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This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice.
Reno, Nevada, being the Biggest Little City in the world, has quite a lot of attractions. Where the city has some amazing neon lighting and casinos, there are lots of other beautiful things to do in this city. Intense whitewater rafting outside the city limits through the Truckee river; food tour in the Riverwalk district; visiting the awesome National Automobile Museum; experiencing the Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Centre; seeing the wildlife in the Animal Ark, and whatnot!
Reno is a city having 264,165 residents in a 289 sq km land area. Around 900+ people live per sq km here, which already makes this place pretty crowded. The above attractions bring another 4-5 million visitors annually. As a whole, the small city always stays crowded, which also means hundreds of vehicles move across the roads of the city.
All these lead down to the main point of the discussion- road accidents. So many people riding so many vehicles in this city makes the roads quite dangerous. If we focus on the statistical numbers, the number of fatal car crashes spiked by 21% in Washoe County of Reno last year (2020). Approximately 48$ of all these fatal crashes are listed as having multiple causes, where more than half of them involve substance use! 14% involved a collision with a pedestrian, 19% involved a motorcycle.
A car accident lawyer Reno NV will be there to help you out getting all the necessary compensations you need. Both the victim and the driver need to understand the possible sectors of compensation. Victims receive compensation for lost wages and earning capacity, medical expenses, wrongful death, etc. Also, victims may suffer from non-economic damages such as depression, distress, emotional pain, etc. Your lawyer will try to get compensation for you.
The states in the United States are generally divided into 3 categories when it comes to determining compensation after a car accident: no-fault, comparative negligence, and contributory negligence. Nevada as a state falls under the 2nd category. The state follows a 51% modified comparative negligence rule. That means, if you are found to be less than 51% responsible for the accident, you can receive compensation for your damages corresponding to your level of fault in the crash.
Having said all of the above things, the best solution is always to avoid accidents. In this regard, we all know what to do to avoid accidents. The drivers need to drive carefully, abiding by all the laws, not consuming alcohol before driving, not speeding over the limit. The pedestrians need to move carefully. They need to cross roads carefully and use the zebra crossing. Well, these rules are very common and we all know these.
Still, we see accidents occurring frequently. There are lots of responsibilities to be carried out after an accident, be it as the driver, or the victim, or a visual spectator of the accident. But at times, all these three stakeholders make silly mistakes and do what they should not have done! Therefore, we will focus on things not to do after an accident. Let’s dig deeper:
- Leaving the scene: Under Nevada law, it is a criminal act to leave an accident scene, whether you are at fault or not. The NRS (Nevada Revised Statutes) 484E.020 states that any driver involved in a crash resulting in damage shall immediately stop his or her car at the scene of the crash!
- Not calling the authority: Never forget to call 911! The dispatchers will arrive at the scene and do what is to be done.
- Forgetting to exchange information: Wait till the police arrive. Talk to them and provide all the information you have with you. If you were a spectator of the incident, then you must do this. Your statement matters! Also, don’t forget to provide them with a contact method.
- Admitting fault before knowing all the facts: It is appreciating that you are admitting your fault. But don’t forget, anything you say at that time will be used against you. Maybe there are facts that you don’t know which prove it wasn’t your fault entirely. Have all the facts before providing any statement.
- Don’t underestimate your injury: The same goes for the victim as well. Don’t try to be a hero and say “I’m fine” whereas you are not. It is extremely dangerous because the injury may be fatal and you may not realize it due to the shock. Also, it will not help you get the compensation that was due for you.
These small things make the difference. Be cautious on the road. Protect the roads, save lives!
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