Enterprise, NV Personal Injury Lawyer
Accidents can happen in countless ways in Enterprise. However, if another person was responsible for your injuries, you can file a lawsuit for the damages they caused.
You will likely have several types of damages after an accident, like medical expenses, lost income, and property damage. Your injures might have also impacted your mental well-being and quality of life. Our lawyers can help assess all your economic and non-economic damages. We will collect accident reports, witness statements, medical records, and other evidence to prove the defendant’s negligence. By having us prepare your case for trial, you are more likely to settle it for the compensation you deserve.
Contact Mitchell Rogers Injury Law today at (702) 702-2622 for a free case review from our personal injury attorneys.
Economic Damages You Can Claim for Personal Injuries in Enterprise, NV
Compensatory damages represent the economic and non-economic losses that the defendant caused and for which you should be legally compensated. In many cases, the bulk of victims’ damages consists of current and future economic damages.
Current Economic Damages
Most personal injury victims will incur several economic damages after an accident. Fortunately, our personal injury lawyers can help you recover any financial losses stemming from the defendant’s negligence.
Common expenses you can claim as economic damages include:
- Medical expenses, including ER and hospital bills, surgery costs, and ongoing care
- Prescription medications
- Physical therapy
- Diagnostic tests, such as X-rays and MRIs
- Assistive medical devices, like wheelchairs or crutches
- Household modifications to accommodate disabilities
- Household services, such as in-home nursing care
- Lost wages
- Mental health treatment expenses
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket expenses, like childcare or custody, and transportation costs
- Funeral and burial expenses
Our team will gather the records necessary to prove your financial damages, but you should keep any bills, estimates, and receipts relating to the incident and your treatment.
Future Economic Damages
You can also claim economic damages for future medical treatment that your doctors expect you will need. For instance, a victim with spinal injuries might need successive surgeries and physical therapy for years after their case concludes. These costs should be accounted for before settling a lawsuit.
With the help of your doctors and other experts, we can determine the value of future medical expenses so those costs do not come out of your pocket later.
If your injuries keep you out of work for the foreseeable future or permanently, we can estimate your lost future income and diminished earning capacity. This also applies when your injuries force you to find a new job that pays less.
Economic experts, like occupational specialists, can evaluate your lost earning capacity by comparing your previous income rates to what you can earn going forward.
Non-Economic Damages in an Enterprise, NV Personal Injury Lawsuit
Most accidents also leave victims with non-monetary losses, which can be claimed as non-economic damages. Essentially, they compensate for the subjective impacts on your life that the liable party caused.
Non-economic losses can manifest in several ways, but the types that can be recovered in Nevada include:
- Pain and suffering, such as physical pain and discomfort
- Mental anguish, like depression, anxiety, or PTSD
- Inconvenience
- Physical impairment
- Disfigurement
- Other non-pecuniary damages
Injury victims’ spouses and domestic partners might also be able to recover non-economic damages for “loss of consortium.” If a victim’s injuries impact their companionship, support, affection, or sexual relationship, their spouse might be able to file a claim. However, it is a “derivative” claim, meaning that spouses cannot file unless the victim’s lawsuit is successful.
Fortunately, non-economic damages are only capped in medical malpractice lawsuits, which cannot exceed $350,000 under NRS 41A.035(1).
When Punitive Damages Might Be Awarded for an Accident in Enterprise, NV
Punitive damages are only awarded to punish defendants, rather than to compensate victims. Thus, courts will only grant punitive damages if there is clear and convincing evidence that the defendant is guilty of a conscious disregard for others’ safety or rights, fraud, or oppression.
Punitive damages will be capped based on the amount of economic and non-economic damages awarded, except in certain cases.
For instance, victims of drunk drivers can recover punitive damages without a cap under 42.010. Nor are they capped in claims against manufacturers, distributors, and sellers of defective products.
Time Limit to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Enterprise, NV
The “statute of limitations” sets how long injury victims have to file for damages, whether it is a lawsuit or an insurance claim. Under 11.190(4)(e), you generally have two years from the date the defendant injured you to file a claim. In most cases, the limitations period starts running as soon as you are injured.
While strict, the statute of limitations does have exceptions that will pause the countdown. For instance, the two-year limitations period is paused for negligently injured children until they turn 18. The statute of limitations might also be tolled if the liable party resides outside of Nevada.
However, exceptions are rare, so speak to our team before deciding that you have enough time to file a lawsuit. If your case is filed after the deadline and no exception applies, the court will dismiss it, leaving you with no legal way to get compensation.
Why You Should Have a Personal Injury Lawyer Handle Your Enterprise, NV Case
Many people think hiring a lawyer will be too expensive. In reality, you stand to lose far more without the help of one.
Our team knows how to deal with insurance companies and will negotiate aggressively to settle your case before trial. We will calculate your damages accurately and counsel you on when an offer is too low and when to reject it.
Your lawyer will also understand what evidence is needed to prove the defendant’s negligence and your damages. We will rigorously investigate your case, gathering evidence such as medical records, police reports, photos, and witness testimony.
Contact Our Personal Injury Attorneys in Enterprise, NV Today for Help
For a free case evaluation with our personal injury lawyers, call Mitchell Rogers Injury Law at (702) 702-2622.