After you’ve been seriously injured in a car accident, you may be in too much pain or too exhausted to think about taking the right steps to protect your car accident claim. Or perhaps you’re worried about a loved one lying seriously injured in the hospital or awaiting surgery after a catastrophic car accident injury.

Regardless of your position, you’re likely angry at the at-fault driver that caused your accident and worried about how you’ll pay for the mounting medical bills. A fair car accident injury settlement, negotiated for you by a skilled Las Vegas car accident lawyer, can cover your medical treatments and provide for your family if you cannot work.

You stand a better chance of achieving a positive outcome for your car accident suit if you follow these six important steps after a car wreck:

Step 1: Seek Medical Attention

Make sure to call 911 or seek medical attention right away. Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are trained in emergency medicine and can help ensure you don’t suffer secondary injuries by trying to move after being seriously hurt. 

These professionals know how to identify “hidden injuries” that may not present right away as well, in addition to your more visible injuries. 

Not only does prompt medical attention give you the best chance of recovery, but it also establishes that your injuries were indeed caused by the collision.

Your Las Vegas car accident lawyer will need the documentation from the EMTs, the hospital, and your follow-up medical appointments to prove the severity of your injuries.

Step 2: Preserve All Evidence from the Wreck

If you’re able to take photos or videos of the accident scene, do so, and only give them to your attorney — not the other driver or their insurance adjuster. Many people seriously injured after a crash may be unable to do so, so only take pictures of your damaged vehicle and your injuries as soon as you are able.

Any other evidence from the crash should also be given to your lawyer, including dash cam footage, receipts from the hospital, and estimates from your mechanic and auto body shop.

Step 3: Seek Legal Advice

While general tips are a good start on what to do after a collision, they cannot replace solid legal advice tailored to your claim. Your Las Vegas car wreck attorney will guide you through the claims process, from determining the value of your case to filing it in court and negotiating with the other driver’s insurance company.

Your lawyer also handles all communication on your behalf, including talking to the other party’s insurance company, so you can focus on healing and recovery.

Step 4: Report the Accident to Your Insurance Company

Even if you weren’t to blame for the accident and are planning to file a claim for damages against the other driver, you may still need to report the accident to your insurance company. Most policies have a clause requiring the policyholder to notify the insurance carrier of any accident they’re in. Failure to do so could invalidate your policy.

Step 5: Report the Accident to the Police

You must report to the police any crash resulting in:

  • Death
  • Injury
  • Damage to a vehicle
  • Damage to other property, such as buildings, signs, or roads

These categories cover all crashes except fender benders that cause no injuries or property damage. If the crash happened in Las Vegas or metropolitan Clark County, including the resort district along The Strip, you should call the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (Metro).

For crashes in North Las Vegas, Henderson, or Boulder City, you should call their respective police departments. An exception covers crashes that happen on state and interstate highways, including I-15, I-215, I-515, and I-11. You need to call the Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) for these crashes.

Drivers in Nevada must also report to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) any crash causing death, injury, or at least $750 in damage to any one person. The DMV provides forms for these reports. You do not need to file the DMV report if the police responded to your crash and produced a crash report that included your:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Insurance policy number
  • Dates of coverage

You can get a copy of your police crash report from the police agency that investigated your crash. Metro accepts online requests for its reports. NHP, Boulder City, and Henderson use the Crash Docs portal maintained by CARFAX. You can request North Las Vegas crash reports using the BuyCrash portal from LexisNexis.

Step 6: Keep a Log of Your Injuries

Part of your car accident injury settlement involves proving the effect your injuries have on your life. Keep a journal of your pain levels and your ability to move, walk, or return to work. Your journal provides evidence of the compromising nature of your injuries on your ability to work or care for your family. 

Your lawyer can use this evidence to support your claims for loss of earning potential, quality of life, and pain and suffering.

Experienced Las Vegas Car Accident Lawyers Who Fight for Your Rights

At the Hill Firm, we focus on helping people who have been seriously injured in car collisions and their families. Our deep knowledge of Nevada car accident laws and experience litigating claims involving catastrophic injury gives us the necessary qualifications to handle these complex cases. 

Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with one of our car accident attorneys.