Las Vegas Injury & Accident Attorney Blog

The month of February continued with the long string of pedestrian fatalities in Las Vegas. So far, Las Vegas is on a pace to exceed the high number of 2012 pedestrian deaths in 2013. On last Wednesday  another Las Vegas pedestrian fatality raise 2013’s total to 23 this year. The crash happened around 10:30 PM on last Wednesday evening. Police investigating the accident have concluded that the person crossing Torrey Pines Dr. was outside of a cross walk at the time of the accident. The accident has been also classified as a hit and run – as what is being called a darkly colored large SUV fled down Torrey Pines Blvd. after the crash. If you or a loved one has been involved in a Las Vegas pedestrian accident, Benson and Bingham can help you recover from your injuries by helping you to secure reimbursement for pain and suffering, lost wages, medical bills and more.

The rise of Southern Nevada pedestrian accidents can be attributed to a number of factors. Las Vegas’ long blocks without crosswalks urge pedestrians to cross streets illegally. Las Vegas has many 6 and 8 lane roads, which creates significant real estate for a pedestrian to get across and spurs vehicle drivers to speed, giving drivers the illusion the roads are meant for speeds of 55, 65 even 70 miles per hour, not 35 or 45 miles per hour.

Benson and Bingham in Las Vegas specializes in all types of Nevada personal injury law, including Southern Nevada pedestrian accidents, Clark County automobile accidents, Las Vegas wrongful death and even casino accidents outside the state of Nevada when the company’s corporate headquarters is located in the Silver State. Our firm is considered one of the leading personal injury law firms in Las Vegas and offers all of our clients our exclusive happiness guarantee. If at the end of your case you feel your invoice isn’t fair, we will work with you to develop a fee structure that meets your approval.

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Las Vegas area police authorities have repeatedly expressed their frustration at the area’s near record of Las Vegas pedestrian deaths for 2012. So far this year, there have been 33 Las Vegas pedestrian deaths. Police are cautioning pedestrians to stay aware of their surroundings, ensure they have enough time to make it across a street in traffic and to take their faces out of their cellphones while they walk. Local authorities are also trying to make Las Vegas a safer environment to walk by increasing the time allocated for people to cross streets and to even add landscaping features to sidewalks that could give pedestrians a little more time to avoid out of control cars.

On Halloween afternoon last month, another Las Vegas area pedestrian was hit by an automobile and now remains in critical condition with severe head and brain trauma. A man, 21-years old, was crossing West Craig Rd. in a cross walk when he was struck by a 1998 Ford minivan driven by a man from Las Vegas who is 33. The man driving the Winstar was attempting to turn left and missed the 21-year old pedestrian. Police investigations have not revealed any use of drugs or alcohol by either the pedestrian or driver involved in the accident. If the man should pass away from the accident, he could be yet another pedestrian death in Southern Nevada this year.

Benson and Bingham is a Las Vegas personal injury law firm that specializes in Clark County pedestrian deaths, Las Vegas wrongful deaths and even out of state casino injuries when the casinos corporate parent is located in Nevada. Our family owned law firm was founded in 2003 to provide representation to those injured through no fault of their own and our success has been due to the relationships we build with our clients. If you or a relative have been injured, contact Benson and Bingham today.

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As 2012 begins to wrap up with the coming of the holidays, Las Vegas Metro Police are going on high alert to stem the tide of this year’s rash of Las Vegas pedestrian deaths. While Halloween this year was relatively safe with no reported DUI accidents, valley police departments are gearing up for the season of holiday parties, which also bring intoxicated drivers onto Southern Nevada roads. When heading out to celebrate this holiday season, have a plan. Designate a driver or have the ready cash for a taxi cab home (and to your car the next day) if you plan on drinking.

Earlier this week, the legal process from a tragic 2011 holiday Southern Nevada pedestrian death finally wrapped up. The driver involved in the death of 12-year old Faith Love was sentenced to 20 years in prison and a fine of $2000. The convicted DUI driver is also required to pay restitution of nearly $8000 to Ms. Love’s surviving family members. Justin Caramanica, 43, plead guilty last July to the DUI accident and was awaiting sentencing last September when he was involved in yet another Las Vegas DUI accident with a parked car.

Benson and Bingham is Las Vegas premier personal injury law firm that can help you recover financially from nearly any type of injury accident. We represent people who have been injured or had relatives killed in Clark County pedestrian accidents, been injured by defective products or bad drugs or even hurt in a casino outside of the Silver State when the company’s corporate parent is located in Nevada.

We at Benson and Bingham secured over $24,000,000 in injury awards for our clients. How have we built this success? We develop strong relationships with those we represent and rely on those relationships as your case proceeds. We even offer our clients our exclusive happiness guarantee – if at the end of your case you are unhappy with our fee, we will work with you  to develop an invoice you approve of.

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Six weeks ago, a Las Vegas pedestrian accident occurred that took the lives of four and injured four people waiting for a bus on Spring Mountain Road. This week, however, marks the 1-year anniversary of another tragic Southern Nevada pedestrian crash. Back on October 21, 2011 three young girls, 6-year old Amelia Decker, 5-year old Rain Mowery and 6-year old Alyssa Mowery attempted to cross Camino Eldorado, returning home from nearby Eldorado Park. Amelia Decker was killed and her friend, Alyssa Mowery suffered severe brain damage. While walking in the cross walk, the three young girls were struck by 78-year old Alice Alava. The contrite Ms. Alava was in tears when she was sentenced to 2 years with no driver’s license and a fine of $5,000.

The parents of the three young girls have been inspired by the tragedy to speak out against dangerous driving and increased Las Vegas pedestrian safety. At the cross walk where the girls were hit, new safety features have been installed, including additional signage and flashing lights. The mother of Alyssa and Rain, Cristin Mowery, states the new features are not enough. She decries that the additional safety features at the cross walk are insufficient in a city where drivers continually speed, ignore traffic laws, talk and text on the phone and often practice even more unsafe driving habits. Ms. Mowery is even more frustrated by 2012’s near record rate of Clark County pedestrian deaths.

Benson and Bingham has been representing Nevadan’s and their surviving families when they have been injured or killed through no fault of their own. Our family owned and operated Las Vegas personal injury law firm is successful when we develop strong relationships with our clients. We rely on those relationships during contentious negotiations with insurance companies and the long stressful days of trial. In 2010 and 2011, we secured for our clients over $24,000,000 in injury awards. Please contact us today so we can begin discussing your case immediately.

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While Halloween has transitioned from a child’s opportunity to dress up to an adult party night, many of the Halloween’s dangers have changed. While many fear tainted candy being given out by strangers, the real fact is this scenario is very rate. By looking at hospital records stretching all the way back to the late 1950s, researchers were not able to find any cases of strangers poisoning children with Halloween candy. There are many incidents of children being rushed to emergency rooms with allergic reactions and even parents doctoring candy in an attempt to claim insurance money. The only cases of booby trapped candies seem to be practical jokes where there was no intent to injure. The real danger for Las Vegas Halloween trick or treaters comes from vehicles. If you or a relative has been involved in a Las Vegas pedestrian accident, contact Benson and Bingham for a free legal consultation today.

Halloween is a big party night, and many of the Southern Nevada pedestrian accidents and Las Vegas car crashes are due to people driving while intoxicated. In fact, for the past four years, more child pedestrians were killed on Halloween night than on either the previous or preceding night on the calendar. Las Vegas rash of pedestrian accidents and deaths in 2012 have cautioned authorities to step up cross walk, jay walking and DUI enforcement this Halloween.

If you have been the victim of a Clark County pedestrian accident this Halloween, do not take the original offer from the driver’s insurance company. Benson and Bingham have been representing Nevadans in Las Vegas automobile crashes, casino slip and fall and Nevada wrongful death accidents since 2003. We have seen all the tricks insurance companies play to get out of paying their fair share. In most instances, we are able to secure our clients significantly more than they can garner for themselves.

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As pedestrian accidents and deaths continue to happen in Las Vegas, local officials have started working on ways to increase pedestrian awareness and reduce traffic deaths. Since many of Las Vegas’ thoroughfare can be up to six lanes wide, crossing the street can be especially dangerous. Las Vegas Metro Police have increased presence at intersections in Las Vegas that have significant pedestrian traffic or that have seen a large number of pedestrian accidents. Police are ticketing drivers who do not obey cross walk laws and even pedestrians jay walking. If you or a family member has been a victim of a Las Vegas pedestrian accident, contact Benson and Bingham today for a free legal consultation.

Four more Las Vegas pedestrians were injured on Saturday morning while walking in Las Vegas valley. Police are alleging that 35-year old Uziel Reyes-Perez was intoxicated when he lost control of his 1999 Toyota Corolla while driving on Veterans Memorial Dr. After losing control of his car, Mr. Reyes-Perez struck the four men 58 year old Anthony Coca, 53-year old Gary Taylor, 48-year old Brian Kopperman and 55-year old Marin Lomas. Mr. Coca and Mr. Taylor are currently in critical condition in a local hospital. Mr. Reyes-Peres was not hurt in the crash. Benson and Bingham can represent you or a family member injured in a Las Vegas valley pedestrian crash.

Benson and Bingham was founded by cousins Joe Benson and Ben Bingham in 2003 to represent those injured in Nevada accidents. Our personal injury law practice is one of the top ranked in Southern Nevada, where we represent people in Southern Nevada pedestrian accidents, Las Vegas wrongful death and even casino injuries outside of Nevada when the casino’s corporate parent is based in Las Vegas. In 2010 and 2011 we secured for our clients over $24,000,000 in personal injury awards, mostly through the strong relationships we build while working on someone’s case.

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Unlike many of North America’s other great cities, Las Vegas was founded in 1905, not in the 1700s to 1800s. For most of the first half of the 20^th Century, Las Vegas was a small town in the middle of the desert, a simple railroad stopover. However, with the building of the Hoover Dam, influx of scientists and the military for the Manhattan project and finally the legalization of casino gambling, Las Vegas began the rapid growth that created the city we love today. Las Vegas grew up in the days of the automobile and was not particularly designed to accommodate bicycles and pedestrians. This lack of city planning with pedestrians in mind is one of the main reasons Las Vegas and Southern Nevada have such a high amount of automobile accidents with pedestrians. If you have been involved in a Las Vegas pedestrian accident, contact Benson and Bingham today for a free legal consultation.

As stated above, Las Vegas was just not designed for pedestrian use. Take for example the recent pedestrian automobile accident involving 63-year-old Charles Leo Grazier. Mr. Grazier wanted to cross Boulder Highway, however, the nearest crosswalk was over a block away. Instead of walking the extra block out of his way, Charles Grazier decided to walk across Boulder Highway’s six lanes of traffic. As he was jaywalking, Mr. Graziewr was first hit by a van then run over by a pickup truck. Mr. Grazier was pronounced dead at the scene. Southern Nevada pedestrian accidents are a plague – if you have lost a loved one to a Southern Nevada pedestrian car accident, contact Benson and Bingham today to recover money spent on medical bills, lost work and pain and suffering.

Charles Leo Grazier’s death is a too common occurrence in Southern Nevada. The Las Vegas area is replete with high-speed multi-lane roads with few designated places for pedestrians to safely cross streets. As of July 2012, 29 pedestrians have been killed on Las Vegas roads. That’s nearly an average of one death every week. More pedestrians have been killed this year than all of 2011.

Benson and Bingham is one of Las Vegas’s leading personal injury law firms. We represent people in Clark County pedestrian accidents, defective product injuries, brain damage and casino slip and falls. We work to develop strong relationships with our clients to enable our success.

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Clark County pedestrian deaths have risen to record levels so far in 2012 with 23 people having been killed so far this year. Only 10 pedestrians were killed in accidents in Clark County in 2011. Clark County car accident fatalities have also risen, having grown to 95 by early July, compared to 59 at the same time in 2011. Local and state agencies have offered many significant cautions to prevent Southern Nevada traffic accidents:

• Always wear a seat belt when driving and require all other occupants of the vehicle to wear one as well
• Never drive impaired on any substance. If you have had too much to drink or are even woozy from cough medicine do not get behind the wheel, call a taxi, a friend or take public transportation.
• Drivers are cautioned to watch for pedestrians and not crowd them as they cross the street.
• For pedestrians crossing the street, always cross at designated crosswalks. Do not jaywalk.
• When crossing the street, pedestrians should make eye contact with approaching drivers

If you or a family member have been injured in a Las Vegas automobile accident, contact Benson and Bingham for a free legal consultation today. Our Las Vegas personal injury attorneys have significant experience recovering money for lost work, hospital bills and pain and suffering.

To further combat the rise in Las Vegas area pedestrian accidents, the city of Las Vegas has begun a $4.5 million project to build a pedestrian bridge from the parking garage at Las Vegas City Hall to The Smith Center parking lot across the street. The bridge will improve pedestrian access and walkability to the downtown Las Vegas area. The 8-month project is being built with money from a grant from the Federal Highway Administration, air quality and congestion mitigation funds from the federal government and from general budget from the city of Las Vegas.

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While the Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas this year had a smaller attendance and lower incidences of DUI, drug and other felony arrests at least 16 people were rushed to the hospital during the 4-day Las Vegas event. The Electric Daisy Carnival came to Las Vegas in 2011 due to the ecstasy overdose death of a 15-year old girl at the 2010 Electric Daisy Carnival then held in Los Angeles. While this year has not had any drug overdose fatalities, a 31-year old pedestrian from Florida was critically injured when he was run down by a Ford Pickup leaving the event from Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s Gate 6. While the pedestrian who was injured in the accident was intoxicated and seen to be at fault at this time, if you have been injured in a Las Vegas pedestrian accident with an automobile, contact Benson and Bingham for a free legal consultation from one of our leading Las Vegas personal injury attorneys.

Since 2010, the organizers of the Electric Daisy Carnival have worked hard to reduce security and safety concerns associated with the event. This year’s event had fewer DUI arrests and medical calls, which can be attested to low temperatures last weekend and the closing of the carnival on Saturday evening due to wind safety concerns. However, there was one traffic accident resulting from the Las Vegas rave event last year and there were five traffic accidents in 2012. If you were injured in a Clark County pedestrian accident and would like to recover money for lost work, pain and suffering and medical bills, the Las Vegas personal injury attorneys at Benson and Bingham can help you. Our law firm has been in business since 2003 helping Southern Nevadans get what they deserve after Southern Nevada pedestrian accidents, Las Vegas brain injury accidents or Nevada casino slip and fall incidents.

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A  girl hit in a North Las Vegas pedestrian accident is taking steps on her long road of recovery. The girl, Alyssa Mowery, almost didn’t survive the accident which claimed the life of her 5-year old friend, Amelia Decker. In critical condition after the accident, the 6-year old had to relearn how to walk, now she can run. Her improvements include the ability to attend kindergarten, however the child requires specialize instruction. Fluid on the girl’s brain has caused her to be hyperactive and lack impulse control. The child’s mother says the girl now behaves like she was a toddler all over again. However she is happy her little girl is still alive, no matter what her condition. If you or a relative has been hurt or killed in a North Las Vegas pedestrian accident and would like to recover costs incurred for medical bills, lost work and pain and suffering, contact Benson and Bingham today for a free legal consultation.

The girls were hit by a 78-year old woman, Alice Alava, who drove 60 additional yards after hitting the girls as they crossed on a cross walk at Camino Eldorado in North Las Vegas. Ms. Alava was charged with a number of misdemeanors including not stopping at a cross walk, passing a stopped car and not paying attention while driving. Ms. Alava plead no contest, will serve no jail time, pay a fine of $5,000 and have no driver’s license for two years. At her sentencing, Ms. Alava expressed remorse. If you have been involved in a North Las Vegas pedestrian accident, do not settle with the driver’s insurance company. Speak with the attorneys at Benson and Bingham to ensure you are reimbursed all you are owed.

To reduce the number of North Las Vegas pedestrian accidents at the intersection, authorities have begun improvements to the crosswalk. Flashing lights are about to be installed which will alert drivers when someone is crossing the road.

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