Personal Injury Law: Nevada

Nevada’s state laws govern personal injury claims that are filed within the state. This means that the process of filing a personal injury claim differs from state to state. If you plan on filing a personal injury claim in Nevada, consider the following:

Nevada Comparative-Fault State

Negligence must be established in any personal injury claim in order for the injured party to be awarded compensation. In Nevada, you can be partially at fault for your own injuries and still receive damages as long as you hold no more than 49 percent of responsibility. In other words, the parties named in a personal injury claim must more than half responsible for your injuries in order to be compensated for an injury.

If a claim is successful, the other party’s degree of fault will determine how much compensation the injured party receives. This means that the damages you receive will be reduced according to your own degree of responsibility for your injuries. For example, if you’re ten percent at fault for your injuries, then you will only receive up to 90 percent of the damages you seek in your claim.

Responsibility can be spread out among multiple parties depending on the circumstances of your claim. In such cases, shared-liability must be established for a case to be closed. Each party named in your claim is assigned a degree of fault . The amount of damages each party must pay is also based on their degree of fault. However this only applies to claims other than product liability or defective product cases, in which the product manufacturers can be held strictly liable for your injuries.

Potential Damages for Personal Injury in Nevada

Damages awarded in a personal injury claim in Nevada can include financial losses as well as non-economic losses. Financially-based damages include medical expenses, loss of wages, loss of future earnings ability, and the cost of household help, skilled nursing care, and even future medical expenses.

Non-economic losses are associated with more abstract and difficult to prove concepts, like pain and suffering you’ve experienced as a result of your injuries. Personal injury claims assign a dollar amount to these damages to determine compensation. A personal injury lawyer familiar with handling claims in the state of Nevada can help you make your argument and win you the compensation you deserve for the pain and suffering you’ve endured.

Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Claims in Nevada

Every state limits the amount of time you have to file a personal injury claim. In Nevada, the statute of limitations is two years for any type of personal injury lawsuit. The statute begins as soon as you realize you’ve suffered harm. In some cases, injuries are not immediately apparent. If you’ve exceeded the statute before filing a claim, it would be advisable to hire a personal injury attorney. Even if the statute of limitations has not ended, hiring a personal injury lawyer soon after your injuries is important because it gives your attorney the time necessary to investigate, file, and build your personal injury claim.