Your Nevada Fender Bender May Not Be a Minor Car Accident

Life moves pretty fast and you don’t have time to slow down. Minor car accidents like a parking lot fender bender are annoying so why let it take up any more time in your day? Minor car accidents can turn into major problems. 

Suddenly you’re dealing with sky high car repair bills. Even worse. Your minor car accident may cause injuries. Reporting a minor car accident can be a pain. However it’s one of the essential steps to take after a minor car accident if you want to recover compensation.

Key Steps for Filing a Minor Vehicle Accident Claim in Nevada

If you’ve filed an insurance claim for a major car accident then you’re already familiar with the process. The steps are basically the same regardless of the accident’s severity.

Don’t Wait to Report the Minor Collision

Like pretty much every other state, Nevada has laws outlining when an accident must be reported. Usually, minor fender benders don’t meet the criteria. Any vehicle accident must be immediately reported if injuries or fatalities are present. You also need to stay at the accident scene if property damage is over $750.

Chances are your minor car accident didn’t cause serious injuries or fatalities. However don’t be too sure about only sustaining minor vehicle damage. A simple tap on your vehicle’s rear bumper can cause issues. Including with things like alignment and suspension. Repairing these problems can be expensive. To be safe it’s best to call the authorities if you’re involved in a minor car collision.

Besides, you’re going to need a copy of your accident report to start the claim process. You can pick up a copy of your accident report online as it’s usually ready in about 10 business days.

A Doctor’s Visit Is a Must

Your health should always take priority. Any time you’re involved in a car wreck. Even a minor one. You should plan on making an appointment with your healthcare provider. Even a walk-in medical clinic is fine. All that matters is you’re being proactive about your health.

Most minor car accidents don’t result in significant injuries. Sure, you may have a little bruising, especially around the seat belt area. This goes away after a few days it’s so no big deal. However occasionally a fender bender can cause more serious injuries. A trip to the doctor doesn’t just protect your health it also impacts the value of your accident claim. You’ll need copies of your medical records when it’s time to submit your claim.

Help Gather Evidence

Since your injuries probably aren’t screaming for an ambulance ride to the hospital, you can spend a bit of time gathering some evidence. Don’t get in the authorities’ way since they have a job to do.

What you can do is take some pictures of the accident scene. Get some shots of any visible vehicle damage. Have any cuts or scrapes from the accident? Go ahead and document the minor injuries. Did anyone witness the accident? If so you should get their contact information. 

Their testimony can help support your accident claim. Don’t get into detail about the collision or your injuries. If you decide to file an injury claim, the insurance adjuster is going to interview the same witnesses. Anything you say can be used to try and devalue your claim.

Make a note of any surveillance cameras in the area. Your Nevada car accident attorney can subpoena the footage.

Figure Out the Value of Your Minor Car Accident Claim

You may know someone who walked away with a substantial settlement check after a car accident. Don’t get your hopes up. Your accident is minor and this is going to impact your claim’s total value.

With that being said, you’re probably going to have both economic and non-economic damages. Your economic losses typically include vehicle damage and medical costs. While lost income is considered an economic loss, it probably doesn’t apply in your case. Your minor car accident probably didn’t cause you to miss work due to injury severity. To come up with the value of your economic damages, add up your bills, receipts, and receipts. 

Non-economic losses can make up a significant part of some vehicle accident claims. Once again, your value is probably going to be less than if you’re involved in a catastrophic car collision. Things like pain, suffering, and mental anguish are usually listed as non-economic damages. Stress is also a non-economic loss and tends to apply in minor car accidents.

Calculating non-economic damages can be done in one of two ways. You can use the multiplier method, it’s the most commonly used formula. You take the total of your economic losses and multiply it by a number assigned to represent your pain and suffering. The number can range from 1.5 to 5. The higher the number, the greater your level of pain.

You can also use the per diem method. Getting to the formula is a tad more complicated. You need to know your average daily pay. The process means figuring out your annual salary. Then dividing it by the number of days you work in a year. Multiply this number by the number of days you received medical treatment.

Reach Out to the Insurance Company

This is when the accident claim process really starts. Think of the other steps as prep work. Your Nevada personal injury attorney will send a demand letter to the insurance company. The letter explains the accident and lists your damages.

The insurance company has around 90 days to send a response. Since minor car accident claim values tend to be pretty low, there’s a decent chance the insurance company will issue an approval. Now you’re just waiting a few more weeks. Then your settlement check should arrive. 

If your claim is denied, you can file an appeal or head straight to court with a lawsuit. The other response may be a request for negotiations. This can drag out the claim process but at least your claim wasn’t outright denied.

Before sending a demand letter it’s a good idea to have a Nevada car accident attorney on your side. Your attorney can help you navigate the process even if you only have a small minor car accident claim.