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!

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.