In northern Nevada, two tragic automobile accidents highlight issues of commercial vehicle liability
Northern Nevadans were shaken to learn of two accidents last week that diminished public confidence in the safety of commercial and municipal vehicles on the road. Three fatalities and one serious injury resulted from these two crashes, one in urban Reno and the other occurring on a lonely portion of Highway 50 near Fernley. As we will examine next, these crashes highlight the unique legal issues of commercial entity liability.
A week ago today, a 45-year-old woman who was riding her bike onward through a busy intersection was struck and killed by a Waste Management truck that overtook her and struck her as it made a right turn. Investigations of the crash have so far concluded that alcohol and speeding were not factors in this Nevada automobile accident but simply that the driver was negligent in not properly checking in the large garbage truck’s blind spot.
The other accident was even more bizarre. Two women were stopped on the side of Highway 50 Alternate in northern Nevada, possibly reviewing a road map Monday morning. A Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) truck that was doing striping work on the highway apparently left its intended path and struck the pickup truck parked on the shoulder. One of the women — both were in their 50s from Texas — was pronounced dead at the scene, and the other woman succumbed to her significant personal injuries later that day in the hospital. The 61-year-old driver of the NDOT truck was also hospitalized with minor injuries.
Investigations into these cases are ongoing, and anyone with information on these cases is encouraged to contact the appropriate authorities. Our office is saddened to hear of these tragic and seemingly avoidable losses of life. Whenever there is a Las Vegas car accident involving public vehicles, we are available to help victims and survivors understand their legal rights and options for redress.
