For victims of drunk drivers, the changes to your life resulting from an accident echo far beyond one night. Depending on the injuries you sustained, the decisions of a drunk driver could haunt you for years after your accident. Even if you feel out of control with your current situation, take charge of your future by consulting a North Las Vegas drunk driving accident lawyer.
At Pacific West Injury Law, our team of experienced drunk driving accident attorneys in North Las Vegas can put you in the best position to recover damages after a collision. We have helped countless injury victims collect fair compensation. We offer free consultations.
How A Drunk Driving Accident Affects Victims
Drunk driving accidents can be particularly detrimental due to the usually unexpected nature of the crash. While many injuries and damages are obvious, there are often more problems under the surface that may be more difficult to identify. It’s important to think rationally about all the ways an accident could affect you in the future, as injuries can have unforeseen consequences.
Although there are a number of penalties a drunk driver may face under Nevada law, victims will need to contact a lawyer to ensure compensation in a claim separate from any criminal liability the offender may incur.
Property Damage, Injury, And Death
What people think of in terms of obvious suffering faced by victims often is very limited in scope. Property damage, injury, and death are all examples of what are legally referred to as economic damages or specific damages. In the case of a DUI accident, the at-fault party is liable for compensating victims for reasonable economic damages.
While it can feel callous to think of injury and death as such a sterile term as “economic,” it simply implies that there are accepted legal standards of objective value for damages in this category that a victim should be owed.
Pain And Suffering
Pain, suffering, loss of companionship, grief, and mental distress are also common results of a drunk driving accident and are not neglected by the law. These are referred to as non-economic or general damages. These types of damages are commonplace in DUI accidents. However, they cannot be easily assigned a value.
Often it is the responsibility of a lawyer, client, and experts to appraise exactly what the long-term cost of these damages will be and what compensation will be fair.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are also often awarded in drunk driving accident cases. The purpose of awarding punitive damages is not to replace any losses suffered by the accident victim, as is the case with the compensatory damages already mentioned. Instead, punitive damages are awarded as a way of punishing the liable party for their actions.
Punitive damages are only awarded in a small portion of accident cases, but a high percentage of cases where the at-fault party was intoxicated. That is because this penalty is reserved for extreme cases where the at-fault party acted in a criminally negligent manner or with the deliberate intention of causing harm.
Statute Of Limitations
Though you may be reeling after a drunk driving accident and feel like you need a while to get your facts together before seeking compensation, there is a time limit for filing a lawsuit. The personal injury suit statute of limitations in Nevada is typically two years. As a lawsuit can take time to organize and file, you’ll want to get a head start on this deadline.
Though there are some exceptions to this rule, such as when a plaintiff is under 18, don’t count on bending the rules. In fact, if certain circumstances apply to your case, you may find that you actually have less than two years to file. Contact an attorney to get started on your case before time runs out to get the compensation you deserve.
Drunk Driving Lawyers In North Las Vegas
Pacific West Injury Law is an experienced, trusted partner in personal injury law. Based out of North Las Vegas, Nevada, we know the ins and outs of this community and will help with every aspect of your claim. A lawyer isn’t just someone to answer questions and file paperwork for you.
We take the standard of zealous advocacy very seriously to ensure that you have the best representation possible at every step of the process.
Filing Your Accident Claim
In cases of severe accidents, an accident claim is typically filed for you by officers responding to the scene. However, if your accident occurred in inclement weather or wasn’t seen as severe enough to have police on the scene to document the crash, you’ll need to take matters into your own hands.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has an online filing system for non-emergency citizen reports. You need to report an accident to preserve your right to claim any damages from it. Once your report is in, your personal injury lawyer can file a DUI accident claim just as you would any personal injury claim against another person.
Seeking damages through these claims is separate from any criminal consequences the drunk driver or driver under the influence of drugs faces. Any general or specific damages you seek will be separate from any punitive damages they suffer in criminal proceedings.
Settling Your Drunk Driving Accident Claim
If you’ve suffered long-term pain and hardship from a drunk driving accident, the last thing you want to do is litigate endlessly to get the compensation you deserve. Experienced personal injury attorneys like those at Pacific West Injury Law are masters at strategically negotiating settlements that are advantageous to you.
Settlements prevent insurance companies and bureaucratic processes from burying your claim in procedural limbo for years and are often the most painless way to avoid a long and costly ordeal for both parties.
A seasoned personal injury lawyer knows that winning in court isn’t everything. The goal is to get you the compensation you need for your pain and financial hardships so you can move on with your life.
The Cost Of Hiring A Drunk Driving Accident Attorney
All accident victims should be able to hire an experienced attorney to help them with their cases. Unfortunately, many people incorrectly assume that their financial situation prohibits them from being able to afford a lawyer. Most DUI accident lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. Under this fee system, lawyers get paid directly from the money sent from the liable party.
When you hire a drunk driving accident attorney, you will agree to pay them a fixed percentage of the compensation received from the liable party. This fee is the only one that your lawyer will collect for their services.
With this setup, you can feel confident that your lawyer’s interests are aligned with your own since the more money you recover, the more they get paid. Meanwhile, if you don’t collect compensation for your damages, your lawyer does not receive a fee for their services.
Recovering After Your Accident
Recovery is a long road. Auto accidents can have lasting consequences on both your mind and body and healing doesn’t happen overnight. After a serious accident, your first priority should be your health.
That is why protecting your right to be compensated with a personal injury lawyer is absolutely essential. Don’t worry about how you’ll afford the new expenses of recovery. Instead, simply focus on recovery itself.
Medical Treatments
Medical treatments for injuries from a DUI accident can be costly long into the future. Among other problems, back and neck injuries, PTSD, and survivor’s guilt can be recurring issues for decades into the future and require frequent medical care, which can be stressful for both victims and their families. It’s important to factor these costs into your DUI accident claim.
If you weren’t liable for the accident, you shouldn’t be liable for the time and cost to deal with its effects for years to come.
Enjoying Life Again
As you start to heal from your accident, don’t be burdened by financial worry and stress that will prevent you from returning to an enjoyable, happy life. As the victim, you have been unfairly burdened by the decisions of another. However, with help, you can get past the accident and learn to enjoy your life again.
Your personal injury lawyer can handle much of the stress from the claim and will ensure that you get the compensation necessary.
Pacific West Injury Law Firm Is Here For You
Here at Pacific West, we represent the communities of North Las Vegas, Las Vegas, and Henderson to guarantee that victims get the representation they deserve and are never unjustly burdened by the irresponsible actions of others.
Contact us online or give us a call and talk to us about what we can do to make sure you get the compensation you deserve so that you can get back to living. We offer free case evaluations, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us today.
