This blog post is now outdated. Metro is again responding to traffic accidents, as reported here.
You may have heard in the news recently that the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is no longer responding to car accidents.
As a result, you may wonder what you should do if you are involved in an accident and don’t have Metro to turn to for assistance in documenting the personal injury accident and assessing fault.
To begin, Metro has not stopped responding to all car accidents. Metro will still respond to calls if there is an injured party, if the other driver refuses to exchange insurance information, or if your vehicle is inoperable following the accident. Metro’s new policy simply states that it will no longer respond to minor accidents. Also, other agencies that may have jurisdiction over your accident will still respond, including Henderson P.D., North Las Vegas P.D., and Nevada Highway Patrol.
So what do you do if you are involved in a car accident that does not include one of the categories listed above? To begin with, you need to make absolutely certain that you are not injured. Often following an accident, you may be so anxious from the events that you do not even realize that you have sustained an injury. Take a moment to collect yourself and make sure that you don’t have any injuries that would require immediate medical attention. Don’t take any chances. If you think you might be injured, get checked out.
It will be up to you to accurately document the scene of the car accident, so take as many photographs of the scene as possible. If you can do so safely, do not move your vehicle before taking photographs. Photograph any damage to your vehicle and any skid marks left by the tires. If you have concerns about what information to gather at the scene, contact an attorney immediately. If you leave the scene of the accident without properly documenting the accident, you run the risk of the at-fault driver’s insurance company denying your claim.
H & P can help you maximize the value of your personal injury case. Call now at 702-879-9555.
