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Trial Attorney at Gina Corena & Associates
Practice Areas: Personal Injury
The increasing number of deadly car accidents across the state of Nevada is alarming. But the number of fatal car accidents are not affecting Nevada alone. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Traffic Safety Facts Crash Stats for the first half of 2021, there have already been more than 20,000 fatal car crashes across the country.
Moreover, with the rise of technology, texting while driving has become a prevalent issue, especially in bustling areas like Las Vegas. It’s crucial for parents to instill safe driving habits in their teens from an early age. Seeking tips on teaching your teen to drive can be a proactive step in this direction. After an accident, victims often find themselves in a maze of legal and insurance complexities. It’s beneficial to be informed about the post-accident procedures and how to navigate insurance claims after a car accident to ensure rightful compensation.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Traffic Safety Facts for 2019, reported more than 33,000 police-reported car accident fatalities across the country— meaning it is very likely that the number of car accidents fatalities for 2021 could be considerably higher than in recent years.
In Nevada in particular, the number of deadly crashes has continued to increase year after year. But why? The families of those who have lost their lives due to these devastating collisions deserve answers.
DUI and Speeding are Two Deadliest Causes of Car Crashes
Nevada has continued to see a dramatic increase in the number of deadly car accidents. Nevada’s Department of Public Safety reports that the number of traffic fatalities in Clark County and statewide continues to climb. Clark County has seen a twenty-three point five percent increase in traffic fatalities year to year, with 142 deaths in 2021 so far. This makes up more than half of the traffic deaths across the entire state.
What is worse, fatal crashes in Nevada during the month of May were more than double the number of fatal crashes in May 2020. According to reports issued by the Department of Public Safety during May of 2021, crashes were up ninety-three percent, and fatal crashes were up 113% when compared to the same month last year.
What is causing them? In late September of 2021, there were a total of at least six fatal crashes, including four deadly accidents in just four hours. When looking at the data, drunk and drugged driving, speeding, and other types of negligent driving are some of the more common causes of fatal car accidents across Nevada.
Arguably the most common cause of fatal car accidents in Nevada are drunk and drug driving. Arrests for such conduct are up nearly ten percent. According to the metro police, there were 2,349 arrests in 2021, compared to 2,141 last year. That means Metro made an average of 15 DUI arrests every day so far in 2021.
In recent headlines, former Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III was formally charged after causing a fatal car accident that killed a twenty-three-year-old Las Vegas resident. Ruggs is facing two counts of DUI resulting in death or substantial bodily harm, one count of possession of a firearm while under the influence, and two counts of reckless driving.
According to prosecutors, Ruggs was driving at speeds as high as 156 mph before he rear ended the twenty-three-year-olds SUV. If convicted, he could spend as much as fifty-two years in prison.
Sadly, there are many more fatal car accidents caused by drunk and drug driving in Nevada that do not make headlines. The family members of these victims may have the right to seek justice and hold the liable driver accountable for their negligence.
Many Nevada drivers began driving more dangerously during the pandemic when the roadways were less busy. But even as the roads have become busier in the last year, there have continued to be devastating fatal crashes as a result of excessive speed.
Nevada’s official traffic safety program, Zero Fatalities reports that 2021 may be the worst year for speeding in history. Approximately 4,400 speeding tickets were given across the state to motorists driving 100 mph or more in 2020. This is an increase of approximately twenty-six percent.
Data recently released from the Nevada Department of Public Safety revealed that there were already more than 200 traffic-related fatalities on state roads alone as of July 2021. This makes Nevada roads the deadliest they have been in a decade, with an additional five months of data left to increase the number of reported fatal car accidents.
Research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) showed that distracted driving accounted for approximately ten percent of fatal teen driving accidents. Distracted driving can occur any time a driver takes their attention off the roads.
In an effort to reduce the number of fatal car accidents caused by distracted driving, Nevada began implementing inattentive driving laws back in 2016. Still, these efforts have not proven to be effective in reducing the number of fatal traffic accidents caused by distracted driving.
Many families are surprised to learn of some of the various damages that they may be able to recover in their fatal car accident claim. Your family has the right to be repaid for both economic and non-economic losses. Some of the more common types of damages your family could be entitled to include:
In fatal car accident cases, you may also have the opportunity to be awarded punitive damages. If the liable driver was speeding or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the courts may find their actions to be reprehensible and punish them by imposing additional penalties in the form of punitive damages. Your attorney can give you a better idea of how much your family could be awarded after reviewing the specific details of your case.
When you lose a family member to a fatal car accident, and you are unsure of how to go about holding the liable party accountable, reach out to an experienced Las Vegas fatal car accident lawyer at Gina Corena & Associates for help.
Our firm offers no-cost, risk-free consultations to families struggling to cope with the aftermath of a tragic fatal car accident. Claim yours when you complete our quick contact form. Or, call our office at (702) 680-1111 to get started on your case as soon as today.
As founder of Gina Corena & Associates, she is dedicated to fighting for the rights of the people who suffer life-changing personal injuries in car, truck and motorcycle accidents as well as other types of personal injury. Gina feels fortunate to serve the Nevada community and hold wrongdoers accountable for their harm to her clients.
