Las Vegas Personal Injury YourVegasLawyers.com

DISTRACTED DRIVING EQUIVALENT TO DRIVING A FOOTBALL FIELD BLINDFOLDED

2012-02-22T14:49:00.000-08:00

USDOT Promotes Technology to Decrease Distracted Driving, Keeping Good People Out of Jail

LAS VEGAS, February 21, 2012 – Acknowledging the devastating effects of distracted driving related crashes, Nevadans adopted a hands-free initiative at the start of 2012 and with USDOT’s newly released recommendations for built-in electronic devices, regulators seek to further prevent distractions for drivers.

USDOT research studies conclude that texting while driving takes your eyes off the road for 4.6 seconds.

“That is like driving an entire football field at 55 MPH while blindfolded,” said Justin Wilson, litigation attorney with Royal Jones Law of Las Vegas. “Now imagine that that football field has three crosswalks in it, with children on their way to school. Would you still send that text?”

The federally proposed guidelines urge manufacturers to build “less-distracting” in-vehicle electronic devices for communication, entertainment, information gathering, and navigation.

“The proposed regulations do not prohibit use of in-car devices, but rather, they limit the number of steps required to operate them.” said Wilson. “Devices will be easier and faster to use, not only improving safety, but also resulting in a better user experience.”

One of the first distracted driving cases took place right here in Las Vegas.

In 2001, 34-year-old Karen Morris of Henderson pled guilty to felony reckless driving after killing two Las Vegas women while talking on her cell phone. She was convicted and spent time in jail.

According to Nevada DOT, more than 3,500 distracted driving crashes are reported each year, totaling over 60 deaths in the last 5 years.

“No one wants to put a distracted driver behind bars who is just trying to make it to a birthday party in an unfamiliar neighborhood,” said Wilson. “We all accept that drinking and driving is reckless and irresponsible, but we need to start seeing that texting, GPS usage and other distracting activities can have equally devastating consequences.”
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Justin Wilson is a trial attorney with 12 years litigation experience and is committed to educating the public about the legal issues that hit the hearts and homes of Nevadans, as well as helping personal injury victims find healing and justice. Contact Justin Wilson by phone at 702-405-6000.

Happy New Year's

2010-12-29T11:03:00.000-08:00

With the holiday season now behind us, we look forward to the start of a wonderful new year. If you plan on traveling on New Year's Eve, or having a get together with friends, remember to drive safely. Alcohol impaired drivers are sure to be on the road. Drive defensively. If you plan on consuming alcohol, select a designated driver to keep others' safe. Always buckle-up and turn your cell phone off. Keep you and your family safe while on the road.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T12:37:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving can be a wonderful time of year. To give thanks and gratitude for all the good things in your life: to celebrate with family and friends. Many Las Vegas families plan to travel this Thanksgiving weekend.

Thanksgiving holiday weekend is considered to be the deadliest season of the year. According to the National Safety Commission, 90% of travelers will travel by car for Thanksgiving. This means bumper-to-bumper traffic on roadways and expected delays. With the Transportation Security Administration implementing new policies that include full-body scans and invasive full-body "pat downs," more travelers are expected to travel by car than in the recent past. Even those airline passengers will be traveling to and from the airport by another form of transportation - often a car. With all this extra roadway travel, car accidents are bound to happen.

For 2009, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported 411 traffic related deaths during the four-day Thanksgiving holiday. With the number of roadway travelers expected to be considerably higher this year, roadways are even more dangerous.

Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, is a heavy traffic day as many travelers who travel long distances will leave right after work. Not only will the roadways have the usual rush hour traffic, but also will be loaded with holiday travelers. Try to avoid these busiest travel times.

Another busy day to travel will be Sunday as most drivers will be heading home from their vacations. If possible, try to leave on afternoon, or Saturday morning to alleviate some of the congestion.

Friday, also known as "Black Friday," is the biggest shopping day of the year. People of all ages swarm to the stores to snag a great deal and often wait in long lines and in heavy traffic.

Several dangerous factors play into the behavior of those traveling this entire holiday weekend that may put you and your loved ones at risk right here in Las Vegas:

1. Distracted Driving - "Black Friday" shopping can lead to texting while driving about who will pick up what great deal. Travelers who utilize their

CD players
Radios
MP3 players
GPS systems
Cell phones
The usual dynamics of traveling with family

2. Alcohol Consumption - 34% of traffic related deaths over Thanksgiving 2009 reported by the NHTSA, involved alcohol impaired driving.

3. Weather Conditions - Weather conditions can change quickly. Especially for those who are traveling over the mountains.

4. Tryptophan - Yep, even that yummy turkey can impair driving. Tryptophan is an ingredient in over-the-counter sleep aids. Tryptophan can make drivers sleepy and impair reaction times.

5. Overall Irritability - No one likes to admit it, but Thanksgiving holiday can be stressful with family, food preparation, shopping, time away from home, driving times, etc. These factors make drivers irritable and cause drivers to speed or act irrationally.

So what can you do to protect yourself?
The National Safety Commission released this list to help you during your travels this season.

If you can arrange your work schedule, try to leave on Tuesday and return either on Saturday or Monday when traffic is lighter and safer.
Give yourself plenty of time.
Get enough rest and don't try to drive when you would normally be asleep.
Swap driving duties with a companion
To remain alert, stop every 2 hours or 100 miles.
Don't depend on caffeine or "energy drinks" to take the place of sleep. When they wear off, you will fall asleep.
Understand that traffic will be heavy and don't let your frustrations tempt you to take chances.
Check for weather conditions along your route and leave earlier if necessary.
Wear your seat belt!!! Seat belts are proven to save lives and prevent injuries.
Make sure children are secured in an approved child safety seat.
Children over 4 years of age are taken out of child seats too soon; their bodies are too small for seat belts to work effectively. Be sure any child under 4'9" in height is secured in a booster seat.
Don't give into the temptation to speed. It won't get you there that much faster and it can lead to a ticket or worse, a collision.
Use your cruise control to prevent speeding.
Understand that driving is a complex task and it takes all your concentration.
Eat light to prevent drowsiness.
If you need to make a phone call, pull off the road and keep your call short.
Don't answer your cell phone while driving. Let your cell phone take a message and pull off the road to answer your calls.
Don't text and drive!!! Taking your eyes off the road for just a second or two can have tragic consequences.
Don't consume alcohol!! Buzzed driving is the same as drunk driving.

We, as your attorneys at Las Vegas Injury Lawyers, want you to have a safe and wonderful holiday season. In the event that you or a loved one is involved in a car accident in Las Vegas this Thanksgiving weekend, please contact us immediately to quickly resolve the issues you may face. You may submit an accident evaluation form by visiting our website www.yourvegaslawyers.com. We will contact you quickly and give you a FREE evaluation of your accident and help you on your road to recovery or you can give us a call at 702-405-6000. Our job is to help you enjoy your holiday season, no matter the mishaps that may occur along the way. Las Vegas Injury Lawyers is here for you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Texting and Driving

2010-11-23T09:30:00.000-08:00

Texting and driving has been a part of distracted driver accident claim cases for awhile now. However, the Nevada Board of Examiners recently agreed to prohibit government employees from texting while driving, or using other electronic devices while driving. Although no cases against government employees have been filed for a texting and driving accident, the Board of Examiners is using this ban as a preventative measure. This "No Phone Zone," may be the beginning of future bans on texting while driving on all Nevada citizens.

Most drivers recognize the dangers of texting and driving or other forms of distracted driving, yet motorists continue to use cell phones while driving.

In 2010, The National Safety Council reported that 28% of car accidents involved talking or texting while driving. That's almost 3 out of every 10 car accidents.

With Las Vegas texting and driving car accidents on the rise, every driver should take caution and drive defensively.

If you or someone you know has fallen victim to a Las Vegas texting and driving car accident, contact Las Vegas Injury Lawyers, we are here as your Las Vegas texting and driving car accident attorney specialists.

How to Prepare to Talk to an Attorney

2010-02-22T10:00:00.000-08:00

Your ability to keep notes and records about your personal injury is very important to you, to us, to your claim and to getting you and your family the money you deserve. Be sure to have strong documentation about your personal injury and accident. One of the first things you should do after you are injured is write down everything you can about your personal injury. This includes details about your personal injury and the effect the injury is having on your daily life. Having notes to remind you of the details and what you are going through, is both easier and more reliable than counting on your memory. You will need a doctor’s report, an accident report, photographs, any type of evidence and a list of witnesses. If you don’t have this information, Las Vegas Injury Lawyers can help you get it. Our attorneys at Las Vegas Injury Lawyers know what documentation you need to win a case, so don't wait to contact Las Vegas Injury Lawyers for help. Here are some helpful tips to documentation.

Be sure to write down notes about any anxiety or loss of comfort resulting from your personal injury. You can demand additional compensation for these types of personal injuries. If you don't make notes about these important results of your personal injury as you experience them, you may not remember these injuries later. Writing down the experiences from your injuries will help you remember to report them to a doctor or other medical provider when you receive treatment.

Most personal injury claims involve more than just physical pain; they include loss of income, medical bills, increased insurance premiums, damaged property, other losses involving family, social, and educational opportunities, and emotional damages, such as stress, embarrassment, depression or strains on family relationships.

Notes on these personal injury matters should include anything you have lost because of the accident and your associated injuries such as: job opportunities, work hours or income, educational opportunities or promotions, lack of participation in events, social gatherings, vacations or anything else which would have benefited you. Or which you would have enjoyed, but were prevented from experiencing because of the personal injury incurred due to the accident.

To find out what "damages" you might be qualified to receive, contact Las Vegas Injury Lawyers immediately, to receive a free no-obligation consultation of your personal injury case. Submit the form on the Las Vegas Injury Lawyers homepage or contact Las Vegas Injury Lawyers by phone at (702)405-6000.

Personal Injury Facts

2010-01-25T09:40:00.000-08:00

Personal Injury Statistics - Nationwide
The truth is, you can't always believe what you hear about personal injury statistics. Different resources provide different personal injury statistics because each resource looks at a situation differently. Some data collection agencies might have some vested interest and therefore bump the numbers to fit their needs. While others, although good intentioned, might see one type of personal injury one way, and another entity might see the personal injury in a different light. This disparity between reports can make interpreting personal injury data nationwide, very difficult. Suffice it to say, Las Vegas Injury Lawyers wants you to know that the personal injury numbers and reports are not as important as personal safety and personal alertness concerning your surroundings.

Car Accidents - Las Vegas
We've all seen them, many of us have been stuck in traffic behind them, some of us have even been involved in them - car accidents in Las Vegas. With so many drivers on the road, there are bound to be inaccuracies in judgment. These inaccuracies can lead to small or large motor vehicle accidents. Motor vehicle accidents often result in personal injury. The personal injury can involve head, neck, or back injuries, such as whiplash, head lacerations, compressed vertebrae, paralysis, etc. In any of these cases, plus many more types of personal injury resulting from a motor vehicle accident, a person should contact a personal injury lawyer immediately. Insurance companies try to minimize the extent of a victim's injuries. With a personal injury lawyer in your corner, you won't get bullied by these multimillion dollar organizations.

Slip and Fall Injuries - Las Vegas
One of the most common results of inadequate security or premises liability is a trip, slip or fall injury. Slip and fall injuries can happen just about anywhere, but in Las Vegas, the most common locations include shopping centers as well as hotel and casinos. Personal injuries resulting from a trip and fall in Las Vegas hotel and casino often involve premises liability and negligent security. Anyone who has suffered a personal injury should contact a lawyer immediately to see what options are available.

Ensuring Compensation for Your Personal Injury
Evidence disappears quickly, so contacting a Las Vegas attorney soon after an accident can assure the most money for a personal injury case. The best part is, you can now talk to an attorney for free. Las Vegas Injury Lawyers provides a free consultation about your case, so you can know what options you have and decide whether or not you should move forward with filing a personal injury claim. A statute of limitations usually applies to most personal injury cases, so filing a claim soon after an accident is a must to ensure just compensation.

Happy Holiday Season from Your Vegas Lawyers

2009-12-11T09:01:00.000-08:00

Happy holidays! Welcome to December, the wonderful time of year when families travel from coast to coast to see their extended family. A time full of love and enjoyment.

With all these family get-togethers comes an increase in roadway traffic. Be on alert as you drive this holiday season. Parties, late nights and alcohol are just a few of the increased dangers on the road.

I encourage you to keep your family safe by driving defensively and traveling as little as possible during the especially trafficked days.

If for any reason you do end up in a fender-bender, contact me at www.yourvegaslawyers.com or call 702-405-6000. This time of year should be an enjoyable time, so even is something bad does happen, I'm here to help you.

Las Vegas Injury Lawyers website going LIVE!

2009-12-02T18:33:00.000-08:00

That's right, the time has finally come. Our new website www.yourvegaslawyers.com is finally live! We've been working on the site for several months - keeping you, our readers in mind.

Our site is easy to use and is full of valuable information for accident victims to receive guidance and counsel. Picking the right attorney for your needs can be difficult, but we make choosing the right lawyer easy.

Check out our frequently asked questions section on the Las Vegas Injury Lawyers website to learn about your rights and the need to know facts for any injury victim.

One of our attorneys at Las Vegas Injury Lawyers, Cory Jones, is bi-lingual. We included several pages for our Spanish speaking clients.

If you or someone you know has been in an accident, give us a call at 702-405-6000 or go to our website: www.yourvegaslawyers.com and fill out a free case evaluation. Yep, we will evaluate your case for FREE! No-obligation. We are here to help.

Don’t Become a Victim of Insurance Adjusters

2009-11-10T12:00:00.000-08:00

The situation is all too common. You received injury in Las Vegas/Henderson, Nevada, because someone else was not paying attention to the way they were driving or they were not keeping their property safe. When you become injured you often feel a great deal of stress. You have the incident itself that caused the personal injuries and then you have the insurance adjuster that typically calls a few days later and begins his/her goal of minimizing your injury claim. Essentially, you are victimized twice, once by the injury and once by the insurance company.

Insurance Adjusters Know - You Don't Know

The responsibility of an insurance adjuster is to save the insurance company as much money as possible by reducing payout on insurance claims. The adjuster would like to handle the situation without lawyers and courts; this increases their chances of minimizing your claim. They know the average citizen knows very little about insurance policies, regulations, codes, laws and loopholes. They want to make sure the average citizen stays that way.

Statistics show that those who retain the legal services of a Nevada Accident & Injury Lawyer receive 3x-5x more compensation than those who choose to deal with a defendant's insurance company directly. When personal injuries are added to the equation, a victim should, at the very least, consult legal advice from a Nevada personal injury attorney, and specifically a Las Vegas personal injury attorney when injured in southern Nevada.

Professional Help is on the Way

The Attorneys at Las Vegas Injury Lawyers know the ins and outs of insurance claims. I encourage any injury victim to visit the Las Vegas Injury Lawyers website for additional information, and fill out the “Free Case Evaluation” form to your right on the screen. Let us help you on the road to recovery and just compensation.

8 Steps to Buying Auto Insurance

2009-11-10T11:28:00.000-08:00

You really should meet with an insurance agent to assist you in addressing what kind of coverage you need. But before you go, educate yourself for that conversation by taking care of the following:

1. Educate yourself on your individual state's automobile insurance requirements

2. Compare and shop your desired coverages

3. Meet with more than one insurance agent as all agents are not equal, and some will work to get you a better deal than others

4. Before signing, read the entire policy, and pay particular attention to the "Exclusion" section, as it provides what the policy will not cover

5. List all the drivers in your home to ensure they are all covered drivers

6. Pay premiums promptly

7. Disclose past claims, as the failure to do so can be a way for your insurance carrier to deny you coverage later down the road when you really need it

8. Always look in to medical payments coverage amounts, as this is the kind of coverage that will help you to get medical attention immediately after an accident, without you having to come out of pocket and pay for the treatment on your own