Do You Need a Car Accident Lawyer if the Crash Was Your Fault?

Getting into an auto accident can really turn your life upside down. This is especially true if you are injured in the crash. Hospital bills, lost wages and damage to property can put you in debt that could take sometimes years to climb out of. Its for this reason it is always a good idea, and often called for by law, to have auto insurance when out on the road. A decent insurance plan will compensate you for any damage, hospital bills and lost wages that comes from an injury causing accident. That being said, sometimes the insurance agencies will try to pay as little as possible, and you will need an experienced car accident lawyer on your side to get you the compensation that is fair.

            But what happens if you are at fault, or even partially at fault for the accident that cased all the and damages? Also, do you need a car accident lawyer if you caused the accident that caused someone else to become injured? If you are responsible for causing an auto accident that is a sure-fire way for the insurance agencies to try to weasel their way out of paying you anything if you were injured. In order to answer the question about whether you will need an injury attorney if you are at fault for a car crash, we need to understand what fault and no-fault states are, and what that means.

            Fault and No-Fault State Laws

            There are only 12 states in the U.S. that have no-fault insurance laws and Nevada isn’t one of them. Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Utah all have no-fault insurance laws that mean that you must have auto insurance that covers your own bodily injury. This is call Personal Injury Protection (PIP). 

            This means that after an accident, each driver must file for compensation from their own insurance agency in the no-fault states listed above, no matter who was responsible for the auto accident. In these no-fault states you can’t just immediately hire an injury attorney and sue your own insurance agency unless your injuries and damages are extremely severe and meet the levels of severity set forth by the law in that State.

            However, even in no-fault states, the driver that is responsible for the crash is liable for all property damage that occurred. This is why in both no-fault and at-fault states all drivers must carry a minimum amount of liability coverage on their insurance plans.

            In at-fault states, whoever is at fault in the car crash, must pay for both the bodily injuries of the other party, as well as any damages that were caused.

            An At-Fault Car Accident and Your Insurance Plan

            If you are responsible for an accident, just how much money your insurance agency will pay to the other party has everything to do with what kind of coverage you have. If you cause a car accident and you have sub-par insurance, the extend of the injuries may surpass the amount of money your plan will pay. In this situation, you may have to pay out of pocket to avoid a lawsuit filed against you.

            In this situation hiring a lawyer would be necessary. A good attorney will be able to negotiate with your insurance agency so that they will cover the amount of bodily injuries in full, so that you do not have to pay out of pocket.

            The losses that the injured party can get covered by your insurance agency include medical expenses from injuries sustained, loss of income from their job, and any sort of loss of the capacity to earn and income, and the pain and suffering they have endured.

            If you are only partially at fault for the auto accident, the percentage of fault would be determined, and your losses calculated. Then in most instances your total compensation will be decreased by the fault percentage. A good car accident lawyer would be able to calculate a full accounting of all your losses and try to minimize the percentage of fault using evidence they have compiled.

            Car Accident Lawyers for Nevada At-Fault Accidents

            Regardless of if you are partially, or completely at fault in an auto accident where yourself or someone else has become injured, hiring an injury lawyer is always a good idea. Not only can they negotiate with the insurance agencies on your behalf, but they will also be able to determine a full account of all the damages and injuries better than you would be able to do yourself.

            At Justice Law Center, we have been representing the people of Nevada for over 25 years in car accidents, regardless of fault. Our team of expert car accident lawyers know how to interact with the insurance agencies so that they know that they will have to pay what is fair and right, regardless of fault in the incident.

            We never charge an upfront retainer for our personal injury services, and we offer free consultations. Call us today and we will go over your case in detail with you.

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