Category: Personal Injury

Foot traffic in Las Vegas has exceeded capacity at 17 of the city’s busiest intersections, according to data collected by the city in 2012. During that year, there were 46 pedestrian fatalities in Las Vegas, which was nearly double the fatalities in 2011. The number rose to 60 in 2013, and in the first four months of 2014, there were already 20 fatalities. Broken bones in the legs, blunt trauma and lacerations are the most common type of injuries. The alarming rise in fatalities has prompted County Commissioners to begin developing strategies to increase safety measures and create an awareness plan to prevent crashes that harm pedestrians.

In Nevada hospitals, any patient may be seen by a resident physician. A medical malpractice attorney in Nevada knows that these young doctors regularly work long shifts, handle several patients at once and are exposed to a multitude of illnesses. Therefore, it is not surprising that these medical professionals will fall ill themselves. A recent investigation by News 4, however, brings a worrying factor to light. The station has received information that alleges a sick leave policy in hospitals in Reno encourages residents to report to work, even when they feel that sleep deprivation or illness makes it unsafe.

In a recent news story published by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, local law enforcement reported a hit-and-run accident involving a tractor trailer. A 50-year-old man was sleeping under the truck when the driver started the truck and drove over him, resulting in his death. Officials were uncertain at first if the trucker might have been able to run over the man without knowing, but shortly afterward the fatality was attributed to driver negligence. The reason for the determination was unknown.

Metal-on-metal hip implants are supposed to provide younger patients with a lasting, durable hip replacement. However, poorly designed implants can cause devastating complications, as any personal injury lawyer Las Vegas knows. Recently, Johnson & Johnson announced a new agreement to settle thousands of cases involving these defective implants, which could affect many people here in Nevada.

In Nevada and around the country, the number of bicyclist traffic deaths is going up. Nevada Public Radio reported that between January and June 2015, seven people died while riding a bike in Clark County. That is an increase of four from 2012. Unfortunately, the rise in incidents is a national trend. According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Association, there was a 19 percent increase in fatal accidents involving bicyclists between 2010 and 2013. Several organizations in the county are working to improve the statistics by increasing safety awareness for both motorists and bicyclists. The data indicate that progress may be an uphill climb.

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a head injury that interrupts normal brain function, and the symptoms can range from mild to severe. A brief change in consciousness such as a concussion is considered mild. However, the subtle complications from this type of injury are often not diagnosed, leading to health problems that prevent a full recovery.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, American workers suffered 177,580 back injuries on the job in 2011. These accidents can cause years of pain, inconvenience, lost pay and high medical bills. Not all back injuries are immediately disabling. In many cases, employees will return to work shortly after an injury, only to face severe effects later. Nevada workers’ compensation law allows injured workers only a few months to claim disability after the initial date of injury. To avoid long-term problems and protect their own financial well-being, employees should take immediate action after suffering a back injury in the workplace.

Brain injuries are prominent in the United States and contribute to approximately 30 percent of all deaths involving injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet brain injuries can be complicated for medical professionals to understand, diagnose and treat. These injuries occur when the soft tissue of the brain becomes damaged from a sudden impact like in an automobile or slip-and-fall accident. Brain injuries do not always present immediate symptoms and in some cases, the injury can go unnoticed for months. Some Las Vegas personal injury attorney cases involve situations where car accident victims are not aware of their brain injuries until many days after the actual incident takes place. Researchers continue to investigate the dynamics of traumatic brain injury in the hopes of finding new treatment options.