The at-fault party doesn’t have to be the driver in a single-car accident. Other liable parties might be:
- Another driver
- A government entity
- A mechanic
- A parts manufacturer
Through gathering evidence and reviewing the facts of your case, a car accident lawyer with our firm can identify who is liable for compensating you for your resulting damages.
Determining Liability for Your Accident
At first glance, it might appear that you, the driver, caused your own accident. Know that it might not be your fault, however. We recommend that you consider looking into other contributing factors to determine what led to the crash.
A few of the liable parties could be:
Another Driver
Another driver’s negligence could have caused you to lose control of your car and crash.
For example, if the other driver was texting and driving and drifted into your lane, you might have swerved to avoid hitting them. This reaction might have led to your striking a pedestrian. Had the other driver been more attentive to the road, your accident probably would not have happened.
A Government Entity
The city or state municipality is typically responsible for keeping the streets free of hazards. Unfortunately, they do not always uphold this standard. For instance, you could have hit road debris and blown out your tires. This negligence might have caused a rollover accident, especially on the highway where everyone is traveling at high speed.
If a government agency failed to clear up the debris within a reasonable amount of time, you might be able to hold them accountable via civil action.
A Parts Manufacturer or a Mechanic
A manufacturer could have sold your dealer a car with a defective vehicular part, or your mechanic might have made an installation error. If you believe that improper vehicular function was the culprit of your single-car accident, take your car to your mechanic to have it checked out.
In order to prove that another party was at fault for your accident, you must prove that they owed you a duty of care and breached it, which ultimately caused your accident and injuries. Otherwise, it will be your responsibility to cover the costs stemming from the accident.
Sharing Fault in a Single–Car Accident
Nevada follows a modified comparative negligence law under NRS §41.141. This law discusses that you can recover compensation as long as you are not more than 50% responsible for the accident.
If you hold less than 50% of the fault, your total winnings will be reduced by that percentage. For example, if you are found 30% responsible, you will be awarded 70% of your original compensation.
The State of Nevada will bar you from recovering damages if you are found to be more than 50% at fault for your single-car crash. If you hire a lawyer from our team, we will work to prove that you hold little to no fault for the accident.
Damages You Can Recover
You might be entitled to seek compensation if you were involved in a single-car accident. Some forms of compensation include:
- Property damage: To repair or replace your vehicle
- Past and future medical bills: To cover your expenses for your emergency and ongoing medical care
- Past lost wages: To make up for the time you lost at work
- Future loss of earning capacity: To provide you with financial support if you can’t return to your previous job or work at all
- Past and future pain and suffering: To help compensate for your physical pain and other challenges caused by your injuries
- Past and future mental anguish: To assist you with the mental health problems you’re suffering from due to the accident
If you lost your loved one in a single-car accident, please accept our condolences. Of course, no amount of money can change what happened, but your recovering compensation might make this life adjustment smoother.
You can recover the costs for your loved one’s funeral, burial plot, medical bills, and more. You might even be eligible to claim damages for your own loss of financial support and consortium, along with your pain and suffering.
We Can Help You Build a Stronger Case
After reviewing the recoverable damages and reading about proving liability, taking on the legal system on your own could be daunting. Instead of doing that, especially while you’re in recovery, you might want to consider hiring our lawyers to advocate for you.
In addition to quantifying your damages and proving liability, our lawyers can:
- Request access to any available video footage
- Collect accident-related photos
- Obtain the crash report
- Consult economists, accident reconstruction analysts, your medical team, and car mechanics
- Deal with the insurance companies during negotiations and other communication
- File a lawsuit in accordance with NRS §11.190(4)(e)
- Represent your case in civil court
We can execute all these tasks and others on a contingency-fee-basis, so we will not charge you any upfront costs. Instead, we will charge our fee from your final compensatory award. Should you not receive compensation, you will not owe us anything.
Call the Attorneys at High Stakes Injury Law to Get Started on Your Case
To learn more about single-car accidents liability, reach out to High Stakes Injury Law at (702) 444-3228. The first call is free.