Fatal automobile accident rates in Nevada have been increasing for the past five years. This increase in fatality rates across the state, in particular, Clark County, is occurring even as the number of serious injuries is declining slightly.
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Common Causes of Fatal Accidents
Distracted Driving – Distracted driving involves eating, talking, texting, smoking, changing the radio dial, etc. while operating a motor vehicle. Nationwide, it is estimated that distracted driving causes 8 fatalities per day.
Drunk Driving – Last year, the National Highway Transporation Safety Administration recorded the largest single-year increase over the past 10 years in DUI deaths. On average, 28 people per day were killed in DUI-related accidents.
Aggressive Driving – From 2008 to 2012, nearly 1,400 people were killed by aggressive driving. Aggressive driving often involves excessive speed, unsignaled lane changes, failure to yield, following too closely, and other behaviors that make this a particularly deadly cause of automobile accidents.
Red Light/Stop Sign Violations – On average, 2 people per day are killed by motorists who run red lights or stop signs. These types of accidents often involve pedestrians or bicyclists that the motorist fails to yield for while traveling through the intersection.
So Far in 2017…
Law enforcement agencies in Nevada reported 26 fatal crashes in the state during January 2017. These resulted in 26 fatalities. 13 of the individuals killed in these accidents were in car-car collisions, 9 were involved in pedestrian impacts, and 4 were involved in car-motorcycle collisions. The vast majority of these fatal accidents occurred in Clark County.
Wrongful Death in Nevada
Family members and financial dependents of deceased individuals may be able to pursue wrongful death claims against negligent parties whose reckless or intentional behavior causes a fatal automobile accident. Nevada allows the personal representative of the deceased’s estate, surviving spouse, partner, parents, or children to file wrongful death claims.
For example, auto accident attorney in Las Vegas may sue the responsible parties for the individual’s pain and suffering, the financial impact the loss of income presents to the family, property damage/loss, funeral expenses, etc,
In Nevada, the statute of limitations allows individuals to file a wrongful death claim two years following the individual’s death. This is important to note as the clock does not begin on the date of the accident, rather it begins on the date the individual succumbs to crash-related injuries.
