Reno Personal Injury Lawyer

At Harris & Harris Injury Lawyers, we fight for personal injury victims until their case has been fully resolved and they have received the full and fair compensation they deserve. If someone else’s negligence has caused you harm, contact us online or call (702) 384-1414. Our Reno personal injury lawyers will discuss your legal options in a free consultation.

Reno Personal Injury Attorney

How Can a Reno Personal Injury Lawyer Help?

An experienced Reno personal injury attorney can help you recover the compensation you deserve. They will know how the court system works and will have a thorough understanding of Nevada’s personal injury laws and any deadlines that relate to your claim. A personal injury lawyer is also not intimidated by insurance adjusters or other attorneys, who may pressure you into settling fast and for less than the value of your case. Your attorney will evaluate your case and estimate its worth so that you recover compensation to completely cover your losses.

Many personal injury victims are reluctant to hire a personal injury lawyer over concern of the cost. However, most personal injury lawyers who serve the Reno area, including Harris & Harris Injury Lawyers, are willing to operate on a contingency basis, which means that you only have to pay them if they win your case.

What Damages Can I Recover?

If your personal injury case is successful, you will receive compensation from the party legally responsible for your harm. The legal term for this compensation is “damages.” Damages are broken into two groups: compensatory damages and punitive damages.

Compensatory Damages

Compensatory damages are meant to monetarily replace what you have lost, such as:

  • Medical Bills: reimbursement for past and future medical care is usually always included in the settlement you receive.
  • Lost Income: for the income you lost while recovering from your injury and possibly lost earning capacity. This means your inability to earn future income because of the accident.
  • Property Damage: any property damaged or lost in the accident can likely be reimbursed. This, for example, can include vehicles, items within the vehicles, clothing, etc. All of which will be appraised at fair market value.
  • Pain and Suffering: the physical pain and suffering that you have endured as a result of your accident. These damages can be challenging to measure since they are subjective. An experienced Reno personal injury attorney will consider various factors, such as the type of accident and injury severity, to help you come up with their monetary value.
  • Emotional Distress: also known as mental anguish caused by the accident. These damages are often combined with pain and suffering. Common symptoms include depression, anxiety, terror, shock, sorrow, confusion, and insomnia.
  • Loss of Enjoyment of Life: if you suffered injuries that cause physical limitations, you might be unable to engage in hobbies, recreational activities, or exercise that you were able to before the accident.
  • Loss of Consortium: these damages refer to the impact your injury has on your relationship with your spouse, such as a loss of companionship and/or inability to engage in sexual intimacy.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are similar to a fine in that they are meant to punish the defendant. If the defendant’s actions were particularly reckless or egregious, then the court may award you punitive damages.

Who Can Be Held Liable?

Any individual or entity responsible for causing your personal injury accident can be held liable. The first step to holding a party accountable is identifying the single or multiple parties that caused the accident. This can be done through an investigation by your Reno personal injury lawyer.

All personal injury cases rely on the theory of negligence. Negligence is the legal term for a person’s careless behavior or failure to act that results in another’s harm. Your attorney will look for evidence that demonstrates a party was negligent in causing your accident and, therefore, is liable. The following four elements are required to prove negligence:

  • The at-fault party owed you a duty of care. (e.g., a driver owes others on the road a duty to drive safely)
  • The at-fault party breached his or her duty of care. (e.g., the driver was operating the vehicle while under the influence)
  • The breach of care directly caused your injuries. (e.g., the drunk driver crashed into your vehicle resulting in your injuries)
  • You suffered actual or financial losses from these injuries. (e.g., medical bills, lost income, pain, and suffering, etc.)

Nevada follows the rule of comparative negligence when it comes to personal injury claims. This rule can impact your compensation if you were partially to blame for your accident. For example, if you are awarded $10,000 but found 20 percent at fault, you will only receive $8,000. If you were more than 50 percent at fault, you will be barred from recovering compensation.

Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle

Our team represents injured clients in a wide variety of personal injury claims, including:

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Car accidents are the number one cause of personal injury in the U.S. On average, there are approximately six million car accidents every year that cause three million injuries.

Product Liability / Defective Products

Defective products can cause a wide range of injuries to unsuspecting consumers. Those involved in the chain of distribution of a defective product may be liable for damages they cause in a product liability lawsuit.

Construction Accidents

Injured workers can file workers’ compensation claims, though these benefits may not be enough to cover the true cost of an injury. If a party other than your employer caused your construction accident in Nevada, then you may be able to file a third-party claim for additional compensation.

Dog Bite Injury

If you have been bitten by a dog and require medical attention of any kind, you may be entitled to compensation.

Premises Liability

If you were involved in an accident on someone else’s property due to the property manager or owner’s negligence, you may be eligible to take legal action with a premises liability case.

Nursing Home Abuse

Reports of nursing home neglect and abuse are common in Reno and throughout the U.S. If your loved one has been injured while in the care of a nursing home, the facility should be held accountable.

Wrongful Death

When an individual dies because of the negligence of another party, the surviving family members may pursue a wrongful death lawsuit.

These are only a few of the kinds of cases we handle. If you do not see your type of accident on this list, do not hesitate to contact us.

We Can Help

If you or someone you love has been involved in a personal injury accident, speak to a skilled personal lawyer in Reno who cares. We offer free consultations; contact Harris & Harris Injury Lawyers today.