Personal Injury Attorney Ready to
Fight for You and Your Family
PERSONAL INJURY
If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident that resulted in an injury, it can cause additional stress trying to find a qualified personal injury attorney. We want you to be able to focus on your recovery rather than addressing issues within a complex legal landscape. Coulter Harsh Law is a personal injury law firm in Reno, NV, backed by decades of specialized experience and 1000s of successful personal injury lawsuit outcomes by settlement and if necessary, trial. The trial attorneys in Coulter Harsh Law are certified personal injury specialists.
There’s Hope When You’ve Been Hurt
We’re already in your corner before you call.
If you’ve recently experienced harm due to an accident or injury, you might be missing out on work, mounting medical bills, and struggling or being unable to enjoy the life you once had. Filing a personal injury claim might give you the relief you desperately need. Coulter Harsh Law has the experience to present a successful personal injury claim.
Before you pursue legal action, it’s essential to understand what a personal injury is.
In the legal system in the U.S., three common types of harm can be done to a person: personal injury, damage to property, and damage to reputation. Personal injury can include bodily harm, such as broken bones, but it can also cover psychological harm, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and other forms of emotional distress. Even if you haven’t experienced a permanent injury, a personal injury can dramatically impact your life, leaving you with physical pain, lost wages, and unpaid medical bills.
In the case of a motor vehicle accident caused by a reckless driver who ran a red light, the injured person would expect to be compensated for medical bills (surgery, in-patient hospital stay, home health care, appointments, etc.), therapy for emotional distress, and vehicular damage. Compensation may include current medical expenses, future medical costs, and current or future lost wages.
Suppose you’ve gone through an experience like what we described above. In that case, you may be able to work with a Reno personal injury attorney to get back on stable footing financially and receive much-needed support to continue your recovery process.
While everybody’s personal injury experience is different, what our clients have in common is that somebody else was responsible for their accident or injury. You may hear the terms injured party and the at-fault party to describe personal injury claims. That means the other person or people involved in your injury acted recklessly, negligently, or maliciously, causing you harm.
If a person has a fall accident due to a slippery floor at a restaurant, the business may be considered the responsible party. In the case of motor vehicle accidents, the other party’s insurance company may be financially responsible for the settlement.
What qualifies as a personal injury might seem somewhat obvious — the injury is typically immediate and extreme. However, you may be unable to recover damages depending on the specific circumstances of your accident. For example, if you’re found primarily liable for your injuries — you were somehow responsible for the accident — you won’t be able to recover damages. If somebody witnessed the injury and experienced emotional distress, they may be eligible for compensation. However, a family member who saw the aftermath of the injury would not be able to recover damages.
Anybody can be injured in an accident. Our personal injury lawyers help people of all ages, occupations, and backgrounds in the following situations:
- Car accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Truck accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Workplace injuries
- Wrongful deaths
- Medical malpractice
- Slip/Trip Falls
- Brain injuries
- Catastrophic injuries
- Dog Bites
- Recreational Vehicle Accidents
Being nervous about what might happen if you pursue a personal injury lawsuit is normal. The good news is that most (around 95%) of personal injury claims are settled out of court. So it’s most likely your personal injury lawyer will help you reach a pre-settlement. Rest assured, over 90% of personal injury cases that go to trial end in victory for the party that brought the personal injury lawsuit. Because of the complexities involved in pursuing legal action when somebody has injured you, finding a personal injury attorney with experience is essential.
When to Hire a
Personal Injury Attorney
When the unthinkable happens — you’re in a car accident and suffer catastrophic injuries — anything that can make your recovery easier is worth looking into. Expert support can eliminate stress in navigating the legal process, especially when you need to get your life back on track.
So, how do you decide if you need legal counsel or can represent yourself? How do you know if you have to bring a personal injury claim forward? Remember, if you want to seek compensation for serious injuries you’ve experienced, the at-fault party, including insurance companies, will often have legal counsel to represent their interests. A lawyer who can advocate for you can make the legal process much easier.
Making decisions can be overwhelming when you have just survived a traumatic experience, so let’s make this easy. If any of the following sounds like your situation, schedule a consultation:
- You or a loved one were seriously injured or permanently disabled, like with a spinal cord injury.
- A loved one passed away as a result of the accident.
- You’ve had to miss more than a few days of daily activities (work, school, etc.), or you will have to change your lifestyle indefinitely.
- You need ongoing medical care.
- You’re in significant and ongoing physical pain as a result of your injury.
- Multiple people were injured.
- Multiple people were responsible for the injuries.
- Your personal injury claim involves a business, government agency, or insurance company.
- The person or party who injured you is uninsured or underinsured.
- You have a pre-existing condition that was worsened by the injury.
- Your insurance company denied your claim.
- There are issues or inaccuracies with the police report.
- None of the people or parties involved will admit fault.
- Your injury came from an obvious safety issue, like a broken railing at a sports arena.
- You think you may be entitled to non-monetary damages, like loss of companionship, pain, and suffering.
- You live in an at-fault state.
What if you were injured while on the job?
You might need a personal injury lawyer if you were injured at work, though most of the time, any accident would be handled through workers’ compensation.
Insurance companies often aim to settle personal injury claims as quickly as possible with the least amount of money awarded — hardly fair compensation. Unless you work with an experienced personal injury attorney, you may not receive as much compensation as you deserve.
Ultimately, it’s best to call a personal injury lawyer as soon as you can after the accident.
In the immediate aftermath of an accident, your priority should always be seeking a medical evaluation or receiving the treatment you need. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been in a car accident, slipped and fallen, or become injured at work; taking care of your injury is the most important thing for you to do. If you’re unsure if you’re injured, seeking a medical evaluation is still a good idea. Some injuries can take time to show symptoms, including traumatic brain injuries, whiplash, and spinal cord injuries. Emotional distress can also take some time to show up and can be just as debilitating as your physical symptoms.
Once your injuries are stabilized, look for an experienced personal injury lawyer. If you need to focus on your recovery, you can always have a family member contact a law firm on your behalf.
Choosing a Personal Injury Law Firm.
The personal injury lawyer you hire should have a robust understanding of Nevada or your state’s personal injury laws. Additionally, look for a law firm specializing in personal injury law with extensive experience helping injured persons like you. So, if you need help pursuing a medical malpractice personal injury claim, look for a law firm that lists this type of personal injury in its practice areas.
Personal injury law is complex, and you should only consider personal injury lawyers who are well-versed in the state laws where you live. For example, injured persons have up to two years after their injury to file a personal injury claim in Nevada; in Wisconsin, the statute of limitations is three years.
When you search for a law office online, use terminology specific to your situation, like “car accident personal injury attorney,” rather than something more general, like “personal injury lawyers.” Searching by your location can be helpful, too: “Reno personal injury attorney.”
Once you have a list of potential personal injury lawyers, you can narrow it down to the law firm with the specialization, reputation, affordability, proven track record, and trial experience necessary to ensure the personal injury law works in your favor. Though most personal injury cases settle out of court, law firms with experienced trial lawyers are good to add to your list in case your claim goes to trial.
Ask for referrals from friends, family, or coworkers, and pay attention to online testimonials for law firms. If you hear stories that sound like yours, it’s a good sign a law firm can take on your personal injury case and seek maximum compensation. Find out what past clients thought of their experience with a law firm.
Many law offices will offer a free consultation; take advantage of this. It never hurts to discuss your options, and medical bills, lost wages, and pain warrant financial compensation.
We're Here For You
What to Expect From a
Personal Injury Claim
Before you reach out to a Reno personal injury lawyer, gather as much information as possible about your accident. Your personal injury attorney will likely ask for documents that can support your claim by showing the extent of your damages — physical, material, and emotional — and who is responsible for your injury. If there was too much going on for you to keep records in the aftermath of your injury, you don’t need to worry. Gather what you can, and your legal team will help you sort through the rest:
- Police reports
- Accident reconstruction reports
- Witness statements
- Medical records
- Medical bills
- Proof of lost wages
- Photos or videos of damages
- Photos or videos of your injuries
- Your personal documentation (journals, notes, etc., that show the impact of your injuries)
- Insurance information, including any insurance claims you’ve made
Having thorough documentation helps your personal injury lawyers prove liability in your personal injury claim. Once it’s clear in the eyes of the law that the person who harmed you is at fault, financial compensation is within reach. Our personal injury attorneys know who they need to obtain information from — police officers, insurance companies, medical billing departments, etc. They’ll act as your advocate throughout the process.
You always have a choice in pursuing legal action after an injury. If you do decide it’s what you need to find relief from the financial, physical, and emotional fallout from your accident, you might want to know what to expect from the process.
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How long will it take to resolve your personal injury claim or lawsuit?
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What do you have to be responsible for during the process (paperwork, meetings, etc.)?
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What kind of support do personal injury attorneys provide?
We’ll walk you through what to expect below.
What It’s Like to Work With Our Reno Personal Injury Lawyers
Our clients first come to us because they’ve been through something truly awful. Many have had broken bones, lacerations, contusions, spinal cord injuries, and concussions. This is certainly not an exhaustive list, and the harm our personal injury clients have endured is beyond physical; they can suffer from ongoing grief and post-trauma symptoms like anxiety and anger. In some cases, their injury has affected how they’re perceived professionally, leaving them vulnerable to reputational damage. Even if they’ve overcome their initial injuries, they may have to grapple with permanent injuries, ongoing medical expenses, and lost wages.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with what happened to you and want to regain control over your life, you’re not alone. Our clients come to us for reassurance that better days are ahead. From the minute you speak to one of our personal injury attorneys, we’ll help you move forward.
Hear From Our Personal Injury Clients…
We Walk By Your Side,
Until You’re On the Other Side
Even minor accidents can leave a lasting impact on your or your loved ones’ lives. When you choose Coulter Harsh Law, you hire an advocate with you every step of your legal journey to fair compensation. Our top priority is alleviating your medical expenses, lost wages, physical pain, and emotional distress. Let us walk by your side until you have the resolution (and peace of mind) you need.
Questions Personal Injury Clients Ask
What is personal injury?
Personal injury is a broad legal term for when one person or party causes harm to another. Many scenarios fit under this legal umbrella, including car accidents, truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, and work accidents. To be able to file a personal injury claim, the injury must result from somebody else’s negligence, recklessness, or malicious intent.
How long do I have to file a personal injury claim?
In Nevada, you (the injured person) have up to two years after you’re injured to file a claim. Even though you have some time to pursue legal action, contacting Reno personal injury attorneys as soon as possible is best. You do not have to wait to find legal representation; you can start contacting an attorney when the hospital releases you or the accident investigation team clears you to leave the scene. Once you have the following squared away, it’s a good time to file your personal injury claim:
- You’ve assessed all the damages (physical, emotional, financial harm) from your accident and have a rough total that you’d like to seek compensation for.
- You’ve found a personal injury attorney that you trust and has the expertise necessary to win you maximum compensation.
- You’ve finished all medical treatment unless you’ve sustained permanent injuries or disability.
- You’ve gathered all your evidence (outlined above) to make a sound case for your personal injury claim.
How do you determine liability for a personal injury?
Determining liability in a personal injury case can be complex, though there are a few guidelines to be aware of. In a legal sense, everybody is responsible for their actions. We all are responsible for acting in a way that does not cause harm. Legally, this is sometimes called a “duty of care,” i.e., we all have a duty not to injure the people around us. We can define liability as:
A person, business, or government agency has a duty to others.
This person or party failed to perform that duty.
Another person (or people) was injured directly due to that failure to perform that duty.
The person or party who failed in their duty is liable for the consequences of their actions.
You may have heard related terms, including negligence, recklessness, and maliciousness. These refer to how a person or party fails to perform their duty of care. For example, if a driver blows past a stop sign because they were texting, crashing into another vehicle that had the right of way, they failed their duty of care because they were driving recklessly.
Think about a business that did not keep up with its safety assessments and equipment service. If an employee sustained a permanent injury because of poorly functioning machinery they were required to use for their job, the business might be negligent. They had a duty to keep all equipment functioning up to safety standards.
An example of maliciousness might be a driver intentionally running a bicyclist off the road, causing grievous bodily harm.
We can determine liability in various ways. First, the responsible person or party may readily admit the accident was their fault. If your personal injury lawsuit goes to trial, your personal injury attorney will gather all the evidence and present it to a jury. Then, the jury will decide whether the defendant is at fault for your injury.
What might jeopardize my ability to receive compensation for a personal injury claim?
Whether your personal injury claim leads to fair compensation depends on your behavior after the accident and the extent to which you have documentation for the accident. Skipping over legal representation can put your claim at risk, too. Let’s review a few reasons why your claim may be denied:
Failing to document the injury. Plain and simple, you need evidence of what happened during the accident to prove liability. You also need documentation that shows the extent of your injuries.
Failing to seek medical treatment. Do not delay medical treatment; it leaves room for alternative explanations for your injuries. Medical professionals can also provide extensive documentation for your injuries and the implications on your life going forward.
Failing to report injuries accurately. Both minimizing and overstating your injuries can lead to a poor outcome for you. The best way to ensure the scope of your injuries is accurate is to seek qualified medical attention and documentation, complete with medical provider assessments, diagnoses, and treatment recommendations. If you need specialized care, like to see a neurologist for a spinal cord injury, make sure you follow through on your appointments.
Talking to an insurance company before a lawyer. Insurance companies want to spend the least amount of money possible on settlements and may try to convince you to settle for less than you deserve. Retain a lawyer as soon as possible to help you honestly assess what settlement amount matches your damages.
Failing to hire an experienced personal injury attorney. There is no replacement for expertise when it comes to these cases. Personal injury attorneys with a depth of knowledge can help you pursue maximum compensation and minimal stress.
Delaying submitting your claim until after the statute of limitations. While it’s important to care for your health first and foremost, there are time limits on when you can file a personal injury claim. In Nevada, you have two years.
Will my personal injury lawsuit go to trial?
It’s extremely rare for personal injury cases to go to trial. Only about 5% ever reach a courtroom, which means the majority settle before you need a jury of your peers to weigh in on the circumstances of your accident.
If your lawsuit goes to trial, it’s most commonly because the insurance company refuses to provide a fair settlement. While frustrating, the insurance company may want to prevent setting a precedent for settling a claim like yours. Additionally, if the defendant’s (the person or party who injured you) attorney believes they can win the case, they may push for a trial. If the other party or their insurance company refuses to admit fault, you may have to go to trial to prove fault.
Another reason your personal injury lawsuit may go to trial is if the other party is uninsured or underinsured, so you need to utilize the court system to ensure you receive compensation for your injuries.
The experienced personal injury attorneys at Coulter Harsh Law can explain every step of the process should your claim go to trial.
How long will it take to get my settlement?
After you file your personal injury claim, your lawyer will have to negotiate a settlement with the insurance company. It depends on how receptive the insurance company is to paying the settlement for what it’s worth. Ultimately, it can take weeks or months to work through this process, but there is no statute of limitations on arranging your settlement, just when you can file a claim.
Do You Have Questions?
We Have Answers.
If you or a loved one has suffered a personal injury, it’s crucial you speak to a personal injury attorney who will go above and beyond for you to ensure you get the compensation you deserve. Contact us today to speak with one of our experienced personal injury lawyers.
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