Nevada uses a fault-based insurance system. After a car accident, victims recover injury compensation by filing an insurance claim or lawsuit against the at-fault driver.
To win, they must prove the other driver acted negligently in causing their injuries.
With that in mind, after a crash, accident victims often wonder, “Do I have to go to court after a car accident in Reno, NV?”
Battle Born Injury Lawyers, in particular, seeks to resolve cases quickly through a settlement. Still, we remain prepared to take cases to court whenever necessary for a fair resolution. Contact our attorneys today, you can call us at (775) 535-7768.
How Battle Born Injury Lawyers Can Help You Take Legal Action After a Car Accident in Reno, NV
Battle Born Injury Lawyers was founded in 2010 to help injured victims in Reno, Nevada, recover financial compensation from those responsible for causing their injuries.
Our attorneys have over 85 years of combined legal experience and have recovered over $100 million for our clients.
When you suffer an injury, our Reno car accident lawyers will provide the following:
- A free consultation with an experienced lawyer to explain your legal options
- An experienced legal team, including former insurance lawyers, that will stand up to insurers that won’t budge
- Highly rated litigators to battle at-fault parties and their insurers in court
Car accident cases often require knowledge, experience, and skill to resolve successfully. Do not hesitate to contact Battle Born Injury Lawyers to discuss your Reno car accident and how we may be able to help you pursue compensation for the injuries you have suffered.
How Many Car Accident Cases Are Filed in Reno?
The most recent Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) Crash Data map covers traffic accidents in 2020. According to the map, Washoe County experienced 5,418 traffic accidents that year, which can be broken down into the following:
- 37 bicycle accidents
- 78 pedestrian accidents
- 835 single-vehicle accidents
- 4,468 multi-vehicle collisions
If you focus solely on multi-vehicle crashes, Reno saw the following:
- 5 fatal crashes
- 1,832 non-fatal injury crashes
- 2,631 property damage-only crashes
Altogether, traffic accidents caused five fatalities and 2,634 non-fatal injuries in 2020, but not all of these accident victims had the legal right to file a crash claim. Some of those injured or killed caused their collisions. Since Nevada uses a fault-based system, the at-fault driver will have had no injury claim.
Additionally, some crashes happen without fault. If a collision happens even when everyone exercises reasonable care, no one has an injury claim to bring forward. For example, suppose that a sudden and unexpected gust of wind causes a semi truck’s trailer to blow into your lane. You might not have a claim if the truck accident was truly unavoidable.
As such, you can say that, at most, 2,639 injury claims may have arisen from these crashes. However, the actual number was probably much lower, and Washoe County court statistics support that assumption.
In 2020, the county’s district court had 3,081 new civil filings, but only a portion of these cases involved car accidents. The rest either involved other injuries or contracts, real estate transactions, or other civil disputes.
Resolving Car Accident Claims in Reno
Almost all car accident cases begin with an insurance claim, which your injury lawyer files by describing your accident and providing documents that support your version of events. Your crash report and medical records will explain how the accident happened and describe the injuries you suffered as a result.
Your insurer will then assign an adjuster to the case to investigate it. The adjuster protects the insurance company from accepting claims it has no legal obligation to pay. However, some adjusters view their role as a protector from all claims. As a result, they often deny, delay, and defend to frustrate claimants into dropping their claims altogether.
Fortunately, Nevada law requires insurers to make prompt, fair, and equitable settlements after your lawyer has proven the policyholder’s liability. Thus, the insurer should make an offer to settle your claim if you have a solid claim, and that offer provides an opportunity to avoid trial.
Although insurers often start with unreasonably low offers, your lawyer can negotiate for a better settlement. Should the insurer refuse to make a fair offer, your lawyer may recommend filing a lawsuit.
The vast majority of lawsuits end up settled without going to trial, but a lawsuit gives you leverage to push the insurer into making a fair offer. Insurers do not like paying lawyers to defend cases they cannot win, and your lawyer will have another opportunity to try to settle your claim.
Statistically speaking, only 3% of injury lawsuits reach trial; their most common outcome is a settlement (73%). The remaining cases are either dismissed by the court or dropped by the accident victim. If a lawyer believes enough in your case to file a lawsuit, your odds of going to court are low.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Reno Car Accident Lawyers
Car accidents can threaten your physical and financial health. Contact our lawyers at Battle Born Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to discuss the injuries you suffered and the compensation you may be able to seek under Nevada law.
