typically this is the case and most officers receive significant training on how to drive at high speeds or through traffic in order to get to their destination.  Still, when an officer is driving, they can make mistakes just like the rest of us.  We do not know if the accident was the fault of the officer or the other vehicles not pulling over but it raises important questions, including:

• Should officers be driving unmarked cars?
• Should lights automatically change to give other drivers more warning or notice?
• Is it ever safe to pull over in the middle of an intersection?

Law enforcement and state legislators should work together to find ways to improve safety.  If changing protocols or laws will help, it is worth serious consideration.

Have You Been Hit by a Police Officer?

Were you in an accident like this?  Do you know anyone that was in an accident with law enforcement?  This might make for a good story at the neighborhood barbeque but in real life, getting into an accident with the police does not always work out so well.  Just because the driver was an officer does not mean that it was their fault.  A car accidents lawyer in Las Vegas can help by investigating what happened and determining who was actually negligent or responsible.

What Would You Do?

As a car accidents lawyer in Las Vegas, we want to know – what would you do in this situation? Leave a comment and let us know what you would do if you were hit by a police officer.

It may stand to reason that all doctors are the same, so it does not matter who you see after an accident.  As a car accidents lawyer in Las Vegas, I can tell you that the opposite is true.  While all doctors do go to medical school and are likely to provide you with proper care, not all doctors work with accident victims.  They will treat you but they do not have the special training that can help in your recovery and your case.

Find the Right Doctor

After an accident, you can ask a car accidents lawyer in Las Vegas for a list of reputable doctors or you can search for one online or through a referral.  When you go to make an appointment, ask if the doctor works on accident cases and if they are willing to testify in court if necessary.  This is an essential duty performed by doctors familiar with treating accident victims.  When it comes time for your court case, the judge and jury will need to hear information related to your medical care.  The best person to explain your condition and the future impact of your injuries is your doctor. Asking this question up front can prevent you needing to switch later on.

You May Need More than One

Many people visit their primary care doctor immediately following their accident.  This is often the easiest person to see on short notice.  They can check you out to make sure that you do not have any internal injuries and prescribe medication for pain.  They will not, however, be the best doctor to help you recover.  It is highly likely that you will need to visit a specialist, chiropractor, physical therapist or massage therapist as part of your overall treatment plan.  Receiving the right care will help you to have the best chance for recovery.  If you need to see a specialist and the insurance company is trying to prevent this, you may need help from a car accidents attorney in Las Vegas.

Your Doctor Will Need to Work with a Car Accidents Lawyer in Las Vegas

Think of your doctor and lawyer as part of a team.  They will need to work together to build your case.  Your doctor will be able to document what your injuries were, how they are impacting you now, and how they will impact your future.  They will be able to make determinations like whether or not you will be able to work in your current profession.  Your doctor, however, will not work with the insurance company to settle your claim and while they may testify in court, they will not specifically work on your case.  This is where your attorney comes in.

What Doctors Have You Visited?

If you were in an accident, what type of doctor did you visit afterwards? Did you see a chiropractor, general practitioner, physical therapist or some other specialist?  Who was able to help you get the most relief? Leave a comment and let us know.

It is the call that no one ever wants to get – your child was in an accident.  As a car accident lawyer in Las Vegas, we see cases like this on a regular basis.  Most of them involve teenagers that were either driving or were passengers in a friends’ car.  Fortunately, most of these accidents are non-fatal, producing injuries that can be recovered from.  If you do get a call like this, it is important to know how to handle the situation.  Since your child is still a minor, they are going to need your help.

Their Safety is Most Important

If you get a call immediately following the accident, you may want to head to their location.  When someone is in an accident they typically go into shock.  Whether they are sixteen or forty, it happens.  The problem is that teens don’t have the experience to deal with the process of collecting information from the other driver, working with the police to file a report, or getting their car to a safe location.  If you are close by or have a family member who is, head over there to make sure that a police report is filed and that your child is safe.

Take Them to the Doctor

Regardless of whether your child thinks they need medical care, it is important that you take them to see the doctor.  Shock makes it difficult to feel the full extent of injuries so they may feel okay immediately after the accident and be in terrible pain the next day.  Getting them checked out right away will help them to recover faster, give them a better chance of remaining comfortable, and either identify or rule out any internal injuries.

A Car Accidents Lawyer in Las Vegas Will Conduct an Investigation

After an accident, an investigation will need to take place to determine negligence or who is at fault.  This is something that the police will work on after a major accident but if they were in a fender-bender or there were no significant injuries, they may not.  In this case, an attorney can help to determine what happened, who was at fault, and build a case that may result in your child receiving financial compensation.

Hiring an Attorney

A car accidents lawyer in Las Vegas can represent your child but, if they are a minor, you will need to be part of the process and sign any contracts for them.  Until they are eighteen years old, they cannot enter a legally binding contract for representation or to accept a settlement offer. As their guardian, you will have to do that for them.

Are You a Teen that Has Been in an Accident?

If you are, or you know someone that does, you have rights.  Just because you are a minor, does not mean that you are not entitled to compensation for your injuries.  It only means that you will need to work with your parent and a car accident lawyer in Las Vegas to handle your case.

If you were in a car wreck as a child or teen, leave a comment and let us know what the outcome of your case was.

No.  As a car accidents lawyer in Las Vegas, I work with a lot of clients that come to me thinking that their insurance company will give them a high payout for their injury claim.  It is an understandable misconception because of the client relationship established with an insurance agent when you buy a policy.  They are warm and friendly, trustworthy, and maybe even an actual friend.  The problem is that your insurance agent is not who makes a decision regarding your claim.  A claims adjuster is, and their goal is to keep payouts as low as possible so that the insurance company can make more money.  This is why you should consider working with an attorney.

What You Should Know Before Filing an Insurance Claim

Filing an insurance claim begins with a call to the claims department of your insurance company.  This is not done with your actual agent or with customer service.  They are going to ask you a lot of questions about what happened and who was involved.  My recommendation is to keep the call brief.  They may ask you about things that you do not know, cannot fully remember, or are uncertain of due to the shock of just having been in an accident.  It is better to ask for a follow-up call or have them speak with an attorney instead of answering things in a way that may not be completely accurate.  After all, everything you say is being recorded and could be used against you later on.

Who Pays for Your Medical Bills and Property Damage?

Typically, after an accident, your insurance company will open a claim and provide you with a claim number.  That number is then used by your doctor and the auto body shop for billing purposes.  Your insurance company will then try to collect that amount from the insurance company of the other driver if they appear to be at fault.  The other insurance company may or may not pay.  This process is separate from any lawsuit that you file or damages you are trying to collect with the help of a car accidents lawyer in Las Vegas.

How a Car Accidents Lawyer in Las Vegas Works with the Insurance Company

When you hire an attorney, the first thing they will do is to gather information regarding your case, what happened, who was involved, where it happened, etc.  It is critical to understand the facts prior to beginning negotiations.  Once that is done, discussions will begin with the goal of reaching a potential settlement.  Just because the insurance company is looking out for their own financial interest does not mean that they will not negotiate.  Very often things can be settled outside of court.  However, if they cannot, a car accidents lawyer in Las Vegas can represent you in court.

What Was Your Experience Like with Your Insurance Company?

Have you ever tried to work with them on your own?  What was your experience like?  Were they helpful or did you feel pressured to settle?  Leave your comments here!

A hit and run driver was on the loose in downtown, crashing into an untold number of vehicles.  While rare, she went on an accident spree before ever being apprehended. News 3 Las Vegas reported that she hit at least three other vehicles but it is unclear how many were actually impacted by her reckless driving.

The Vehicle

She was driving a Toyota truck which made the string of accidents potentially worse.  For example, she was able to take out a street light near Stewart and Main, something that would have probably stopped a small sedan in its tracks.  Why she kept on going, no one knows since normally that would cause a person to at least pull over.

Who Was Hit?

After crashing into the light, she hit two other vehicles near Pecos and Stewart.  The next accident happened a few minutes later as the truck hit five other vehicles.  Unfortunately, this time people were hurt.  Two people were transported to the hospital with one of them bleeding and unresponsive.

Witnesses Followed Her

People that saw the last accident started to follow the truck and found it stopped near Fremont and St. Louis. According to reports, there were open alcohol containers in the truck along with her dog.  She was agitated or combative and was arrested when police arrived.  Fortunately, with the help of witnesses, the truck was tracked down so that the driver could be held accountable.  In many hit and run cases, the driver gets away, leaving victims and their families in search for justice, like with the case of the grandfather that was hit in November.  Often the only way to track the driver down is with tips and leads that the police have to follow up on.  Once a driver is found, criminal charges can be made against them and a civil case filed by a car accidents lawyer in Las Vegas.

Ongoing Investigation

Metro officers are investigating the accidents.  Naturally there are quite a few vehicles involved and many potential injuries.  Do you know anyone that had their vehicle run into before 12:40 on January 4^th?  Whether it was parked or they were driving, if they were the victim of a hit and run, it could have been part of this accident chain.  Share this blog with them so that they can contact the police, make a report, and see if their accident was part of this chain of events. If it was, their accident could become part of the criminal case against her.

Getting hit by a commercial vehicle, a delivery truck, bus, church van, security vehicle, etc. is always more complicated than if you were hit by someone driving their personally owned car.  While it may seem like an accident is an accident, and fairly straightforward, nothing is as simple as it seems. In this particular situation, the complications typically come from the need to prove negligence.

What is Negligence?

This is the legal term for fault.  In any accident, it needs to be proven who caused it, who was at fault for the wreck, and what percentage of fault each driver had.  In Nevada, the law allows for each driver to be partially to blame for the wreck and their percentage of blame determines what percentage of the settlement they are responsible for paying.  For example, if you are in a wreck and the settlement is for $10,000 but you were found to be ten percent negligent, you would only be entitled to $9,000 of the total award.

Who is to Blame When Hit by a Commercial Vehicle?

If you were hit by a commercial vehicle, the case has multiple layers.  First, was the driver using the vehicle while on duty or in their free time?  Were they doing a task that was assigned to them and were they trained on how to operate the vehicle?  Was the vehicle properly maintained or did a lack of maintenance contribute to the crash?  These are the types of questions that must be asked and answered in order to know if the driver was fully to blame or if the company they work for had some responsibility.  If you think that the company was completely or partially to blame you need to include them in the lawsuit.  If you fail to do so and settle, you will not be able to go back and sue them at a later date.

A Car Accidents Lawyer in Las Vegas Can Help You to Prepare a Lawsuit

It can be difficult to know whether you should include just the driver or the driver and their company in your lawsuit. A car accidents lawyer in Las Vegas can help to make that determination after hearing the details of your case. The next step will be to file a lawsuit and begin down the path of either settling or going to court in pursuit of damages.

What if You Were in a Commercial Bus that Was Hit?

Unfortunately, this does happen.  In fact, a famous Las Vegas case is the one where a local 25-year-old man hit a small tour bus, killing two people and injuring three more.  In the event that you are or were in a similar situation, and were hit while a passenger, you still need to have the case thoroughly researched to identify all parties that could be to blame for your injuries.

Do you know anyone that has been in an accident with a commercial vehicle?  Share this blog with them so that they know their rights and the importance of identifying all responsible parties.

No one enjoys road work.  It can cause massive delays on your morning commute and be a general pain when trying to get somewhere.  However, it is this same road work that makes the roads safe to drive on and prevents future delays as roadways are expanded or improved.  In other words, we all benefit from this temporary inconvenience.  Still, roadwork can create poor driving conditions that can lead to accidents – especially if you do not slow down.  As a car accident lawyer in Las Vegas, I have spoken with many people that were in a work zone accident.  Here is how to prevent yourself from becoming one of them.

#1 Pay Attention to Road Signs

There are typically signs posted that tell you when you are entering a work zone and what the new speed limit is.  Obey all posted signs for your own safety.

#2 Watch for Workers

Keep an eye out for road crews, people walking in front or around you and any potential equipment that you could collide with.

#3 Avoid Distractions

As a car accident lawyer in Las Vegas, I always encourage people to remain aware and alert, eliminating all distractions like talking on a cell phone while driving in a work zone. Since things can change rapidly, you need to be alert enough to catch them.

#4 Remain Calm

Try to relax and just focus on your driving.  If you get too worked up or nervous, you will actually increase the likelihood of making a poor decision.

#5 Avoid Lane Changes

This is not a time to speed up and try to change lanes.  Avoid this when possible since the road could have a strange grade or other factors that could make a lane change dangerous.

Fact: Three people die every day due to a work zone accident.  Around 80 percent of people killed in a work zone are actually people driving or riding in a vehicle.  It may seem like the workers are at the greatest risk but, statistically, this is not the case.  However, you driving safely can protect both yourself and road crews.

A Car Accident Lawyer in Las Vegas Can Help You Prove Negligence

If you are in a work zone wreck, you should call a car accidents lawyer in Las Vegas for help.  This way, a case can be made for why the accident was not your fault but due to the road conditions themselves or protocols not being followed.

Work Zone Wrecks are Common

Have you ever been in one or know someone that has? If so, share your work zone accident story by posting a comment below.

If you have been injured in a car wreck, your natural inclination may be to call a car accident lawyer in Las Vegas.  This is certainly a good place to start because it will ensure that you are treated fairly by the insurance company.  One of the first questions that people tend to ask me during a consultation is how much money their claim might be worth or what they could get in a lawsuit.  The answer to that is highly specific so it is best to discuss how that number tends to be calculated.

Your Doctor Plays an Important Role

Immediately following an accident, you should visit a doctor and remain in their constant care.  If you are supposed to go for physical therapy, do it.  If you are supposed to have a procedure completed, schedule it.  You need to follow your doctors’ orders so that you can get healthy and build up a case for why you need compensation.  If you are injured but do not see a doctor, your injuries will appear to be mild or made up altogether.  By receiving the care you need, you are documenting that there is something wrong, how it impacts you, and what the costs will be to fully recover from it.  Without a medical file, you only really have a property damage claim.

How a Car Accidents Lawyer in Las Vegas Calculates Damages

The first step is to look at the damage done to your property. This is the easy part because an appraisal or quote from an auto body shop will make it clear as to how much damage you incurred.  You will also need to submit receipts from expenses like a car rental, etc.  Next, it will be time to review your medical bills to date.  Your doctor will play a critical role in determining what your future medical bills may be as well.  For example, do they think that you will need care for the next two months or the next twenty years?  Your final settlement amount should include an allowance for these future expenses.  The last major component of your claim is lost wages.  If you were unable to work or had to work less due to your accident, you could be entitled to recouping those wages along with any future wage loss due to your injuries. In some cases, a calculation is also made for pain and suffering but this is harder to prove.

How Negligence Influences the Value of Your Claim

Determining negligence is an important part of the process because negligence is the legal way of saying who was at fault or who was to blame for the crash.  In Nevada, both parties can be found to be partially negligent.  The portion of negligence that you have will reduce any financial award you receive.  For example, if the judge rules that the value of your case is $20,000 and you are found to be fifteen percent negligent, you would only receive $17,000.  Determining and proving negligence is one of the most important things that a car accidents lawyer in Las Vegas can do for you.

Do You Want to Know What Your Claim Was Worth?

If you were in an accident and want to know if you should get money for it, the best thing to do is contact a lawyer.  In the meantime, share this blog with any of your friends that want to know how to calculate damages in their case.