Personal Injury Attorney Las Vegas - Car Injury

One of the biggest decisions people make in making a personal injury claim in Las Vegas is what attorney to hire to help them through the process. Advice I could give people who are considering hiring a personal injury attorney is, first and foremost, if you go to meet with an attorney regarding a personal injury claim, and during that initial meeting you never speak to an attorney, but rather an assistant or a paralegal; that's probably a very good indication that you're not in the right place. An attorney handling personal injury cases should always meet with their client. This is for several reasons: 1- The client and the attorney need to build a report from the beginning. 2- For an attorney to be able to properly represent a client, he needs to know that client, know what that client is going through, how their injuries have impacted their life, and in order to help them he needs that information. Also, a client needs to know that an attorney is invested in handling the claim themselves. If an attorney's not at that initial meeting, there's a good chance that an attorney may never look at that file, or very seldom look at that file.

Beyond that, it's very important that an attorney specialize in handling personal injury cases. There was a time, long ago, where most attorneys were general practitioners, and handled all types of claims. Since that time the law has become very complicated, and that is inclusive of personal injury work. Make sure you meet with an attorney when you first show up at your appointment, and also, that you are meeting with somebody that specializes in handling personal injury cases, so that you're assured the opportunity for the best representation.

One of the questions that I'm asked all the time is, "How can I afford a Las Vegas injury attorney?". Personal injury attorneys work a little differently than most attorneys. We charge a contingency fee basis as opposed to an hourly rate. If you've ever been to an attorney before, most attorneys charge you $300 - $500 per hour and make you give them a retainer up front and then draw against that retainer. And then when the retainer runs out they ask you to write them another check, and as you can imagine, many people can't afford to do that. Personal injury attorneys work a little differently. We work on what is called a contingency fee basis, and that means that our fee is contingent on getting money for our clients. If I spend 1000 hours on a client's case, but don't get that client any money, the client doesn't owe me anything for my time. We have a strong incentive to get the most money for every client, and we do that anyway, but, obviously, the more money we get for our clients, the higher our fee goes. It's a good situation for most of our clients because they can't afford to write that check up front, and they're generally very pleased with the outcome.

One of the things that I tell all my clients to be aware of are the so-called, "discount firms" that charge a discounted contingency fee. In Las Vegas the standard contingency fee is one-third (33.3%), but there are some firms that advertise less. One of the things you need to watch out for is hidden fees (or hidden charges). Typically those lawyers will charge you for things that other lawyers won't. They'll charge you for a percentage of the property damage that's recovered. Most reputable firms here in Las Vegas don't charge for property damage. They'll also take a percentage of the medical payments coverage that was obtained, and that's money that you would have gotten anyway (even without an attorney). The other thing I always tell me clients is, "If you're dealing with a discounted fee, you're usually going to get discounted service too." So be careful because you get what you pay for.

I'm often asked, "Do I need a Las Vegas car accident attorney if I'm injured in an accident, especially if it's clear that the person driving the other vehicle was at fault?" The short answer to that question is "yes". Even though liability may be clear, there are many other issues that need to be sorted out throughout the course of the case that requires the experience and work of an attorney. Insurance companies do everything they can to pay as little on claims as possible. That includes paying people less than they're entitled to for their injury claims. They often will try to obtain information about someone that's not represented in order to minimize the claim itself. They will also tell people who aren't represented that they will be fair in the end, only to change course once it comes time to pay. An attorney can help somebody through this process so that they avoid these types of pitfalls. Additionally, attorneys know what rights their clients have and will protect them from the conduct of the insurance company, and the insurance company's attempt to deny a claim, or to "low-ball" someone who's truly entitled to be compensated.

One of the major issues in any injury claim is proof that injuries are actually related to the accident itself, and insurance companies know that the burden of proof rests with the injured person. Attorneys can help the injured person to make sure that injuries are properly documented so that when it comes time for medical bills to be paid, and the person to be compensated for the pain and suffering that has been inflicted upon the as a result of those injuries, that documentation is sufficient, so the insurance company has no choice but to do what is right. In every case, whether liability is clear or not, an injured person certainly can benefit and should have representation by someone who works in the field of personal injury.