A truck accident can leave a victim with serious injuries. Broken bones, torn ligaments, and extensive cuts and bruises are common, but so, too, are more serious injuries such as those pertaining to the brain and spinal cord. While the physical recovery from these injuries is nothing short of overwhelming, the financial damages can be insurmountable. That is, unless a victim is able to successfully pursue a personal injury lawsuit against a negligent trucker who caused the accident that left him or her harmed.

Yet, even successful claims against a trucker in his individual capacity may be insufficient for a victim who is looking to recover compensation for the full extent of his or her damages. Fortunately, these individuals may be able to reach the deeper pockets of negligent truckers’ employers through a vicarious liability clam.

Under this legal theory, an employer can be held liable for the actions of its employees if certain elements are met. Amongst those elements are that the employee was on the clock at the time of the incident in question, the accident occurred while the employee was performing his or her job duties, and the employer benefited from the duties the employee was performing at the time of the accident. It may sound relatively easy to prove these points, but the truth of the matter is that truck companies often claim that negligent truckers were acting outside the scope of their employment when these accidents occur. This is why it is often best to prepare these claims with the help of a qualified legal professional.

In the end, truck accident victims deserve the compensation they need to properly treat their injuries, recoup their lost wages, and ease their pain and suffering. While these matters can sometimes be negotiated, other times they require litigation. Strong legal advocates who are experienced in this area of the law will know how to negotiate with truckers and their employers to reach fair and favorable resolutions, but they will also know when a case is ripe for trial. When the latter is the case, a competent attorney can aggressively present the legal arguments needed to increase a truck accident victim’s chances of success on all claims, including those involving vicarious liability.

Injury damages are available to help injured car accident victims get back on their feet after they have been harmed in a car accident. Car accident damages can help victims recover compensation for their physical, financial and emotional damages suffered because of the negligent actions of a driver.

The different types of car accident damages that may be available to injured victims can help them with their damages suffered and as they work to move forward following an unexpected car accident. Victims may find it stressful to be unable to work because of their injuries suffered in the car accident while their medical bills begin to accumulate. A personal injury claim for damages can help them with the damages related to their medical care and treatment including compensation for medical expenses and future medical care treatment that is needed.

In addition, victims of car accidents may also be able to recover compensation for the time they spend away from work, and while they are unable to work, because of the impact of their injuries. Car accident victims may also be able to recover damages for disfigurement and permanent disability, if they have suffered those types of damages. For victims, loss of enjoyment of life, mental anguish and pain and suffering damages may also be available for the emotional toll a car accident can take on victims.

Car accidents can have an extensive and traumatic impact on victims who may be blindsided by a car accident and its impact on them. As a result, car accident victims should be familiar with the legal remedies and protections available to them when they have been harmed by a negligent driver in a car accident.

A 19-year-old driver is in the Washoe County Jail after causing an early morning crash on I-80 in Sparks, Nevada. Driving a 1966 Chevrolet pickup, the male driver entered I-80 westbound travelling in the wrong direction around 2:00 a.m. on Friday, September 13. He was driving directly into oncoming traffic in the fast lane.

Close to Rock Boulevard, the driver struck a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper, and then kept on going. He then struck a commercial truck near the Pyramid Way off-ramp, yet still continued travelling in the wrong direction. He came to an eventual stop in the median to the east of Pyramid. The trooper was taken to the hospital for minor injuries. The driver of the big rig was unharmed.

The suspect has been charged with minor in consumption, which carries a jail sentence of up to six months and a fine of up to $1,000. Other charges include driving under the influence causing substantial bodily harm, duty to stop at the scene of a crash involving injury, driving on right half of road required and reckless driving. All combined, the intoxicated driver could be facing months, if not years, of jail time, as well as significant fines.

A person who has been injured in a car accident involving an intoxicated driver may need to get more information about personal injury legal options. Especially when expensive medical bills are involved, an injured party should be compensated for financial losses. Other damages to be awarded might include emotional and punitive damages.

Some of the worst accidents seen on our roadways today are caused by commercial trucks, commonly known as 18-wheelers. Due to the sheer size of these vehicles, truck accidents often result in severe injuries or death for occupants of smaller vehicles involved. It is important to understand some of the most common causes of these tragic accidents.

Truck driver fatigue is number one on the list. While measures have now been put into place that require drivers to take a mandatory break, there are still those who do not get enough quality sleep to ensure proper focus and coordination. This leads to drivers falling asleep at the wheel. Second, alcohol and drug use is sometimes found to be a factor in truck accidents. However, this does not always mean the substance was illegal. Oftentimes, prescription drugs have unexpected effects on drivers and may impair judgment or reaction times. Third, poor maintenance or driver training can become a factor.

Speed is a significant factor as well. Truck drivers are often under major time constraints to reach a destination. Occasionally, trip time is delayed due to factors such as bad weather or traffic. Once free of those hold-ups, drivers may increase speed to make up for lost time. Finally, the fifth common cause of not only truck accidents, but all accidents in general, is distracted driving. Whether texting, eating or adjusting a radio station, distractions can set off a life-altering chain of events in a split second. One of the most important matters at hand after being involved in any type of commercial truck accident is to make sure evidence is quickly preserved.

Drunk driving remains a serious hazard on Nevada roads, but it can be helpful to reflect on how the problem has changed over the years.

Forty years ago, drunk driving was behind 60% of all fatal traffic accidents in the nation. According to the National Institute of Health, motor vehicle accidents were the leading cause of alcohol-related death. More than 66% of fatal motor vehicle accidents involving drivers under age 21 involved alcohol.

Today, the number of drunk driving-related fatalities has been reduced by 50%, with younger drivers in particular being safer. Alcohol is a factor in about 37% percent of traffic fatalities involving drivers under age 21. Comparing statistics from before 1982 with statistics after, NIH researchers determined about 150,000 lives were saved between 1982 and 2001.

So, what changed?

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, activists, lawmakers and law enforcement agencies adopted a multi-pronged approach to cracking down on drunk driving accidents. Lawmakers raised the legal drinking age in all 50 states, began instituting legal limits for blood alcohol concentration and increased penalties for people convicted of drunk driving offenses. Meanwhile, activist groups and government agencies launched widespread campaigns to educate the public about the dangers of drunk driving.

In their own way, personal injury lawsuits can play a part in discouraging drunk driving. When an injured person holds a drunk driver accountable for their negligence, it can show the world that there are consequences for endangering others through careless driving.

Perhaps even more important, a personal injury lawsuit can help the injured or their families cope with the long aftermath of an accident. It can compensate the victim for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and many other types of damages. A skilled attorney can help the injured and their families to understand their options.

Scientists believe spinal cord injuries can cause paralysis when they sever a connection between the brain and the rest of the body. These severed connections don’t heal the same way other parts of the body heal, and so doctors generally believe these injuries are permanent.

In recent years, researchers have begun wondering if that is always the case. Some paralyzed patients have been able to move their extremities or even walk, with support, after therapy with electrical stimulation.

In some cases, researchers have helped even long-paralyzed patients to regain some control over their extremities, or to see improvements in bowel, bladder and sexual function.

These electrical stimulation treatments are still in experimental stages, and may not work for every patient. There are extremely long waiting lists to get on some of the trials. People who have been paralyzed for a long time have, no doubt, been disappointed many times after reading about promising new treatments that don’t pan out. Still, any news of a breakthrough is welcome.

Ultimately, medical treatment of spinal cord injuries is still in its infancy. People suffering from these injuries face enormous medical and rehabilitative costs, and are often unable to work for a living. Many need long-term or even around-the-clock care.

When spinal cord injuries are the result of a car accident or another accident caused by the negligence of another party, the injured may recover compensation for their damages through a personal injury lawsuit. Because the damages are likely to be very high in these cases, the disputes can be legally, technically and emotionally difficult. It is extremely important that the injured and their families seek out help from an experienced personal injury attorney.

For decades, lawmakers, safety advocates and others have tried to decrease drunk driving. Some of their efforts have been focused on education, others on enforcement and stiffer penalties for offenders. And many of these efforts have paid off. However, statistics show drunk drivers remain a serious risk in Nevada.

According to the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, drunk driving-related fatalities have dropped 48% since 1982. More recently however, researchers have noted an apparent increase.

In 2012, the National Highway Traffic Safety Association studied the issue of drunk driving in Nevada, and found that while the Silver State’s rates of drunk driving-related fatalities were below the national average, they were still quite high at 2.8 per 100,000 population. (The national average was 3.3 per 100,000.) More troubling still: In follow-up studies, the NHTSA found an increase in drunk driving-related fatalities in Nevada almost every year since 2012.

All drivers owe a duty to others on the road to drive carefully, so as to avoid the risk of accidents. When drivers breach that duty, whether by driving drunk or some other careless activity, they are said to act negligently. When they injure someone else in an accident caused by their negligence, the injured may recover compensation for their damages through a personal injury lawsuit. In cases involving a fatal accident, the family of the victim may recover compensation for their damages through a wrongful death lawsuit.

A serious injury can turn a whole family’s life upside-down, and the damages individuals and their families can suffer after a car accident can be enormous. An experienced personal injury attorney can help the injured and their families to understand their legal options for recovering compensation.

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