Category: Motor Vehicle Accidents

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has suspended hours of service regulations for drivers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, this means that a significant number of commercial motor vehicle drivers are operating beyond established safety standards.

With few exceptions, Nevada drivers must give the right-of-way to pedestrians. Should they fail to yield to pedestrians, motorists may hit them with their vehicles, which may result in serious injuries or death. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that pedestrian accidents caused an average of one death every 88 minutes in 2017.

Each year, a high number of backover accidents occur across the U.S., often resulting in serious injuries or death. Backover collisions occur when drivers reverse into nonoccupants, such as children playing, pedestrians, or bicyclists. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, backing crashes cause an average of 13,000 injuries and 232 deaths annually.

Most car accident cases reach settlements without going to court. Doing so can help injured victims avoid the unpredictability of a jury trial, receive compensation more quickly, save money on litigation costs, and achieve closure. While settling a personal injury claim out of court can be the quickest option, however, going to trial may be necessary in some cases.

The implementation of roadside blood draw programs may help cut down on drugged driving accidents. As more states legalize marijuana and the opioid epidemic continues, crashes involving drug-impaired drivers are an increasing problem that puts everyone on the road at risk for serious injuries or death. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, of the drivers killed in auto collisions in 2016 who were tested, 43.6% had drugs in their systems.

A number of activities distract Nevada motorists’ attention from driving. People spend a lot of time in their cars, and it may seem like an opportune time to get some things done, like returning a friend’s call, listening to some new music, eating lunch, or checking an email. However, doing these seemingly little things while behind the wheel may significantly impair the ability of drivers to control and safely operate their vehicles. Consequently, this distracted driving behavior increases the risk of collisions, which may result in injuries or death. Thousands of people are killed and nearly one-half million are injured annually in distracted driving crashes.

Space cushion driving may help prevent serious or fatal accidents. As Nevada roads become more congested, drivers are leaving less room between their vehicles and those around them. Following too closely reduces drivers’ opportunities to react to situations on the road and may increase tension between drivers.

When motor vehicles suffer mechanical failures on the road, serious auto accidents often result. Most crashes in Nevada are caused by human error. However, sometimes vehicle parts or systems fail, impairing drivers’ ability to operate their vehicles and potentially resulting in motor vehicle collisions.

Drivers who consume opioid medications and get behind the wheel put themselves, other motorists, and pedestrians at serious risk of injury or death. A significant number of people are consuming opioid medications and then driving motor vehicles. In doing so, they are willfully breaking the law and causing death and destruction along their route.