After someone hits your parked car, take pictures of the damages to your car and your injuries (if applicable), call the police to make an accident report, and inform your insurance company of what happened.
A personal injury lawyer from our team can help you determine who is liable for the accident and pursue compensation for your losses.
The Steps to Follow after a Parked Car Accident
If you were in the car or elsewhere when someone hit it, it is important to stay on the scene until an officer arrives. Then, you can proceed to:
Submit an Incident Report to the Nevada DMV
If anyone was injured, killed, or a car has more than $750 worth of damage, you must file a Report of Traffic Crash (SR-1) with the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) within 10 days after the accident. However, if you call the police, they will probably submit a report for you.
It will typically detail:
- What happened and when
- The location of the accident
- The weather conditions
- Who the at-fault driver is and their insurance information, if available
- Property damage details
If you’re not sure whether or not the officer filed a report, file one on your own to avoid penalties.
Take Photos of the Scene
Pictures of any of the damages your car incurred, as well as your injuries, are undeniable proof of the accident. If you can, gather evidence, such as:
- The incident report, once it’s ready to be picked up
- The names of any witnesses
- The note the other driver left if you were not present during the accident
- A written record of what you remember prior to the accident and afterward
All of these forms of evidence can be an asset to building your case for compensation.
Notify Your Insurance Company
Hopefully, you know who the driver who hit your car is. Otherwise, it might be difficult to pursue compensation to cover your accident-related losses.
In any case, make sure you inform your insurance company about the accident as soon as possible. Depending on the insurance you purchased, you can file a claim with them first, as they can help you pay for your resulting medical bills, property repair, and more.
Recoverable Damages after a Parked Car Accident
The types of damages you can recover after a parked car accident can differ based on how you were personally harmed from it. You may be entitled to compensation for your economic damages (which are financial losses you suffered) or non-economic damages (which impacted you physically and emotionally).
Examples of each include:
- Property damages, if you need to repair or replace your car
- Past and future medical bills, if you needed emergency or ongoing treatment
- Past and future mental anguish, if the accident took a toll on your mental health
- Past and future pain and suffering, if you can’t engage in your regular activities
- Past lost wages if you had to miss work
- Future loss of earning capacity, if you won’t be able to go back to work
Of course, a parked car accident may not have affected you physically or caused you ongoing suffering. However, tell us about any of the ways the accident has affected you. If you hire our firm, one of your lawyers can study your case and determine how much each loss is worth and what else you can recover.
We Can Gather Strong Evidence and Review Your Claim to Ensure a Comprehensive Filing
With our more than 60 years of experience, along with winning hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for our clients, we take each case just as seriously as the next.
Part of this endeavor includes:
- Reviewing insurance policies
- Gathering photos of the accident
- Ordering the crash report
- Requesting video surveillance of the accident
- Identifying the responsible parties
- Keeping you up to date on the status of your case
- Negotiating with insurance companies
- Being the intermediary between you and the other party
- Taking your accident case to trial if necessary
- Addressing all of your questions and concerns pertaining to the legal process
If we find that the driver who hit you doesn’t have insurance or if we can’t agree on a settlement amount with the insurance company, we will help you comply with the state deadline, otherwise known as the statute of limitations, and file a lawsuit. NRS §11.190(4)(e) allows victims two years from the day of the accident to take civil action. The court will not hear your case any later.
Our Attorneys Can Represent You on a No-Win, No-Fee Basis
Our accident lawyers work on a contingency-fee-basis, which means that you pay us nothing upfront, out of pocket, or hourly. We understand the financial burden you’re carrying and we don’t want to add to it. Instead, we will only be paid if and when you receive compensation. Don’t worry about paying any attorney’s fees if we are not successful.
After someone hits your parked car, call High Stakes Injury Law. Our number is (702) 444-3228. You will receive a free, no-obligation case review when you contact us.