Legal Blog by Las Vegas based Richard Harris Law Firm

An 18-year-old driver admitted to blacking out while behind the wheel of a car that hopped a median, veered toward the opposing side of traffic and struck two cars and 10 people at a west Las Vegas restaurant.

In an arrest report released Tuesday by Las Vegas Metro police, Gage Lindsey also admitted to attempting to leave his vehicle after crashing into the Egg & I restaurant on Sahara Avenue Monday, because, as stated in the report, he most likely would have gotten into a confrontation with patrons there.

Metro Police’s Traffic Bureau will be conducting special traffic enforcement operations at intersections throughout the Las Vegas Valley, the department announced Monday.

The enforcement is already underway and will continue through May 22. According to police, officers will be stationed at intersections with the most crashes, including Charleston and Lamb boulevards, and Decatur Boulevard and Flamingo Road.

Another person is dead following a crash on a valley roadway.

Police said a medical episode could have contributed to the crash.

Eighteen people have died in Metro’s jurisdiction this year alone that’s up from 15 during this same time last year.

A 50-year-old man was hit and killed while crossing Las Vegas Boulevard, just south of US 95 on Saturday.  He was not in the crosswalk, and police say there is evidence he was drinking.

Fatal car accidents, like this one, are increasing at an alarming rate.

Police say Downtown has become busier and more congested, meaning more distracted drivers and more people jaywalking.

17-Year-Old Thomas Erhardt and his 14-year-old brother Tyler flew in to visit their dad.  They say it’s simple.

“A lot’s going on around here.  You might stop in the crosswalk to say hey look at that,”  said Tyler.  “Nope, you just got to be more aware of where you’re walking and where you’re driving.”

“They need to follow the law of safety,” said Thomas.  “Not following the law could get you fatally injured.”

Their father Bill says he’s a fan of how popular Downtown is getting.  He took the family to see the sights though, not people dangerously running across the street.

“There have been numerous people that have been hurt so it’s definitely a concern,” said Bill.  “I don’t know how they control it.  It’s definitely an issue they need to look at for sure if they want to bring more people down.”

Police echo his concern.

“I don’t think they’re listening to us.  I really don’t,” said Sgt. Richard Strader of Metro Fatal Detail.  “Maybe the public’s not listening to the media, or maybe they don’t care.  I don’t know.  I’m at a loss for words right now.”

Sgt. Strader says increased awareness on the part of drivers and pedestrians will help to bring down the number of fatal accidents.

Source:
http://www.8newsnow.com/story/19877232/deadly-accident-downtown-puts-spotlight-on-growing-pedestrian-traffic

If you were involved in a Los Angeles car accident tomorrow, are you sure you know exactly what to do to protect your rights? Many people make elementary mistakes when involved in auto accidents that cause them to lose their right to collect damages or greatly reduce their eventual settlement amounts. You can avoid this problem by following simple strategies designed to protect you and maximize your eventual car accident settlement.

1) Injuries Take Priority in Any Case. Worry about your car later; the moment an accident happens, your first priority is making sure you and the others involve are safe. This means calling 911 if there is any question of injury, no matter how slight, and securing the accident scene through the use of flares or other aids to visibility, moving cars off the road if it is unsafe for them to stay where they are, and generally using common sense to protect everyone involved in the accident.

On October 25^th, the Traffic Bureau released traffic statistics for 2012, showing how deadly the roads have been up to this point in 2012.  This is a great reminder of how dangerous our roadways can be when people are careless.

The number of collisions is already at 19,269 for 2012, while in all of 2010, we had only 18,849 collisions.  Now the Holidays, historically very dangerous because of drinking, are approaching.  So far this year, DUI arrests are at about 8,500, while last year there were just over 7,000.  Also, most people in Las Vegas are aware of how many pedestrian fatalities we’ve had this year, so far accounting for 36% of the 93 fatalities in 2012.

To see the full report, go to this link http://www.lvmpd.com/Portals/0/pdfs/102312.pdf.  The report shows collisions, fatalities, DUI arrests, most dangerous intersections and more.  This year, sadly we  have topped the last 2 years in every dangerous category.  Hopefully this will serve as a wake-up call to Las Vegas drivers.

One of the most common classifications of injury in rear-end collisions and other types of accidents is known as “whiplash.” There is great misunderstanding among the general public as to what constitutes whiplash and exactly how it happens. Because of this misinformation, many people believe that there really is no such thing as whiplash and that anyone who claims to have it must be trying to collect extra money for nothing. However, whiplash is very real and its effects can be devastating.