Nevada pedestrian killed while crossing street
On Behalf of Bradley, Drendel & Jeanney • Apr 28, 2014
Pedestrians are the most vulnerable people on Nevada roads. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, a pedestrian is injured in a traffic accident every eight minutes. A pedestrian is killed every two hours. Even as fatalities from car accidents have declined in recent years, pedestrian fatalities have shown increases.

Recently, a woman was struck by a car and killed while walking across a street in Fernley, about a half-hour’s drive from Reno. Police said the 63-year-old woman was in or near a marked crosswalk at about 8:30 p.m. when a Cadillac sedan struck her.

Police said the 49-year-old driver of the Cadillac was cooperating with authorities in the investigation. The driver’s two children were in the car at the time of the accident, police said. Alcohol was not considered to be a factor in the accident, police said.

Under Nevada law, when someone is killed due to another driver’s negligence, the victim’s family members may be compensated for their monetary damages through a wrongful death lawsuit. To show that the driver was negligent, the plaintiffs would have to show that the driver failed to exercise a reasonable level of care, and that the injury occurred because of that lack of care.

The fact that a car hit a pedestrian does not necessarily mean that the driver was negligent. Pedestrians also have a duty to act reasonably, and a pedestrian who darts across a busy street on a dark night may be deemed to have acted unreasonably. If that is the case, a court may find that there was nothing that a reasonable driver could have done to avoid the crash. However, if a pedestrian was struck while using a crosswalk at an appropriate time, this is strong evidence to show that the driver caused the accident through negligence.

A Nevada attorney can help the injured or their families to understand their rights and legal options after a terrible accident. An award in a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit cannot turn back time, but it can help the injured and their families to cope with the aftermath of an accident.

Source: KTVN.com, ” NHP Identifies Woman Killed by Car While Crossing Fernley Street ,” April 15, 2014

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New study gives hope for spinal cord injury therapy
On Behalf of Bradley, Drendel & Jeanney • Apr 17, 2014
Among the worst injuries Nevada residents suffer in car accidents are those that affect the spine. Long after bruises, broken bones and cuts have healed, spinal cord injuries can keep people paralyzed. Despite all its advances, modern medicine still struggles to come up with effective treatments for people with serious injuries to their spinal cords.

That said, a recent study provides some hope that some spinal cord injury sufferers – even those whose injuries occurred years before – may one day regain control of their limbs.

The study, reported in the journal Brain, used electrodes that were placed near the spine of patients who had been paralyzed for more than two years. Researchers used the electrodes to stimulate the patients’ spinal cords while manipulating their paralyzed limbs. Ordinarily, the brain sends electrical impulses down the spinal cord to control these movements, but in people with spinal cord injuries, the signals can be blocked. Researchers found that by using the electrode therapy, they were able to restore the connections in some patients.

A similar study was published in 2011 in the medical journal Lancet. Researchers consider the new study especially promising because it replicated the results of the earlier study and showed that the therapy can work even for patients who have been paralyzed for more than two years. Previously, researchers thought that after two years, connections cannot be re-established between the brain and the limbs.

Spinal injuries often occur as the result of a car accident. When these injuries are the result of someone else’s negligent, the injured may be compensated for their damages through a personal injury lawsuit. One category of damages recoverable is future medical expenses. This category refers to the rehabilitative treatment and other expenses that will be necessary to treat the injuries long after the lawsuit is completed.

In cases involving difficult-to-treat, permanent injuries such as those to the spinal cord or brain, future medical expenses can be very important, and very expensive. A Nevada attorney with experience in personal injury cases can help the injured to calculate these and other damages so that they can get the compensation they need.

Source: Los Angeles Times, ” Electric stimulation offers new hope for ‘reawakening’ paralyzed limbs ,” Melissa Healy, April 8, 2014

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Nevada police cracking down on distracted driving
On Behalf of Bradley, Drendel & Jeanney • Apr 11, 2014
Portable digital devices are great for keeping in touch with people, taking photos or just playing a game while stuck in a long line. In the past few years, the devices have become such a big part of many people’s daily routines that some Nevada residents forget that there are certain situations in which they should definitely not look at their phones. Perhaps the most important time to put the phone away is when one is behind the wheel.

Recently, Nevada law enforcement have been cracking down on motorists who are using their cell phones while driving. The crackdown is part of a campaign called Distracted Driving Awareness Month, which aims to raise awareness of the dangers of using a cell phone while driving.

Nevada law prohibits talking or sending or receiving messages on a wireless device while driving. Those who are cited for violating the statute can be fined up to $250.

Still, authorities say that one in four fatal car accidents is caused by a distracted driver. “Distracted driving” is a loose category, but studies show that texting and driving is widespread and can easily lead to an accident. Nevada Highway Patrol officials have said they view distracted driving to be as dangerous as driving while intoxicated.

In Nevada, the law states that those injured in a car accident caused by the negligence of another driver may receive compensation for medical expenses and associated damages by filing a personal injury lawsuit. If an accident occurs involving a driver who fails to execute the same level of caution that another reasonable person would under similar circumstances, that driver may face negligent driving charges. Drunk driving is strong evidence to show negligence. So too is distracted driving.

A Nevada attorney working for clients who have been injured in a car accident would investigate the circumstances of the crash, looking for evidence to show whether the other driver caused the crash through carelessness. Evidence that the driver was texting while driving or otherwise distracted could be very important.

Source: Public News Service, ” NV Law Enforcement Cracking Down On ‘Distracted Drivers’ ,” Troy Wilde, April 8, 2014

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Nevada Highway Patrol: Drivers still using phones behind wheel
On Behalf of Bradley, Drendel & Jeanney • Apr 02, 2014
car accidents

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Nevada police: Driver was on drugs at time of fatal accident
On Behalf of Bradley, Drendel & Jeanney • Mar 26, 2014
car accident

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Cattle truck collides with station wagon on Nevada road
On Behalf of Bradley, Drendel & Jeanney • Mar 20, 2014
A loaded semitrailer truck can weigh 25 times more than an average passenger car. That simple fact explains why truck accidents are among the most deadly accidents on Nevada roads. Any collision between a big-rig truck and a smaller vehicle can lead to catastrophic injuries for the people in the smaller vehicle.

Recently, in Douglas County, about 30 minutes from Reno, a driver was sent to the hospital after a semitrailer pulling a load of live cattle collided with a station wagon. News reports did not reveal the condition of the hospitalized driver of the station wagon. The truck driver was not reported to have been injured. Of the 66 cattle in the truck’s trailer, 25 were killed, police said.

According to police, the truck driver ran a red light before hitting the station wagon.

In addition to the greater risk of serious injury, truck accidents also raise different legal issues that typical car accidents. After someone is injured in an accident caused by a negligent driver, Nevada law provides that the negligent driver may be found liable for medical expenses and other damages suffered by the injured. However, when the negligent driver was behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle, there may be other parties liable as well.

In some cases, a trucking company may be held liable for an accident under the legal theory of respondeat superior, which holds employers liable for damages caused by their employees. A trucking employer may also be held at least partially liable if the accident was partly the result of the company violating federal trucking regulations, such as those designed to reduce the dangers of truck driver fatigue.

Exactly how liability might apply can only be determined after an investigation of the case. A Nevada attorney may be able to help the injured to understand how the law may apply to their unique circumstances.

Source: KTVN.com, ” 2-Vehicle Accident Shuts Down Douglas County Intersection ,” March 12, 2014

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Critics of new policy fear more serious drunk driving crashes
On Behalf of Bradley, Drendel & Jeanney • Mar 13, 2014
Everyone in Nevada is watching what’s happening in Las Vegas now that Metro Police have stopped responding to minor traffic accidents. The new policy has raised a wide variety of concerns about matters from public safety to insurance rates. One of the most serious concerns is that it could lead to more serious drunk driving accidents.

In a cost-saving move, Metro Police recently announced that they would stop sending patrol cars to investigate traffic accidents in which no one was injured. Instead, drivers involved in fender-benders are supposed to handle the exchange of insurance information and other matters themselves. Police and emergency personnel will still respond to accidents in which someone has been injured.

Critics of the policy say that the policy will allow more people to continue driving while intoxicated. Before the policy change, police often arrested drivers on suspicion of drunk driving after finding them at the scene of non-injury accidents. If police do not respond to fender-benders, critics say, drunk drivers who are involved in these accidents will be free to keep driving while still intoxicated and perhaps to get into another accident. The next accident may be something much more than a fender-bender, and could lead to someone else being seriously injured.

Police say that by freeing police from responding to minor accidents, they will be able to send more officers to patrol the streets and monitor traffic safety. They say that people who see a suspected drunk driver should contact police.

When Nevada residents are injured in a car accident caused by another driver’s negligence, the injured may file a personal injury lawsuit in order to be compensated for medical expenses and other damages. Drunk driving is strong evidence to show negligence. A Nevada attorney with experience in personal injury law can help the injured to understand their rights and guide them through the process.

Source: Las Vegas Sun, ” 3 injured in crash; man arrested on DUI count ,” Brian Nordli, March 4, 2014

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Trial in fatal Nevada crash highlights different types of justice
On Behalf of Bradley, Drendel & Jeanney • Mar 07, 2014
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Reno motorcyclist killed in two-vehicle accident
On Behalf of Bradley, Drendel & Jeanney • Feb 27, 2014
Because motorcyclists are so much more exposed than people in cars or trucks, they are much more likely to die or suffer catastrophic injuries in an accident. Statistics suggest that motorcycles are more likely to be involved in accidents, as well, simply because the two wheel design makes them less stable. However, there is another factor that makes motorcycles more vulnerable: car and truck drivers are less likely to see them.

A Reno man was killed on his motorcycle recently in a collision with a car. Police said the 29-year-old man was heading north on Stead Blvd. when a sedan tried to cross the road in front of him to head south. The motorcyclist could not stop in time and struck the side of the car. He later died from his injuries at a nearby hospital.

The scenario is all too common to motorcyclists and people who are familiar with motorcycle accidents. According to some studies, two-thirds of all accidents involving a motorcycle and another vehicle were caused by the driver violating the motorcyclist’s right of way.

When a motorcyclist is injured due to another driver’s negligence, compensation for medical expenses and other damages may be awarded from a personal injury lawsuit. In the case of a fatal accident, the victim’s family may seek compensation through a wrongful death lawsuit.

A Nevada attorney with experience in personal injury law can help the injured and their families by going over the facts of the accident. An attorney can then assess their case and help them understand their legal options.

Source: KTVN.com, ” Reno Police Identify Motorcycle Rider Killed in Crash ,” Feb. 19, 2014

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Four vehicles involved in fatal Nevada truck accident
On Behalf of Bradley, Drendel & Jeanney • Feb 20, 2014
truck accidents

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