Category: Las Vegas Pedestrian Accidents

Car Crash Deaths Increased Despite Pandemic

Posted by drpadmin on August 26, 2021

Despite the Covid Pandemic and the ensuing business shutdowns, the number of car crash deaths in Nevada rose by 3.3 percent in 2020 from the previous year. According to the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety, there were 314 traffic-related fatalities on Nevada roads in 2020, 10 more from the previous year.

The increases in car crash deaths continued in the first half of 2021. In May 2021 alone, the total number of crashes and deaths were higher compared to May 2020. In that period, Clark County saw 86 deaths, a 31% increase in traffic fatalities. These Nevada traffic fatalities include deaths of automobile drivers and their passengers, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

The increase in traffic deaths from 2019 to 2020 came despite a 39 percent and 44 percent decrease in fatalities in March and May 2020. However, the summer months of 2020 saw an uptick in traffic deaths. Compared to the same time in 2019, June 2020 saw a 47 percent increase in traffic deaths.

In 2020, Emptier Roads Turned into Racetracks, Impaired and Distracted Driving was Reported as More Widespread, Protections Like Seat Belt Use Appear to Have Dipped, and the Traffic Fatality Rate Spike.

–Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

According to a report by the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (AHAS), the increase in car crash deaths is part of a nationwide problematic trend. According to the report, even as overall traffic reduced, “the fatality rate increased dramatically and it was reported that dangerous behaviors such as excessive speed, lack of seat belt use and impaired and distracted driving were on the rise.”

Every day on average, approximately 100 people are killed & over 7,500 more are injured on America’s roads.

–Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

The increased traffic fatalities are not limited to cars and SUVs on the roads. The AHAS report cited statistics showing a 48% increase in large truck crashes from 2009 to 2019.

Another factor cited in contributing to some of these deaths is the failure to use seatbelts. In Nevada from 2019 to 2020, the number of unrestrained driver and passenger fatalities increased by 20 percent.

The AHAS criticized Nevada’s seatbelt enforcement as not being enough. In Nevada, drivers can’t be stopped for merely not wearing a seatbelt. Instead, drivers can only be cited for non-seatbelt use in conjunction with another citation.

To mitigate the increase in car crash deaths, the AHAS have championed for better laws and adoption of advanced life-saving technology. The AHAS called for making available affordable Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, also known as ADAS, more available and more affordable. Examples of ADAS include automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and blind spot detection systems. This group is calling for federal and state lawmakers to adopt minimum safety standards for ADAS.

Its platform includes lobbying lawmakers to update current performance standards for vehicles. For example, citing the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the group criticized the performance of headlights in most vehicles.

The AHAS also called for changes not just in consumer vehicles but also for large trucks. It reported that U.S. Department of Transportation have ignored many lifesaving truck safety advances, “including effective underride guards, adequate entry-level driver training, and screening for obstructive sleep apnea.”

Car Crash Deaths and Wrongful Death Claims

If someone you love lost their life in a traffic accident, you may have a wrongful death claim. Such a claim is a type of claim made for the death caused by the negligence or other wrongful conduct of another. The death of anyone can have devastating emotional, psychological, and financial consequences to those left behind. Unexpectedly losing someone in a car crash leave people unprepared for those consequences.

Nevada law allows a deceased person’s immediately family or the person’s heirs to seek compensation for the loss of that person’s companionship and love, the family’s grief, and lost financial support. Imagine a child’s loss, growing up with a father or a mother.

The estate of the decedent can also make a claim for the decedent’s medical bills, as well as for the pain and suffering the person suffered before dying.

If you have suffered a loss of a loved one in a tragic accident, call the personal injury lawyers of D.R. Patti & Associates and see if you have a wrongful death claim. At our firm, you will speak with an experienced and skilled car accident attorney. We will investigate your claim and gather the evidence necessary to prove your case. Most importantly, we will be there for you every step of the way through this tough time.

Documenting Your Injuries, Pain, and Suffering When You Can’t See Your Health Care Provider

Posted by drpadmin on July 15, 2020

With many of us practicing social distancing to help flatten the curve, we have come to learn that many people have been unable to continue their treatment for their accident-related injuries. Many people with accident-related injuries have regularly scheduled doctor, chiropractic, physical therapy appointments. If they miss some appointments, their healthcare providers would normally give them instructions on exercises they can do at home that may help relieve some of their sometimes. Unable to obtain medical treatment, accident victims may be concerned whether their injuries would linger longer or worsen.

Missing health care appointments, however, cause another concern for their personal injury cases. Auto insurance companies tend to argue that a person who is truly hurt, that person seeks medical treatment and that a person who does not seek medical treatment is a person who is not truly hurt. The foregoing is a faulty syllogism, as there are many reasons why an injured person may not seek medical treatment or may have gaps in their treatment. Nevertheless, accident victims must be prepared to respond to such arguments.

One way to counter such arguments and demonstrate injury is to maintain a pain journal. Some physicians will instruct a patient to maintain a written log (journal) of pain-related information and to bring this with them to their office visits. The physician reads the patient’s journal to identify trends in the pain and responses to treatment. The following types of information should be recorded on a daily basis:

Your symptoms that day
Time when your pain started or got worse.
What you were doing at the time the pain started or got worse.
The intensity of your pain from 0 to 10, 0 being no pain to 10 being the worst pain you’ve ever felt
How long did the pain last
What you were doing at the time the pain stopped or got better.
Did you take any medication (over the counter or prescription) and what was the dosage
Time you took the medication
Whether the medication worked and how long did it take to work
Any other thing you did to reduce the pain, such as ice/heating pad, TENS, bed rest, wearing a brace, etc.
If you had to skip out on any activities, whether work or social engagements, because of the pain or other symptoms

To learn more about what you can do to document or prove your injuries from a car accident, call the experienced Las Vegas car accident attorneys at D.R. Patti & Associates for a free consultation.

London Car Attack Raises Concern For Pedestrian Safety in Las Vegas Valley

Posted by drpadmin on August 15, 2018

Two days ago, a man rammed his car into a crowd and injured three pedestrians in London. With this recent terror attack, Las Vegans have wondered whether the Las Vegas is safe for pedestrians. Action News 13 recently discussed the safety of Las Vegas pedestrians. In the recent article, Action News 13 reported that barriers have been erected on the Las Vegas Strip to protect pedestrians.[i]Those barriers, however, have been there for a while and did not prevent the pedestrian deaths at intersections. Terrorist attacks are not the main cause for concern for pedestrian deaths in the Las Vegas Valley. Pedestrian accidents are seen too many times in Las Vegas. Early this month, 54-year old Louis Gagliano was struck and killed by a driver who abruptly changed directions on Sahara Avenue, near Rainbow Boulevard.[ii]

Record-breaking Pedestrian Fatalities

The Review Journal reported early this year that a study by the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety showed that Clark County had set a record-breaking number of pedestrian fatalities in 2017.[iii] Per the report, 78 people were killed by vehicles on public roads, breaking the previous unenviable record of 60 pedestrian deaths in 2015. One of the factors cited by this report is distracted pedestrians, specifically pedestrians who were looking at their cellphones while crossing an intersection. Mr. Gagliano, the man killed early this month, was the 80^thtraffic-related death in Las Vegas this year, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal.

The other factors cited in the report are all too familiar in Las Vegas car accident injuries – drunk drivers or other impaired drivers, speeding, and failing to pay attention. Drivers, however, are not the only ones to blame. As mentioned above, cellphones have been cited as causing pedestrians to be distracted as they cross the street. Impaired pedestrians – or drunk walkers – were also mentioned in the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety study.

As a result of the increasing number of pedestrian fatalities and injuries, the Nevada Department of Transportation (DOT) are slated to spend millions to provide better protections for pedestrians. One example is a $3 million project along Boulder Highway that involves installing flashing beacons, as well as wider medians and crosswalks. According to the study, there were about 10 pedestrian deaths involving motor vehicles on Boulder Highway last year. The Nevada DOT is also undertaking a $2.4 million study of additional safety improvements along a 16-mile highway between Las Vegas and Henderson.

Get Help Now If A Car Has Injured You

If a motor vehicle has injured you or a loved one, the experienced Las Vegas personal injury attorneys at D.R. Patti & Associates can help. Speak to an attorney now and call 702-331-3391. Our experienced Las Vegas personal injury attorneys have obtained millions of dollars for victims, including injured pedestrians.