For a city that never sleeps, Las Vegas unsurprisingly has its share of accidents. Whether driving or walking, your chances of being involved in a collision are unfortunately high. Victims can suffer life-changing injuries or, in the worst crashes, die. Helpfully, injured victims might qualify for compensation for their injuries, but they should meet with a personal injury lawyer in Las Vegas as soon as possible.
With about 4,000 arrests for DUI in a year, drunk driving is a huge problem in Las Vegas. Travel down the street during the day or night, and you might see one of the many wrecks in the road due to alcohol. The news reports are full of DUI accidents, including the recent six-vehicle pileup just south of the Las Vegas Strip or the rollover crash that killed one person because a teen got behind the wheel of a vehicle while impaired.
Driving while intoxicated is so dangerous because alcohol impairs critical thinking and slows reflexes. Drivers can easily lose control of their vehicles, drifting into oncoming traffic and being too slow to hit the brakes to avoid a collision. Unfortunately, it is impossible to avoid drunk drivers, so other motorists must always be on high alert.
To better illustrate how common it is, take a look at the screenshot to the right. A Google News search for “Las Vegas DUI Accident” brings up way too many, too recent, related results. This search (as well as the following searches) was done on June 6th. Notice the highlighted dates.
Pedestrians are in grave danger of suffering death or a serious bodily injury in a collision. Unlike motorists, pedestrians are completely unprotected and exposed to the full force of any vehicle that runs into them. Pedestrians can suffer catastrophic injuries like traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, paralysis, and internal organ damage.
Pedestrian accidents can happen anywhere—in crosswalks, in parking lots, and even walking on the sidewalk. Some drivers think they do not need to give pedestrians the right of way, even when they are halfway across the street!
Is it any wonder that each year several dozen pedestrians end up dead—and the problem does not seem to be improving. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, 2017 was the deadliest year yet for pedestrians in Clark County, with 78 deaths. These deaths could have been prevented had drivers understood how dangerous their vehicles were and obeyed traffic rules.
Any article on Las Vegas accidents would be remiss not to mention motorcycle collisions, which chalk up quite a death toll as well. Like pedestrians, motorcyclists can suffer life-altering injuries because they are so exposed to the full traumatic impact of a collision. After a crash, drivers can be flung off their bikes and skid along the road. Most drivers are not looking for motorcycles, so they frequently drive right into them or pull directly in front of a bike. About a quarter of traffic fatalities in Las Vegas are motorcyclists.
As an example of how dangerous it is for motorcyclists on the road, consider the case of the 52-year-old biker who was killed when an intoxicated driver ran a red light at the intersection of Flamingo Road. The collision generated such force that the biker was knocked off his bike and thrown into a taxi cab nearby. He died from the blunt force trauma at University Medical Center.
Here’s two more examples of how many recent news results there are for these accidents. This search was again done on June 6th. Take notice of highlighted dates to get an idea of just how often these types of accidents are happening.
Any blunt force trauma can cause contusions, broken bones, organ damage, and even death. But we see some recurring injuries that are particularly common in motorcycle accidents, such as:
Recovery time can be brutal. A blown-out knee might require surgery and months of rehabilitation, while road rash can take several months and many surgeries before wounds heal. Severe TBIs might take years before a patient fully recovers, and in some situations they never return to their old lives but instead need continuing medical care. The same is true for those who suffer permanent nerve damage in their arms or upper bodies.
Interested motorists can visit the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department website for the most recent traffic incidents. Information is updated every 15 minutes so that you can always stay on top of the nearest fender bender. If necessary, you can reroute your trip to avoid any delays caused by a devastating pileup or wreck. Again, a simple Google News search will bring up all to many recent related to vehicle accidents which are occurring almost daily. Hopefully this brings some gravity to how serious & just how often accidents are happening in Vegas.
Motor vehicle accidents leave their victims in considerable pain and worried about their future. As you try to recuperate, you might be unable to work as medical bills steadily accumulate in your mailbox. To receive compensation, you must build a case to show that another driver was at fault for the collision.
To find out what help is available, contact the Ladah Law Firm in Las Vegas for your free consultation today. We can help you identify whether you have a valid legal claim and how you should pursue it, whether by bringing a lawsuit or making a claim with an at-fault driver’s insurance company. Schedule your no-obligation consultation today by calling 702-252-0055 or sending a message online. Please do not delay.