Las Vegas Injury & Accident Attorney Blog

Honda Motors recently announced a recall of an additional approximately 275,000 vehicles, adding to the over 600,000 previously announced for a faulty airbag issue with older model Accord, Civic, Odyssey, Pilot and Acura models. The parts being recalled were installed in 2001 – 2003 vehicles repaired by the Japanese Auto manufacturer. Contact us if you have been injured by a Honda airbag in Nevada.

When driving an automobile equipped with a driver’s-side airbag, it is important to wear a seatbelt and operate the vehicle a safe distance from the steering wheel. In an accident, an airbag can explode with a force that can break a nose, glasses or cause other serious injury. If you have been injured in a Clark County auto accident and would like representation contact Benson and Bingham today.

Benson and Bingham is one of Nevada’s leading product liability attorneys. We focus on ensuring our customers get top-tier service and satisfaction. If you or someone you know has been involved in an Las Vegas auto injury accident and need assistance with workman’s compensation, medical bills or recovering lost wages, contact us today.

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Yesterday, a 65-year old Las Vegas woman, Diana Chambers, was arrested on suspicion of Las Vegas DUI charges after striking a Nevada man, Shannon Newland, and his vehicle as he was filling the car with gasoline. The man is currently at University Medical Center being treated. If you have missed work, lost property or incurred medical costs due to a Nevada traffic accident, contact us today.

The accident, which occurred on Cheyenne Avenue near US95 has put Mr. Newland in critical but stable condition. While he is doing well and expected to recover, the Southern Nevada resident faces a difficult couple of months. He will likely miss significant work and need compensation for his damaged automobile and hospital costs. Ms. Chambers is currently being held in a Clark County jail and it is unknown how much insurance she carries.

Benson and Bingham are one of Southern Nevada’s premiere injury recovery firms. Our Nevada licensed attorneys pride ourselves on customer satisfaction and we work closely with our clients to ensure the best possible outcome for their case. Go to Bensonbingham.com today to start your case.

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Late last week, California attorneys filed a significant product injury lawsuit against Nissan motor corporation. The suit states that seats on the Nissan Murano and Nissan Xterra are faulty and were responsible for permanent injury and death of a number of individuals in the Golden State. Here in Nevada, there are thousands of these and other vehicles which could experience catastrophic failure during anything from a routine to a high-speed accident. Should you have been in a Nevada automobile accident, contact us today.

In the specific incidents, the injured individuals were safely secured with seatbelts. However, the seats themselves failed in such a manner as to make the negate the seatbelts and the individuals involved were thrown from their vehicles. These accidents can and do happen in Nevada. If you have been injured in a Nevada accident and need help recovering medical costs in the South Valleys, lost wages here in Las Vegas or simply wish to discuss your case with a top-tier Nevada injury attorney, contact us today.

Our attorneys and Benson and Bingham have the experience and contacts within the Nevada legal system to fight for all the money you are owed from a South Valleys injury accident. Please go to bensonbingham.com and contact us today.

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Thanksgiving is an important time in American culture, even if the celebration of a harsh inaugural autumn in the New World and a once-yearly celebration of all our privilege seems kitschy to outside observers. Since it was declared a national holiday by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, Thanksgiving has become a key event in our annual festivities and it has come to mark the beginning of the so-called Holiday Season. But just as Christmastime carries with it the shadowy reality of Las Vegas defective toy injuries, so too can Thanksgiving leave us feeling regretful.

To most participants, Thanksgiving is principally about the food. Common staples include sweet potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and of course turkey; the melting pot of many cultures that makes America unique also means that America’s Thanksgiving tables are a colorful mosaic of foods. But Americans also like a bargain, and often the large food companies put their bottom line ahead of consumer protection and cut costs by taking gambles on food safety. By and large, this system only causes problems intermittently, but a food-borne illness outbreak can be devastating for those affected by it. There is no shortage of Nevada unsafe food injuries around the holidays.

Perhaps the most common and saddening Thanksgiving downside of all is the potential for Nevada DUI accidents, which can turn a day of celebration into a night of mourning. We joke about the impairment we suffer when we have too much turkey or pumpkin pie, but inebriation is no joke when it comes to getting behind the wheel. Yet many holiday revelers enjoy their beer and wine generously around the Thanksgiving table only to hit the road to beat traffic or camp out for post-Thanksgiving shopping deals. These transgressions may seem innocent at the time, but they can lead to Las Vegas wrongful death accidents that change the families of all affected forever.

Police enforcement nabbed ten alleged drunk drivers in northern Nevada alone during the holiday weekend. If you or a loved one suffered in a Las Vegas automobile accident over the Thanksgiving holidays, please contact us for a free consultation to understand your Nevada personal injury rights.

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If the late summer and early fall were not harrowing enough months for the Silver State, a new raft of problems has beset our communities to ensure that the winter kicks off with appropriate gloom. Two recent incidents — one apparently a Nevada intentional injury case and the other a tragically preventable accident — drive home the point that life-changing incidents are sometimes just around the bend.

Northern Nevada residents are still mourning the loss of a local television news sports anchor who was killed over the weekend. While leaving the football stadium following a University of Nevada, Reno victory over Hawai’i, the sports anchor was reportedly struck by a vehicle in what is now being treated as a Nevada hit-and-run DUI accident. The circumstances could not have been more tragic — a few moments of distraction, facilitated by an irresponsible choice to drink and drive, has irrevocably taken a loving husband and father of three from a family and a beloved television personality from a community audience. It is never possible to put a price on such a loss, but Nevada wrongful death law is intended to give affected families a way to quantify their losses and gain compensation.

The other incident that has clouded headlines and left heads shaking is the apparently intentional Nevada shooting injury that ultimately claimed the victim’s life. Apparently two men were driving west into Reno in northern Nevada when they became angry with one another due to driving aggression. Both vehicles pulled off at a freeway exit and one man allegedly pulled out a gun and shot the other driver. Two weeks after the Halloween-night shooting, the victim has succumbed to his injuries and died. In a state with as strong of a hunting culture as Nevada’s and a generally pro-gun attitude, Nevadans are no strangers to Nevada firearms injuries. Nonetheless, these tragic incidents are most commonly related to irresponsible owners failing to keep guns out of the hands of children or of other phenomena such as Nevada product malfunction injuries. A criminal investigation is pending, and civil action is also a possibility.

Tragedies like these are unfortunately common occurrences in our society, even though most of us are far enough removed from these incidents to feel personally affected. If you or a loved one have been hurt in a Nevada personal injury accident, call us for a free consultation.

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A heart wrenching story of a combat decorated Marine Captain who caused a fatal DUI accident when he drove his car into oncoming lanes is turning into a question much bigger than once anticipated.  At first it seemed simple enough to assume that alcohol was to blame for the reckless actions that led to the death of a motorist.  But, as the details of the intoxicated driver’s experiences have come to light the question may be whether or not the driver suffered from severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and whether or not it contributed to the motor vehicle accident.

Before the fatal accident the Marine Captain spent time in Iraq and Afghanistan where he was severely wounded and nearly bled to death, had severe head trauma, and suffered extreme emotional stress during his deployment.  He received the Bronze Star for his heroism during service.  But while the Marine Captain recovered well from his physical injuries; emotionally and mentally the wounds may have been too deep heal. Sleep talk, forgotten trips and waking up in unknown places were symptoms of a greater problem that some think led a once brave Marine into the situation he finds himself in today, awaiting trial for manslaughter.

PTSD, while not often visible, is a serious condition that requires attention.  Most people of course don’t suffer from the experiences previously mentioned, but many still experience PTSD from Nevada car accidents, Las Vegas animal attacks or other excessively stressful situations. At Benson & Bingham we have experience dealing with injury and accident cases involving Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in part because Nevada has more than its share of workers employed by the military and working at various military installations. In a situation as complicated as one that involves PTSD one owes it to themselves to find the best representation possible. Even though the person responsible for the Nevada accident may have been impaired by a condition like PTSD, affected families still have the right to pursue compensation under Las Vegas wrongful death laws.

If you or someone you know is showing any sign of PTSD, please get them the attention they deserve.  If you or someone you know needs counsel concerning damages resulting from or influenced by PTSD, please call our Las Vegas personal injury office and we will be glad to help in any way possible.

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We often discuss the possibility of fatalities in Nevada DUI accidents, but seldom are we put in the position of reporting them. Tragic events like those that unfolded over the past weekend are sad reminders of the real costs of irresponsible behavior. In a 24/7 culture like the one that prevails in Las Vegas (and Reno-Sparks, and Lake Tahoe), driving home after a night of drinking is sadly normalized. Knowing warnings like “Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving” prevail on Nevada highway signs, but actions speak louder than words.

A Nevada wrongful death lawsuit is likely after a woman who was struck by an alleged drunk driver died of her injuries early Saturday morning. According to reports, a 60-year-old California woman was crossing the road between two Stateline, Nevada casinos in the Lake Tahoe area when she was overtaken by a pickup truck. In the wee hours of the morning, a 35-year-old man was driving his unregistered truck and allegedly failed to correct for the crossing woman. His truck hit her and although she was rushed to a Reno hospital, she died of her injuries from this Nevada pedestrian accident.

According to reports, the driver left the scene of the accident but was later arrested on felony charges for DUI and failure to use due care. Ultimately, it appears that the driver accused of causing this accident will face both criminal and civil consequences for his irresponsible actions. If you or a loved one need legal advice from a Las Vegas car accident attorney, contact us today for a free consultation.

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A few weeks ago readers of our Las Vegas personal injury blog learned about a shocking motor vehicle accident. The tragedy unfolded on a rural highway in northern Nevada, outside of the city of Fernley (about 30 miles east of Reno). In addition to the normal issues of Nevada personal injury raised by an incident of this type, this accident also drew new focus onto the role and responsibility of Nevada public vehicles when it comes to maintaining safety on rural Nevada highways.

On June 13, two Texas women in their 50s were killed after their vehicle was struck by a large road-striping truck. Operated by the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), the road striper apparently went off the road onto the shoulder of the highway where the two women are thought to have been consulting a road map. One woman was pronounced dead at the scene, and her co-passenger was taken to a regional medical center where she was shortly pronounced dead as well. The 61-year-old driver of the NDOT vehicle received medical attention for her minor injuries after the road striper was turned on its side. This Nevada public vehicle accident brought scrutiny on the government department whose employee caused this tragedy. Analysts agreed that any action under Nevada wrongful death statutes would hinge on the circumstances of the crash, including the apparent reason for the two victims’ irregular stop on the shoulder of the highway as well as on any public-agency negligence on the part of NDOT.

Initial investigations focused on driver error and in particular on the possibility of a role played by alcohol or drugs in the Nevada automobile accident that claimed these women’s lives. In any Las Vegas car crash or other Nevada personal injury case, the elements of negligence are enhanced if the tortfeasor (wrongdoer) is misusing a psychoactive substance such as drugs or alcohol. Analysis of this incident took about five weeks in its first phase and has ruled out labeling this crash a Nevada DUI accident, but the complete investigation continues.

Obviously this incident was a tragedy for the families involved as well as for NDOT. Hopefully the investigations will reveal that this was a freak accident that could not have been prevented, but in the event that evidence does surface of some wrongdoing on the part of NDOT — be it a distracted driver, improper maintenance of the vehicle, or some other factor — the surviving families of the two women will likely have to turn to Nevada wrongful death lawsuits to recover damages to make them whole again after losing their wives and mothers and daughters. If you or a loved one have been harmed in a car accident or want more information about wrongful death suits, contact our Las Vegas personal injury lawyers today for a free consultation.

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A motor vehicle accident on Nevada Highway 50 has left one woman from Silver Springs dead and sent two others to a Northern Nevada hospital for further observation. The incident occurred yesterday evening and alcohol is thought to be a contributing factor.

The woman killed was the passenger in a Ford Tempo that was struck by a Mercury Sable. The driver of each vehicle was seriously injured and was taken to Renown Regional Medical Center. There, the women are considered to be in stable condition while tests and monitoring continue to avoid serious spinal cord or nervous system injuries.

Nevada accident investigators suspect that alcohol was a contributing factor in the accident, where the Sable struck the Tempo and its two passengers. In many cases where alcohol is thought to be involved in a fatal automobile accident, a wrongful death lawsuit in civil court follows any criminal charges when the victim’s family seeks to restore itself after the irreplaceable loss of a loved one.

On  Nevada’s lonely rural highways, nighttime driving itself can be a hazard. Combine with alcohol, these practices can prove devastating both personally for the at-fault driver and obviously for the families of those harmed in a Nevada automobile accident. Our hearts go out to the victims and we hope for a speedy recovery.

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