Las Vegas Injury & Accident Attorney Blog

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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So far this year, thirty eight people have died in traffic fatalities in Las Vegas. The latest Las Vegas traffic fatality happened early this morning when a 60-year old woman stepped into traffic on Sahara Avenue and was struck by a 2010 Altima. She was pronounced dead at Univ. Medical Center. If you or someone you love has been killed or injured in a Las Vegas pedestrian accident, contact Benson and Bingham for a free legal consultation today.

The epidemic of Las Vegas pedestrian accidents has spurred local and state authorities to increase funding for a host of traffic safety measures. The Nevada Dept. of Public Safety is still in the process of supporting Southern Nevada communities through the Joining Forces grant program. This program supports Nevada’s municipalities and counties with saturation traffic patrols and public awareness media events with regards to various public safety traffic issues. The Joining Forces grants usually go to improving traffic safety by curbing the most dangerous Nevada driving practices such as driving a motorcycle without a helmet, driving while intoxicated, speeding, teen driving, transporting children without proper restraints and seats, driving without a seatbelt and more. If someone you love was injured or killed in a Clark County pedestrian accident, contact Benson and Bingham today.

Benson and Bingham was founded in 2003 with the purpose of protecting the financial well-being of those injured in Las Vegas accidents. Our family oriented business was begun by cousins Ben Bingham, Esq. and Joseph Benson II, Esq. with the explicit goal of ensuring the satisfaction of those we represent. While no law firm can guarantee the successful outcome of your case, we do promise to abide by our happiness guarantee. Upon the completion of your case, should you feel our fee was unearned, we will work with you to reduce your charges.

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Sunday Morning, April 5^th, it is alleged that Noel Laredo, a 26-year old now-former teacher of first graders was driving her 2005 Acura on Spring Mountain Rd. in Las Vegas. Witnesses say that the Acura she was driving ran a red light and skidded, then ran off the road and crashed into a bus stop where 15-year old Conan Obenchain was waiting. Mr. Obenchain’s left leg was severed in the crash and his right was nearly chopped off – attached only by some muscle and skin. The boy was rushed to the University Hospital. Police performed sobriety tests on Ms. Laredo, in which she failed four of them. Two open containers of vodka were in found in Ms. Laredo’s Acura. At a recent pre-trial hearing, Ms. Laredo’s attorney offered up many alternatives to the Las Vegas Metro Police Department’s assertion that she was drunk. Some of the theories proffered were improperly inflated tires, uneven pavement, malfunctioning breaks and diabetic shock. If you or someone you love have been injured or killed in a Las Vegas DUI accident, contact Benson and Bingham today.

The past few months have been very difficult for Conan Obenchain, understandably. The doctors attending him initially felt that the 15-year old’s leg was lost. The Obenchain family estimates that over $1,000,000 has already been spent on healthcare for Conan since the accident. As Conan Obenchain detailed his injuries during Ms. Lardeo’s recent pre-trial hearing, the former first grade teacher sobbed. While the accident is a tragedy for all involved, the Obenchain deserves recompense for the pain and suffering they have been through, the medical bills they have incurred, the work the parents have missed and even for care for Conan as he lives his life. If you have been in a similar Las Vegas automobile accident, please contact Benson and Bingham.com for a free legal consultation today.

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Earlier this week, on Monday, the record setting pace of the Las Vegas pedestrian death toll continued its steady climb. At around 5:30 in the morning, Paul Wndle, 66, was attempting to cross Las Vegas Boulevard near Harmon Avenue. While Mr. Windle was not in the crosswalk, and he was struck by a white truck with a pickup body. The vehicle fled the scnene and was later found in the parking lot of the Cosmopolitan Hotel. Mr. Windle’s death was the 33^rd pedestrian fatality so far in 2012 in Las Vegas. If you or a relative has been hit in a Las Vegas pedestrian accident, contact Benson and Bingham for a free legal consultation today.

Las Vegas city officials are grasping at straws to stem the tide of dead pedestrians on the streets of Sin City. An editorial in the Las Vegas Sun offered up the solution of loud sirens to alert pedestrians when they can cross the street. The Las Vegas Metro Police have started a pedestrian awareness campaign to alert pedestrians to the dangers of walking while looking at their mobile phones, titled “Get Your Face Out Of Your Phone.” The “Get Your Face Out Of Your Phone” campaign has been broadcast on five area radio stations. It also may be aired as a public service campaign on Southern Nevada television stations. If you have been involved in a Southern Nevada pedestrian accident and would like to be reimbursed for pain and suffering, lost work and medical bills, call Benson and Bingham today.

While no law firm can promise a successful outcome to your case, the attorneys at Benson and Bingham offer a happiness guarantee. If you don’t believe our attorneys have earned their fee, we will work with you to develop a fee structure that meets your expectations. Please contact Benson and Bingham today.

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The Nevada Department of Transportation and the University of Nevada School of Medicine have created a database that tracks the medical costs from individual auto accidents in conjunction with the states four trauma hospitals. The four hospitals are Southern Nevada’s University Medical Center, Dominican Hospital, Sunrise Medical Center and Reno Medical Center. The data is being compiled to aid state and municipal lawmakers in traffic management. It has also brought to light the added costs associated with drunken driving accidents, driving without a seatbelt or operating a motorcycle with and without a helmet. If you have been injured in a Las Vegas traffic accident, while your data will be compiled, and while it may one day be used to increase the safety of Las Vegas and Nevada’s roads, you should still seek representation to ensure you are reimbursed for pain and suffering, lost work and medical bills.

Some of the data presented by the study’s newsletter, TREND, aligns with commonly held beliefs, others are very illuminating. Helmet use by motorcyclists is consistent whether or not alcohol was involved. The total cost across Nevada for pedestrians without health insurance injured in traffic accidents was over $64,000,000 from 2005 to 2010. While alcohol or drug use increases the likelihood of a traffic accident, it also increases the medical costs associated with the accident by nearly $20,000. If you have been involved in a Las Vegas traffic accident, contact Benson and Bingham for a free legal consultation today.

Benson and Bingham was founded in 2003 by cousins Joseph Benson II and Ben Bingham  to provide representation for car accident, wrongful death, personal injury and spinal cord/brain damage cases. We can never promise the successfully outcome of your case, but we do offer a happiness guarantee to all of our clients. We deeply value the personal relationships we develop with those we represent, so if you are in any way unhappy with our service, we will do our utmost to remedy the situation.

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Last October, Mia Decker and her friends Alyssa and Rain Mowrey began walking across Camino Eldorado in North Las Vegas.  Moments later, Alice Alava approached in car, moving to the right lane to avoid another car stopped at the cross walk. As she proceeded through the intersection, Ms. Alava struck and killed Mia Decker and injured the Mowrey sisters. Alyssa Mowrey is still struggling to recover from significant brain injury from the accident.

Ms. Alava was sentenced Thursday in N. Las Vegas Municipal Court on Thursday for the fatal accident. The 78-year old will lose her license for two years and must pay $5000 in fines. She was cited in five counts, including failure to yield for a pedestrian in an intersection, not paying full attention to driving and failure to yield for a car in a crosswalk. If you or a relative has been injured or killed by in an accident with an elderly Nevada driver, contact Benson and Bingham for a free legal consultation today.

A recent nationwide study by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials compiled accident and traffic fatality statistics. Their findings showed that Nevada drivers 65-years and older were involved with 24% of Nevada traffic deaths in 2010. Many factors contribute to the declining safety of the elderly driver.  Reduced peripheral and night vision can be a leading factor in an accident. An elderly driver’s declining ability to concentrate and handle stressful situations can contribute to fender benders or worse. The pain of arthritis can make the rapid movements necessary to avoid a car crash tremendously painful. Finally, over the counter and prescription medications can induce drowsiness, slow reaction times and add to the general danger of a elderly individual behind the wheel. If you believe a Las Vegas fatal or injury traffic accident were the cause of a drivers age, and wish to recover money for medical bills, lost work and pain and suffering, contact Benson and Bingham for a free legal consultation today.

In 2010 and 2011, Benson and Bingham won over $24,000,000 in injury awards for their clients. The attorneys’ success is due to the strong relationships the firm’s attorneys build with their clients. Its these trusting relationships that enable our attorneys to negotiate successfully on our clients’ behalf.

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A North Las Vegas pedestrian was struck and killed by an automobile today on the corner of Berg and Craig.  The victims is believed to be a teenager or young adult, was crossing the crosswalk when he was struck by a car that had ignored a red light.  There where no skid marks on the scene, which lead investigators to believe the driver had not seen the light, nor victim.  This was the sixth fatality accident in North Las Vegas in 2010, and unfortunately won’t be the last.

Today, drivers are frequently distracted by host of modern day technologies, such as cell phones, pagers, texting, ipods, as well as many older distractions such as putting on make-up, reading the paper, or just fiddling with the seat or radio dials.  Unfortunately, pedestrians are the ones that often pay the price, and in the incidence the price was death.

It is unknown if the driver of the vehicle, a 29 year old women, was under the influence of alcohol or drugs during the accident in Las Vegas as toxicology reports were yet to be concluded.  While DUI accidents are often rightly blamed for pedestrian accidents in Nevada, there is a newer bread of factors that are creating accidents on Clark County roadways.  In fact, a recent study showed that more vehicle fatalities are caused by non-alcohol or drug related distractions, such as texting or talking on the phone.  Benson & Bingham has been a strong proponent of regulating such distractions in an attempt to keep Nevada roadways safe, however accidents do happen and injuries are sustained.  If you or a loved one has been a victim of an accident, contact the experts that care for a compassionate and thorough analysis of the event.  Contact Benson & Bingham:  702-382-9797.

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Pedestrians crossing the street take significant risks.  Most collisions between pedestrians and motor vehicles result in wrongful death, head trauma, loss of limbs, brain damage and/or broken bones.  However, not all pedestrians use common sense often times causing their own injuries.  While a driver must yield to the right of way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway in a crosswalk, a pedestrian may not suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety so as to create an immediate hazard.  When no crosswalk is available, a pedestrian shall yield to the right of way to all vehicles.

Finally, the answer to one of the great unknowns… Once a pedestrian begins to cross the roadway where traffic is controlled by an automatic signal device, and before completing the crosswalk the signal changes, the pedestrian is not required to retrace his or her steps, nor stand still, but may proceed as required by law exercising ordinary care.

If you or a loved one suffered injuries while acting as a reasonable prudent pedestrian, contact personal injury attorneys, Benson & Bingham @ 702-382-9797 and get the attention you deserve.

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