Reno Personal Injury Lawyer

A personal injury accident can leave the injured party – and their family – facing significant medical bills, lost wages, emotional challenges, and a loss of quality of life. Depending on the type and severity of the injuries involved, a personal injury accident can have immediate, as well as long-term or even lifelong, consequences.

Reno attorney Matthew L. Sharp helps the victims of personal injury accidents – including auto accidentstrucking accidentsmotorcycle accidents, and traumatic brain injuries – obtain maximum financial recovery. He focuses on handling the legal aspect of a personal injury claim so that the injured party can focus on his or her physical and emotional recovery.

If you or a loved one was injured in an accident involving negligence or recklessness, personal injury attorney Matthew Sharp and the auto accident attorneys at his law firm are here to help. He will guide you through the entire process – from filing the claim to handling any insurance disputes and pursuing a personal injury lawsuit. Contact his office to schedule a free consultation with an accident lawyer to learn more about a possible personal injury claim.

Accident Lawyers for All Kinds of Injuries

reno personal injury lawyer

Personal injuries and accidents may bring a few things to mind–car accidents, injuries in manufacturing and construction work, and slip-and-fall incidents. But personal injuries can happen at any time and in any place, for any number of reasons. What counts is who is responsible for the injury. If you have been injured but are not at fault for the injury, you may have a claim. In the Reno area, there is a higher likelihood for the following types of personal injuries to occur:

  • Pedestrian injuries: With a pedestrian fatality rate that is twice the national average, Nevada residents around Reno are no strangers to the risks of personal injury as a result of daily transportation activities, from driving to biking, and even walking. The bottom line is–you deserve to safely commute by foot, day or night. Whether due to the negligence of a driver, or that of a municipality responsible for providing safe conditions, such as adequate lighting and traffic controls, injuries caused by these scenarios come with costs. And whoever is responsible for those injuries should bear the responsibility for those costs.
  • Distracted driving injuries: Over a thousand injuries occur daily across the United States as a result of distracted driving, which is the leading cause of car accidents today. Distracted driving includes any form of visual, cognitive, and/or manual distraction. In recent years, texting while driving has become a growing cause of personal injury as a result of distracted driving. Texting combines all three forms of distracted driving, and demands the attention of the driver for a span of time that allows for significant distance covered with eyes off the road. If you have been injured in a car accident as a result of a driver taking their eyes off of the road, their hands off the wheel, or their mind was on something other than the critical task of driving, you are a victim of distracted driving, and may have a personal injury claim.

Personal injuries can occur at any time, in any place, and without warning. Some personal injuries occur and, in the moment, there doesn’t appear to be a clear party at fault. Examples of these types of injured include:

  • Injuries sustained by participating in civic activities. This includes law enforcement personnel, protesters, and mere bystanders to civil unrest.
  • Personal injuries caused by environmental disasters such as wildfires. These natural disasters can affect both firefighters working to suppress the fires, as well as homeowners dealing with structural damages to their homes.
  • Auto accidents that occur on neglected or poorly constructed roads, and may have little to do with driver negligence.
  • Traumatic brain injuries, the most common cause of which include being struck in the head (such as on a car dashboard), and sudden deceleration and accidents involving motor vehicles. Injuries may not be immediately apparent, which makes it even more critical to pursue medical expertise, and collect related bills.

No matter what the injury, if possible, take pictures of the scene where the injuries or damages occurred to begin documenting evidence, which will help your attorney evaluate the strength of your claim.

What Is a Personal Injury Claim?

Personal injury, or tort, law is a legal principle that governs claims of negligence or recklessness that result in injury or death. Personal injury lawsuits can happen in a number of settings and situations, but the following are some of the most common personal injury accidents:

What should I do if I’m offered a settlement by an insurance company?

In some situations, an injured party may be offered a settlement by an insurance company (whether their own insurance company or the insurance company of the negligent party).

Before negotiating or settling a claim with an insurance company, it is critical to get the expertise of an attorney with your interests in mind. The value of your case depends on a variety of factors, including which parties are at fault, the severity of the injuries and damages sustained, medical bills (immediate and future), loss of work or financial security, and emotional strain and trauma.

It is important to carefully consider whether to accept the insurance settlement or to pursue a personal injury lawsuit. Insurance companies often seek to settle personal injury claims as quickly as possible and for as little money as possible, so an insurance settlement offer may not offer adequate compensation for the injuries and other damages.

Pursuing a claim for your injuries is not something you have to do alone. A personal injury attorney can help you understand your legal rights and options, negotiate on your behalf with the insurance companies, and fight to get you maximum money damages in a court of law, if necessary.

What Can I Recover in a Personal Injury Claim?

Personal injury victims are entitled to recover money damages for all losses and costs they incur as a result of the accident or harm that caused by the defendant’s negligent or reckless conduct. Personal injury damages may include money for the following:

  • Medical bills (past and future)
  • Lost wages (past and future)
  • Pain and suffering
  • Physical disability
  • Rehabilitation costs
  • Emotional trauma
  • Disfigurement
  • Property damages

If you or a loved one was injured in a personal injury accident involving negligence or recklessness, do not delay. You may be able to recover financial compensation, but there are time limitations on when you can file a personal injury claim. Contact Reno personal injury attorney Matthew Sharp to learn more about a possible personal injury lawsuit.