Las Vegas Distracted Driving Accident Lawyers

Benefits of Hiring Our Distracted Driving Accident Lawyers

Contacting an attorney is one of the very first things you should do after a distracted driving accident. It’s important to make sure everyone is safe, get necessary medical care, and get a police report. After that, though, you should be checking out Las Vegas distracted driving accident lawyers and setting up consultations.

Why is hiring an attorney such a high priority? If the other party is obviously at fault for the accident, you can expect their insurance company to contact you fairly quickly after the crash. If you haven’t already spoken with an attorney, you are at risk of damaging your case before it even reaches the negotiation stage. The insurance adjuster is likely to dig for information that will downplay your injuries and give them the ammunition they need to offer a smaller settlement, or worse, no settlement at all. Consider, for example, the insurance adjuster asking you how you’re doing and how you feel after the crash. Societal politeness often causes people to say that they’re great or feeling fine, even when they’re not. These types of statements can be used by insurance adjusters to prove that the accident didn’t really cause you any serious harm.

That’s just one example. There are ways that texting and driving car accident victims can unintentionally ruin their chances at a fair settlement. The best way to avoid these mistakes is to retain an attorney as early as possible in the process. They can gather the necessary evidence, talk to witnesses, and communicate with the insurance company on your behalf. This minimizes your stress and allows you to begin the healing process.

The process of negotiating a settlement can be complicated, which is one major benefit of hiring an attorney. At Oronoz & Ericsson Injury Lawyers, we have experience negotiating with a wide range of insurance providers, including national companies and local providers. We know what tactics insurance companies use to decrease a settlement and what type of evidence is needed to secure a fair settlement for our clients. Our goal is to put enough pressure on the insurance company to encourage a fair settlement, while still remaining flexible enough to keep them at the negotiating table.

In very rare cases, personal injury cases do go to court. If negotiation does not yield a positive result, we will begin preparing your distracted driver accident case for court. However, we will remain open to any last-minute negotiations that may secure you the compensation you deserve.

Common Causes of Distracted Driving Accidents

Distracted driving is a broad term that covers many driving errors. Drivers should have all of their attention on the road while navigating, and yet, distracted driving is an epidemic in the United States. Many states have increased penalties for distracted drivers in an effort to hold them accountable. Different types of distracted driving include:

• Texting or talking on the phone while driving
• Using a phone for navigation or music playback
• Utilizing an in-car navigation or audio system
• Reading maps
• Looking for items in a purse or briefcase
• Applying makeup or brushing hair
• Eating or drinking
• Smoking
• Conversing with someone in the car

Basically, anything that takes a driver’s attention away from the road can lead to an accident caused by distracted driving. Accidents caused by texting are perhaps some of the most common in recent years, leading to strict mobile phone bans in some states.

Potential Compensation for an Accident Caused by Distracted Driving

The compensation you get after texting and driving accidents or other distracted driving crashes depends on the extent of your injuries. If you walk away from a crash with minor aches and pains, your settlement will likely be much smaller than if you are hospitalized for weeks and unable to work for months. Your settlement also depends on how easy it is to assign blame in the crash. If the other driver is obviously at fault, the insurance may be willing to offer more. If you have some culpability in the accident, your settlement might be substantially smaller.

Generally, we look at several different types of damages while negotiating a settlement amount. Possible damages include:

• Medical bills, current and future
• Lost income and lost future wages
• Pain and suffering
• Long-term care
• Mental health treatment for trauma caused by the crash
• Transportation expenses