Las Vegas Car Accident Lawyers Near You

There are some downsides to using your own insurance to get your car repaired.

For example:

• You will likely have to pay your deductible at the time of the repairs, but you should be reimbursed for the full amount of the deductible if and when the other insurance admits fault.
• If you cannot afford the deductible, you can request that your insurance company pay it for you. Some insurance companies will do this when they expect the deductible will be reimbursed by the other driver’s insurance company.

It is possible (though we have found it unusual) for your insurance company to increase your rate, even if the other driver’s insurance later admits they were at fault, and reimburse your insurance for the repairs.

It is unusual, in our experience, that your insurance company will increase your rates because they will have been reimbursed for the cost of the repairs.

Also, an accident that was not your fault usually does not indicate to them that you are a risky driver.

If you do not have collision coverage or if you just prefer to go through the other driver’s insurance directly, you will likely have to wait until they determine their driver was at fault for the car accident.

This can take a while and the other driver’s insurance may never admit fault. This can happen even when the police cited the other driver as being at fault.

The other driver’s insurance company is not required to repair your vehicle if they do not think their driver was at fault.

Once you begin the process of getting your vehicle repaired, whether you go through your insurance or the other driver’s, that insurance company will have several “preferred body shops” they will recommend that you use to get the needed repairs.

They will often even “guarantee” any repairs done at one of their preferred shops.

Please know that if you are getting your vehicle repaired after a car accident, you do not have to use one of the insurance company’s preferred body shops.

And, because of the mutually beneficial relationship between insurance companies and their preferred body shops, we would advise you to be skeptical of any repair estimate you receive from such a shop.

Further, as car accident attorneys, we recommend that you get a repair estimate from a body shop that is not on the insurance company’s preferred list.

Once you do so, look to see if there are any needed repairs that the preferred shop missed.

If nothing was missed by the insurance company’s preferred body shop, it may be faster and easier to have the repairs completed there. Those shops are used to dealing with that insurance company and can often get the needed repairs approved and completed quickly.

You can also choose to skip getting the damage repaired and opt to receive a check for the estimated cost of the repairs.

We often encounter this question when a car is still drivable after an accident. However, please understand that if you still owe anything on your vehicle, your agreement with the lender usually requires you to have the repairs made, and failing to do so could be a breach of the terms of your loan.

However, if your vehicle is paid off, simply ask the insurance company to send you a check directly. Please note that cashing such a check will be considered a full and final settlement of your property damage claim.

If you need help getting your vehicle repaired after a car wreck, call us at (702) 291-8007 or contact us online to book a free case review today with a top-rated car accident attorney in Las Vegas.

Under Nevada law, either insurance company can find that your vehicle is a total loss after a car accident.

If the cost of repairing the vehicle is greater than 65% of the fair market value of the vehicle just before it was damaged in the crash, the insurance company can declare your vehicle a total loss.

One thing to be aware of is that your insurance company has a lot of discretion in determining what the fair market value of your vehicle is. While the insurance company will have a set of factors they use to make this determination, such as the make, model, mileage, condition, and the year of the vehicle, people rarely feel the value the insurance company comes up with is “fair.”

This is especially true for people with newer vehicles as the fair market value an insurance company must pay you is the same as the replacement cost of your vehicle.

Since new vehicles tend to depreciate significantly right after they are purchased, the fair market value is often a lot less than the actual cost to replace the vehicle.

Even worse, the amount offered by the insurance company can be significantly less than what is still owed on the vehicle loan. It is then up to the victim of the car accident to pay off the remainder of the loan out of their pocket.

This process, understandably, leaves a lot of people frustrated. They spend their money to buy a new or newer vehicle, someone else crashes into them, their car is totaled, and now they are being told they will only be paid a portion of what their car actually costs and, sometimes, less than what they still owe.

This is an unfortunate and common situation for car accident victims. But it is important to understand that you can push back on the insurance company.

If you think your car may have been totaled, be prepared to push back on whatever “fair market value” the insurance company assigns to your vehicle.

Determine what your actual mileage was, have your maintenance records, find the records for any recent improvements or repairs, and research the price of other similar used vehicles in your market.

While you may not get the insurance company up to a number that actually represents the real value of your vehicle, you may get significantly more just by pushing back on the insurance company’s initial offer.

If the insurance company is still unwilling to give you an adequate offer, you can decline but your remaining options will likely take time.

During this time, you may want to find the best car accident attorney in Las Vegas – someone who can help you get the compensation you deserve.

If your vehicle was totaled in a car accident and you have questions, feel free to give us a call or come by our office at SJW Injury Attorneys.

Like any other type of damage you claim as the result of a car wreck, you will need evidence that you missed work because of your injuries.

This is commonly done through documents provided by your employer showing: how much you normally make, the days you missed, and any paid leave or vacation days you had to use.

If you missed work or can no longer work, contact us for free case review with the car accident attorneys in Las Vegas here at SJW Law Firm.

We will answer any questions you have about the car accident and recovering lost wages.