Las Vegas is one of the biggest tourist and conference destinations in the country. It isn’t surprising that many of the people who get into car accidents here are from another state. When this happens, you may have important questions about how your case works, and how to handle a case far from home.
First and foremost, always report car accidents to the police and get medical care immediately after, then call a local Las Vegas lawyer. If you were driving, we can help you understand how your insurance affects the case and how you can file a claim under Nevada’s at-fault insurance system. We can also help you understand what happens if someone else was driving, such as a hotel shuttle driver, an Uber/Lyft driver, or a Loop driver.
If you were hurt in a car accident in Las Vegas, call Mitchell Rogers Injury Law’s Las Vegas car accident lawyers today at (702) 702-2622 for a free case evaluation.
How to File a Car Accident Claim in Las Vegas
When you get hurt in a car accident in Nevada, the at-fault driver’s insurance is supposed to cover the damages. This is because we use an at-fault or “tort” insurance system, as opposed to the “no-fault” systems you might be familiar with from other states.
At-Fault System
In an at-fault system, the at-fault driver covers the damages. You can go through their insurance or take them directly to court. In either case, their insurance policy usually pays for damages up to their policy limit if we can prove they were at fault.
Contrast this with no-fault systems, where each driver’s insurance covers their own injuries.
How Your Insurance Affects the Case
If you are from another state and you were driving when the accident happened, your insurance might affect the case. If your policy is from another state, it will usually provide certain coverages out of state, but may include at least the state minimum for Nevada.
In any case, your policy might have more than this coverage, and may even have no-fault protections that you can pay a deductible and get additional coverage from. This could include things like PIP (personal injury protection), medpay (medical payment coverage), or collision coverage.
Filing the Claim
Once we’ve sorted out who’s covered for what, we can file the claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance. This process often yields full payment after our Boulder City, NV car accident lawyers negotiate for a full settlement, but if they will not settle, we can take them to court.
Lawsuit
Filing a lawsuit may be necessary if the defendant or their insurance refuses to pay the full value of the case. Low-ball offers usually come at the beginning, but through negotiations, we can bring up the value.
If they refuse to pay the full value you need, we can fight the case in court where a jury can award full damages instead.
Other Drivers You Can Hold Responsible
If you were involved in an accident with a commercial driver or a driver from a transportation company, they may be liable. This can kick in if you were hit by one of these drivers or if you were a passenger.
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC)
RTC buses operate throughout the area. If one of these drivers caused the crash, you can potentially sue the RTC, though suing government entities complicates the case and adds additional deadlines.
Uber/Lyft
Many tourists and travelers in Las Vegas use Uber or Lyft to get around the area. If one of these drivers caused the accident, then you cannot typically sue the rideshare company, but you would still have a case against the driver.
These rideshare companies also typically provide insurance coverage for any crash where there was a rider in the car, so that should be able to pay for most of your damages without even having to go to court, if we can negotiate a fair settlement.
Vegas Loop
The Vegas Loop consists of a series of Tesla cars in a large underground tunnel that has set stops throughout the strip to get between hotels, casinos, and conference centers. If you were injured as a Loop rider, the driver and the Loop system might be liable for the crash, depending on how it happened.
Operating speeds are typically never above 35 mph, but these crashes can still cause pretty serious injuries like whiplash.
Hotel and Courtesy Shuttles
Many hotels and other venues, conference centers, etc., provide courtesy shuttles for their guests. If these drivers cause a crash, the hotel/venue might be liable. If the driver comes from a third-party transportation company, that company may be liable instead.
Commercial Drivers’ Employers
Truckers, delivery van drivers, and other commercial drivers can often be sued, but their employers might also be liable for the crash. This could mean, for example, suing a trucking company for a truck accident.
FAQs for Car Accident Victims from Out of State in Las Vegas
Where Should You Get Medical Care if Your Health Insurance is From Another State?
Do not worry about whether medical care is “in network” or whether they take your insurance. Emergency medical care has to be provided at any hospital you go to in an emergency. From there, we can arrange to have the emergency care and ongoing care reimbursed through the defendant’s car insurance or out of the winnings in your case.
If you are able to return home during your treatment, we can coordinate care and track expenses and medical records as you return home.
Do You Have to File Your Case in Las Vegas?
Generally, yes. Like most things, if a car accident happens in Vegas, it stays in Vegas.
The law does not usually permit you to file elsewhere if you were injured in Las Vegas but live somewhere else, especially if the person who hit you is a local resident. A court back home usually has no jurisdiction to hear the case.
Can You Handle Your Case Remotely?
Our lawyers will do their best to resolve the case quickly so that no in-person court appearances are needed in the first place. If we can negotiate a settlement and get you paid, your case might never see the inside of a courtroom.
If it does need to go to court, then there are many stages we can handle without you present, or with you appearing remotely, especially if travel is difficult because of your injuries. If the case does go to trial, you may need to return and appear in person.
Do You Need a Nevada Lawyer?
Generally, yes. You may not be able to use a lawyer from back home if they are not licensed to practice in Nevada. Instead, call our local Las Vegas car accident lawyers to handle your case under Nevada law.
Call Our Las Vegas Car Accident Lawyers Today
Call (702) 702-2622 for a free case review with our local Enterprise, NV car accident lawyers at Mitchell Rogers Injury Law today.