Las Vegas, NV (October 9th, 2024) – Two people died in a fiery collision caused by a speeding driver in southwest Las Vegas.
A two-vehicle car accident occurred around the intersection of Torrey Pines Drive and W. Robindale Road, resulting in the death of both drivers. The driver of a Dodge Challenge reportedly ran a stop sign. Also speeding at the time, the Dodge hit another vehicle that was going through the intersection. The drivers of both vehicles, which caught fire after the wreck, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Understanding Speeding Accidents
Speeding, or driving faster than the posted speed limit or at unsafe speeds given the conditions, increases the likelihood and severity of accidents. When traveling at excessive speeds, drivers have less time to react to hazards, which may lead to collisions that can result in severe injuries or death.
Common causes of speeding in Las Vegas include:
Aggressive Driving
Aggressive driving may include behaviors such as tailgating, weaving in and out of traffic, or racing. As such, drivers engaging in these behaviors may be more likely to drive in excess of the speed limit, putting themselves and others at risks for collisions that may result in serious injuries or death.
Distracted Driving
Using a cell phone, eating, changing the radio, or engaging in other distractions while driving can impair motorists’ ability to pay attention to the road and maintain safe speeds. Consequently, distracted driving commonly contributes to serious speeding accidents.
Impaired Driving
The effects of drugs and alcohol can cause impairments for drivers. Decreased judgment, reduced motor control, and other such effects may increase the risk of speeding, which may lead to serious or fatal car accidents.
Types of Speeding Accidents
In 2022, speeding contributed to 29% of all traffic-related deaths. Speeding accidents can take many forms. Some of the most common types include:
Head-On Collisions: Often among the most devastating types of accidents, these typically occur when a vehicle crosses over the center line and collides with oncoming traffic.
Rear-End Accidents: These occur when cars strike the rears of vehicles in front of them, and are often the result of excessive speed or following too close.
Rollover Accidents: Rollovers can be particularly dangerous because of the risk of ejection and severe or catastrophic injuries. They often occur when vehicles lose control at high speeds.
Side-Impact Collisions: Side impact crashes occur when one vehicle strikes another on the side. Such accidents commonly result in serious injuries or death for the occupants of the struck vehicles.
Common Speeding Accident Injuries
Speeding accidents can result in a wide range of injuries, from minor cuts and bruises to life-altering or -threatening conditions. Some common injuries sustained in speeding accidents include:
- Broken bones
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Internal injuries
High speeds can increase the force of motor vehicle accidents, which may result in fatal injuries. Ejection, crush injuries, and internal bleeding, among other types of trauma, can cause death for those involved in speeding accidents.
Recovering Compensation for Speeding Accidents in Las Vegas
Victims of speeding accidents, or the family members of those killed in such wrecks, may be entitled to compensation. Through a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit, plaintiffs may seek to recover for their economic and non-economic losses.
Economic losses may include their current and future medical expenses, such as the costs associated with emergency care, hospitalization, surgeries, follow-up care and doctor visits, and medications. Lost wages, due to time missed from work while recovering, and lost earning capacity, if unable to return to their former job or duty status, are also economic losses for which speeding accident victims may seek to recover compensatory damages. The families of those killed in collisions involving speed can also recover damages for funerary costs.
In addition to economic losses, those injured in speeding accidents can seek compensation for their non-economic losses. These less-easily quantified losses may include pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. Through wrongful death claims, families of people killed in speed-involved crashes may recover compensation for loss of consortium and loss of companionship.
Filing a Wrongful Death Lawsuit
When someone is killed due to the negligent actions or inaction of others, the family members of the decedent may bring legal action in the form of a wrongful dearth claim. As such, in the case of speeding accidents, for example, the negligent driver may be held liable for the loss of life and the resulting damages suffered by the victim’s family.
To successfully recover damages in a wrongful death claim, plaintiffs must prove the defendants’ negligence was the direct cause of death. To this end, they must demonstrate the defendant owed a duty of care to the victim, breached this duty through their reckless driving, and that this breach directly led to the fatal accident.
Who Can File a Lawsuit?
In the event of fatal speeding accidents in Las Vegas, certain individuals may be eligible to file wrongful death lawsuits against the negligent drivers. Those who may initiate such legal actions include surviving spouses, minor-aged children, parents, siblings, or grandparents.
What Is the Legal Process?
The legal process for filing a wrongful death lawsuit in Las Vegas involves several key steps, from the investigation through the trial.
Beginning with an investigation, your personal injury lawyer will gather evidence, including police reports, witness statements, and medical records to build a strong case. Your legal representative will then file a complaint with the court, outlining the details of the accident and the defendant’s negligence.
The discovery phase begins after the filing of the compliant, and allows both sides the opportunity to exchange information and evidence. Before going to trial, the parties may negotiate and attempt to reach a settlement outside of court. If they are unsuccessful, however, the case will proceed to trial. At trial, a judge or jury will determine the defendant’s liability and the amount of damages to be awarded.
Having more than 30 years of experience, and handling more than 50 trials, our attorney, George Bochanis, understands the unique challenges families face after the sudden and unexpected loss of a loved one. If your family member was killed in a speeding accident, call George Bochanis Injury Law Office today to discuss your options. 702-388-2005.