A previous post on this blog talked about how although motorcycle accidents declined in Nevada between 2016 and 2017, the state still has a problem when it comes to motorcyclists making up a disproportionate number of the total victims of fatal motorcycle accidents. It is unfortunate that motorcyclists in Reno and the other communities of this state seem to have a rough go of it. It is equally unfortunate that, while many of these fatal accidents can be attributed to a negligent driver of another vehicle, motorcyclists still struggle against the common perception that they are unsafe drivers and are usually to blame for an accident.

For this reason, the family attempting to get compensation to help cover their losses after the untimely death of their loved one in a motorcycle accident may have an uphill battle. Knowing this, many families entrust our law office with their wrongful death claims following a tragic motorcycle accident.

Our approach to these sorts of cases is fairly simple, in that we work hard to get a family the most possible compensation we can in light of the law and the specific facts and circumstances of their case. This means that our first step is to honestly evaluate the family’s legal options so that they know what they are facing and what they can expect. We also want to review the insurance policies that might apply to the situation, including the family’s own insurance coverage.

After evaluating our client’s case, our job becomes advocating for them by investigating their claim and arguing vigorously for their right to compensation for things like funeral expenses, lost income and other damages.

According to a recent report , during 2017 motorcyclists in Reno and the rest of Nevada were in slightly less danger of dying in a crash than they were the year before. According to preliminary numbers, 54 people died in connection with motorcycle accidents in this state, which is a decrease of 20 from the 74 people who died in 2016. This was an almost 24 percent decrease in the number of fatalities and exceeded the national decrease of about 5.5 percent.

The news in Nevada is not all bright when it comes to motorcycle accidents, however. For instance, based on 2016 numbers, 22.6 percent of all those who died in motor vehicle accidents in this state were motorcyclists. Compared with all the other states, Nevada ranked highest with respect to this statistic, meaning that this state has a way to go with respect to preventing serious motorcycle crashes.

Although there are a number of things motorcyclists can do to protect themselves from serious accidents, as this blog has discussed before, people must not be quick to blame the motorcyclist every time they hear about motorcycle accidents. In many cases, a motorcyclist dies in an accident even though he was being perfectly safe on the road and was wearing the proper protective equipment.

If a family loses their loved one in a fatal motorcycle accident, then they may be able to recover compensation from the motorist responsible for the accident. For instance, if the driver of a car was not paying attention and turned in front of a motorcyclist, then it would be only fair for that driver to compensate the family for the deceased person’s lost wages, funeral expenses and outstanding medical bills.

Previous posts here have often discussed how motorcycle accidents in the Reno, Nevada, area can leave a rider suffering for the rest of his or her life with catastrophic brain or spinal cord injuries, making it clear that the rider has been seriously and permanently hurt. As such, if another motorist was at fault for the motorcyclist’s injuries, it is fairly evident that the other motorist owes compensation to the rider.

While, thankfully, not all motorcycle accidents end with paralysis or brain damage, many motorcyclists suffer other types of serious injuries that may not be so evident to the general public. To the motorcyclist, however, the injury could mean not being able to return to work for a long time, if at all.

For example, as with other types of vehicle accidents, a motorcyclist may experience some form of soft tissue injury , including whiplash. A soft tissue injury is damage to a person’s tendons, ligaments or muscles. While these are not plainly visible, they can leave a person dealing with chronic and severe pain.

In some cases, a soft tissue injury may limit a person’s ability to move or even leave the person with problems with things like remembering things or focusing on a task. These sorts of injuries are serious, and just because a motorcyclist has the ability to walk away from a crash it doesn’t mean that he or she won’t need compensation for things like medical bills and lost wages. Moreover, the pain and suffering one must endure because of a soft tissue injury also warrants monetary compensation.

Police are still investigating a pileup that happened in the Reno are on Interstate 80 recently. This truck accident involved several vehicles and also involved a truck flipping over on to its side. The truck obstructed one direction of freeway traffic. The truck also lost its load of canned goods and leaked some fuel because of the accident.

According to police, authorities had to intervene to get one person out of a car that had been involved in the accident. Police also said that one victim of the accident had suffered critical injuries and was in danger of dying. The present condition of this person was not disclosed.

While police are still investigating and are even looking for additional eyewitnesses, their initial assessment is that the truck flipped because the driver had to make a sudden stop or swerve. The reason the trucker had to do so was that another motorist, driving a private vehicle, made what police called an “unsafe” maneuver, which apparently put the trucker in a position of having to take evasive action. Several other cars were involved in a series of collisions that happened after the truck flipped.

More information about this accident will hopefully be available after police complete their investigation. But, it still serves as a reminder about the important obligation motorists have to be careful when doing things like changing lanes on the interstate. If a motorist cuts another driver off, particularly if that driver is operating a big rig or other commercial vehicle, it can lead to a serious accident just as it did in this case.

Source:  KOLO 8, ” NHP looking for witnesses to big rig crash on 80 ,” May 8, 2018

Some Reno, Nevada, residents may think of drunk driving accidents as kind of a “slam dunk” legal case. After all, everyone knows that driving while intoxicated is irresponsible and dangerous, so it should be easy to prove a drunk driver who causes a car accident is negligent and should pay his victims.

Unfortunately, such is not always the case. For instance, even if it is clear that the other driver was drunk and caused the accident, a victim will still have to prove his damages. In other words, the victim will have to gather and document things like medical bills, lost wages and the like. Moreover, she will bear the burden of showing these damages are appropriate.

Finally, the drunk driver may not have adequate insurance or other means to pay compensation, even though he clearly owes it. And, while squeezing every penny from a drunk driver may be an attractive option, it also can be time-consuming and fruitless.

A victim therefore may have to seek out other sources of compensation following a drunk driving accident. For instance, if the victim was on the clock at the time of the accident, workers’ compensation may be available.

A victim may also be able to avail herself of uninsured or underinsured motorists benefits via his own insurance carrier. And, in certain circumstances, such as if the negligent driver was a minor, it may be able to hold other parties responsible for the accident as well.

In short, drunk driving accident cases are far from slam dunks and should instead be thought of us as complicated and important legal proceedings. Fortunately, our law office has considerable experience with drunk driving cases and can help our clients navigate through their cases and get all of the compensation they deserve.

Motorcyclists in the Reno area and throughout the rest of Nevada will want to be particularly aware of their tires, particularly if they are Goodyear tires.

Over the last several years, there have been several motorcycle accidents caused by sudden blowouts of these tires. Motorcyclists are particularly prone to losing control in the aftermath of a blowout, in part because motorcycles are smaller than cars and only have two wheels on the surface of the road. Once a motorcyclist loses control of his or her bike, a serious or even fatal accident can result.

To this point, across the country, five deaths have been reported due to defective motorcycle tires. Additionally, over 20 people have reported serious injuries. To this point, at least 10 suits have been filed against Goodyear alleging that their motorcycle tires blew out, causing an accident. While Goodyear won 2 of these cases, the other 8 were settled.

While suits have been filed, the federal agency in charge of regulating auto parts, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, has yet to issue a recall of these tires or even to start an administrative investigation. Some blame this on a lack of funding and also a lack of permanent leadership.

As this blog has discussed before, motorcyclists can sue the manufacturers of defective motorcycle parts, such as tires that tend to blow out, when those parts contribute to an accident. The motorcyclist or any injured passengers can claim damages for things like medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. To do so, however, it may be helpful to get the help of an experienced Nevada personal injury attorney in filing a product liability lawsuit.

Source:  Reveal, ” Fatal motorcycle tire blowouts not enough to prompt Goodyear recall ,” Jennifer Gollan, May 2, 2018.

Reno, Nevada, residents have probably heard about the dangers of texting and driving. Some may have even been involved in car accidents with motorists who were pretty obviously on their phones just seconds before the accident.

In the most serious accidents, this behavior can prove deadly. According to one report, texting and driving was a contributing factor in the death of another person in 14 percent of all fatal accidents connected in some way to distracted driving. It is no wonder that authorities both in Nevada and around the country are beginning to crack down on this irresponsible and dangerous behavior.

However, it is important that while zealously fighting back against texting and driving, one not forget that there are in fact many distractions that contribute to car accidents, even fatal car accidents.

For instance, the top cause of fatal distracted driving accidents was overwhelmingly “daydreaming.” This category was determined to be a cause in 61 percent, well over half, of fatal distracted driving accidents.

In other words, one could argue that letting one’s mind wander from the road, whether because of an electronic device or otherwise, always puts other motorists and pedestrians in the Las Vegas area at serious risk. The type of distraction simply does not matter.

While it is admittedly easy to “daydream” while behind the wheel, that doesn’t make the behavior acceptable. In order to prevent injury accidents, the drivers on Nevada’s roads must do what they reasonable can to keep their minds focused on the road. For example, getting enough sleep so as to be sufficiently alert is one step motorists should take.

When an inattentive driver causes a serious or deadly accident, victims should explore their right to pursue compensation from such parties. They may be able to recover for damages like medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering.

For those who are not familiar with the term, a large commercial truck “jackknifes” when the wheels on its trailer move in one direction while the cab of the truck continues to move in another direction, thereby causing the trailer to swing to one side of the road or the other. When a truck jackknifes, the trailer can easily slam into unsuspecting motorists in the vicinity, possibly sweeping them off the road in the process.

A jackknife is the end result of a skid, that is, a situation in which the wheels of a truck simply do not have enough traction on the road for the truck to travel in a straight line. Skids can happen to even the best, most careful truck driver, but there are ways of preventing these common occurrences from turning into jackknifes and, for that matter, serious multi-vehicle accidents.

For instance , a trucker can, and should, consistently monitor to see if his or her trailer is swinging slightly from side to side. If it is swinging, a jackknife may be imminent. Moreover, a driver needs to be able to brake slowly and safely, particularly when traveling through the hills and curves surrounding Reno. A sudden stop, particularly on a curvy or wet road, can cause a significant skid from which a truck driver may not be able to recover.

Finally, a driver and his or her company must make sure a truck’s tires and brakes are in good working condition, as this equipment must be in good order to prevent a jackknife. On a related point, a truck that is not properly loaded can be more prone to jackknifing.

Because they are preventable truck accidents , a driver and his or her company can be held financially accountable after a jackknife that leaves a Nevada resident injured. A victim can work to recover compensation for damages, like past and future medical bills, lost wages and non-economic losses such as pain and suffering.