This blog often discusses the special dangers faced by motorcyclists. Most of the same dangers are faced by moped riders.

Under Nevada law, “moped” refers to any motor-driven scooter, cycle or similar vehicle. The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles has a number of requirements, but for most purposes the most important elements that make a vehicle a moped and not a motorcycle are that its engine has no more than 50 cubic centimeters, and its maximum speed is no more than 30 mph.

Mopeds are convenient in many ways for driving short distances, and they can be a lot of fun to operate on a nice day. They’re also generally more affordable to buy and maintain than cars or motorcycles. A moped driver must hold a driver’s license, but does not need the special Class M license required for motorcycle riders.

Under a new law coming into effect October 1 this year, moped drivers must wear a helmet.

While they can’t travel at the same speeds, moped drivers are just as vulnerable as motorcyclists when it comes to collisions with other vehicles. Car and truck drivers often fail to see moped or motorcycle riders and violate their right of way. And, since mopeds, motorcycles and similar vehicles don’t have all the safety features of passenger cars, riders face the potential of serious injury or death in almost any collision with a larger, heavier vehicle.

When moped riders are injured in an accident caused by another driver’s negligence, they may recover compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. The injured and their families can talk to an experienced personal injury attorney to learn more about their options.

In most personal injury lawsuits involving car accidents, the defendant is a driver who owned the car he or she was driving at the time of the accident. If the driver acted negligently, caused an accident and caused injury to another person, the negligent driver can be held liable for the damages suffered by the injured person.

In some motor vehicle accident cases, the issue of liability is more complicated. The negligent driver may be held liable, but another party may be held liable as well. This is sometimes known as vicarious liability.

The concept comes up in many commercial vehicle accident cases, where the driver, the driver’s employer and perhaps other parties may be held liable. The legal principle here is known as respondeat superior , which means “let the master answer.” It’s a very old principle under which employers can be held liable for accidents caused by their employees.

It also comes up in other cases where someone other than the registered owner was behind the wheel at the time of the accident. The specific wording of the parties’ insurance policies will govern many aspects of these cases, but there are other legal issues as well. For instance, courts can follow the Family Car Doctrine to hold parents liable if a minor driving their car causes an accident, even if the minor is not listed on their insurance policy.

From the standpoint of the plaintiff, these legal concepts are important because they expand the options for recovering much-needed compensation. For example, imagine a case where a delivery driver negligently causes an accident in which a bicyclist is badly injured. The bicyclist can hold the driver liable, but this particular driver has insufficient insurance and very little money to pay for the bicyclist’s damages. In such a case, it is very important for the bicyclist to be able to pursue a claim against the delivery driver’s employer, who has the resources to compensate the bicyclist.

There are many issues involved in even relatively simple car accident cases. The injured and their families can talk to an experienced attorney about their legal options for pursuing compensation.

Spinal cord injuries have the potential to be catastrophic. Not only can they result in permanent life-long damage to a person’s health, but the costs associated with a spinal cord injury can be staggering.

For example, the Dana and Christopher Reeve Foundation reports that a person in the United States with high tetraplegia may pay as much as $1 million in medical expenses and care within the first year of being injured. Those with low tetraplegia may pay nearly $770,000 in medical expenses the first year of their injury. Those with paraplegia can expect to pay approximately $518,000 in medical expenses the first year of their injury, and those who suffer an injury that produces incomplete motor function can expect to pay $347,000 in medical expenses during the first year of their injury.

However, expenses related to medical care are not the only expenses those with spinal cord injuries may face. A person with a spinal cord injury may need to travel to obtain medical care, or their loved ones must travel to care for them. These travel expenses could cost the victim or their family thousands of dollars. Small expenses associated with a hospital stay, such as eating out, entertainment expenses and parking, can also add up.

Another very real and very damaging expense is lost wages and earning potential. One year following the injury, only 11.7% of spinal cord injury victims can work, and 20 years following the injury, only 35.2% of spinal cord injury victims can work. Moreover, even if a spinal cord injury victim returns to the workforce, they may be unable to earn as much as they would have if they had not been injured.

As this shows, there are many expenses related to spinal cord injuries. When these injuries are caused by the negligence of another, the spinal cord injury victim may be able to pursue compensation for the damages they suffered. For some, this means filing a lawsuit against the responsible party. If it can be shown that the responsible party had a duty to the victim, which was breached and caused the victim to suffer damages, the spinal cord injury victim may be awarded the compensation they need to get by financially as they move forward with their lives.

Artificial intelligence is the wave of the future for many products people in Reno use every day. This includes incorporating artificial intelligence into motor vehicles to make them safer. One recent collaboration has developed automated software that aims to prevent truck accidents.

In a collaboration between Volvo Trucks North America, an automated vehicle software provider and a customer of Volvo, a project has been developed that uses automation to make it safer to operate a semi-truck. Through human intuition artificial intelligence , the new technology would perceive the actions of others on the road to make truckers more aware of their presence.

The software would analyze the eye contact, posture, head motion and physical orientation of others on the road to detect what they may be doing. Then, the software would signal to the trucker if the people around them are about to do something different. This would make it possible for truckers to react earlier to prevent accidents.

It remains to be seen if this new technology will one day be commonplace. However, as things currently stand, truckers are on their own when it comes to reacting to the actions of others on the road and they have a duty to drive safely themselves. Unsafe behaviors, such as aggressive driving, drowsy driving and drunk driving, may breach a trucker’s duty of care to drive in a safe manner. If that duty of care is breached and it results in an accident that injures or kills another person, the victim of the crash may be able to hold the trucker and possibly even the truck company that hired the trucker responsible.

The Fourth of July is almost here, and people in Reno may already be planning their Independence Day celebrations. For many, this includes a party, complete with a cookout and fireworks. For some people, drinking alcohol is also part of their Independence Day celebrations. However, one survey has shown that the Fourth of July sees the most drunk driving fatalities.

The study examined the number of drunk driving accidents that took place on the Fourth of July from 2010 to 2017. During that period, there were 1,192 drunk driving fatalities across the nation. This is almost 90 more deaths than those that took place on Memorial Day weekend during those same years, the holiday that sees the second highest number of drunk driving deaths. In addition, in 2017 drunk driving deaths were 57% more apt to occur on Independence Day in comparison to other days during the summertime.

These numbers are troubling, as many people travel on the road during the Fourth of July holiday. If a person is struck by a drunk driver, they could experience significant injuries. In the worst of circumstances, they can even die due to their injuries. Drunk driving breaches a motorist’s duty of care to drive reasonably under the circumstances. If this breach actually and proximately causes another person to suffer damages, the drunk driver may be held responsible for the incident.

Each personal injury case based on a drunk driving accident is unique in its own way. Those who wish to pursue personal injury claims based on drunk driving accidents will want to get more information so that they can best determine how to proceed.

In Nevada and throughout the nation, bicyclists and pedestrians are ubiquitous on the roads. It is imperative for drivers to keep a close eye on them and share the road to keep everyone safe. Unfortunately, there are often accidents involving vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians. Given their vulnerability, there can be serious injury and death after a crash. Part of maintaining safety is to keep track of the statistics and trends for these auto accidents. Those who have been hurt or lost a loved one in a collision of this kind should be aware of how to attempt to recover compensation in a legal filing.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that there has been a minor reduction in the number of people who died in accidents overall, but there was a substantial increase in pedestrian and bicyclist deaths. In 2018, the projections say that there as a 1% reduction in fatal accidents from 2017, with 36,750 deaths. For pedestrians, it rose by 4%. Bicyclists had a 10% increase. From 2009 to 2017, there was an increase from 12% of traffic fatalities involving pedestrians, to 16%.

For every 100 million miles traveled, there were 1.14 fatalities in 2018. In 2017, that was 1.16. This was the fewest since 2014. The safety statistics have generally improved from the worst year on record in 2007, when there were more than 41,000 deaths. Some states were found to be at higher risk for pedestrian fatalities than others. Nevada was among the states that saw a reduction of at least 10%. The NHTSA is seeking to find a way to gauge the impact of distracted driving on these fatalities. It can be difficult to do so because distracted drivers tend to avoid admitting they were distracted.

When there is an auto accident involving a pedestrian or bicyclist, there is an overwhelming chance that the rider or pedestrian will get the worst of it. Broken bones, brain trauma, spinal cord damage and injuries so severe that they result in a fatality are common. When there is a crash and people need medical care, miss time at work and face exorbitant expenses, it is important to understand legal options after car accidents.

In Reno, throughout Nevada and across the United States, the way in which people get around has changed drastically with the rise of ride share services. Simply by pushing a button on their phone, a ride will come quickly. Whether that is Uber, Lyft or another service, it is considered a convenient alternative to public transportation or driving themselves. However, there are dangers with any motor vehicle and a recent study from Consumer Reports shows that many ride share vehicles have unaddressed recalls on their vehicles. This can cause injuries and death because of an auto accident.

In its research, Consumer Reports found that one-sixth of all vehicles that are used for ride shares have had safety recalls that were not addressed. The study assessed vehicles in Seattle and New York. The recalls were all due to safety issues of varying severity. Since both locations have a requirement that drivers register their vehicles, it was easier for the study to take place. The investigation assessed almost 94,000 vehicles by using their serial numbers and registrations with Lyft and Uber. More than 16% had an open recall that the drivers had not taken care of.

Some recalls were riskier than others. They included seatbelt issues, problems with the engine stalling, and the airbag dangers that sparked widespread recalls from the manufacturer Takata. In certain cases, the vehicles had more than one recall. The national average for recalls was comparable to what it is across the nation. Because there is a lack of oversight from the main ride share companies Lyft and Uber, drivers are not forced to fix their vehicles in accordance with the recalls so they can drive for the company.

People who get into a ride share vehicle are not expecting the vehicle itself to put them in danger. Unfortunately, that does happen because drivers are operating vehicles with open recalls. Those who have been in an auto accident should be aware that they could have a claim for liability to recover compensation for injuries and fatalities that happened in these vehicles. A law firm that has experience with car accidents should be contacted for guidance on how to pursue a lawsuit for compensation.

Many Nevadans enjoy riding a motorcycle around the state whether in the cities or on the open road. It is a popular pastime despite its inherent risks. Most car drivers and motorcycle riders share the road safely and keep an eye on each other. Still, some drivers don’t pay attention to what they are doing and behave recklessly or negligently. Since they are comparatively unprotected, a rider can suffer serious injuries and death. After a motorcycle collision occurs, it is imperative that the rider and their family think about the issues they will inevitably face in the aftermath and consider a legal filing for compensation.

A mid-afternoon accident between a motorcycle and a car led to the rider being seriously hurt. According to the investigation, the rider was heading west when the vehicle exited a shopping center attempting to complete a U-turn. The vehicles subsequently collided. The driver did not suffer any injuries, but the rider was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Despite the improvements to safety technology, it only takes one mistake to cause an accident and change a rider’s life forever. There can be head trauma, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, internal damage and more. A rider might need extensive medical treatment and long-term care. If there is a fatality, the family must learn to accept what happened and seek methods to get beyond it. Although a legal filing will not turn the clock back and prevent the crash, it can help the person with what they are facing in the immediate and long-term future.

For people who are in a similar situation and need help deciding how to proceed, many key decisions must be made. Before doing anything, it is vital to contact a law firm experienced in investigating motorcycle accidents to decide how to move forward with a lawsuit.