Injury Crash Shuts down the Strip

The Las Vegas Strip was closed for about four hours recently for purposes of the investigation of a chain reaction rear-end crash that occurred in front of Caesars Palace. Three cars were involved, and a taxi driver was transported by ambulance in critical condition from the scene to University Medical Center after having to be cut out of his vehicle. The taxi was not carrying any passengers. Two occupants of a red car that hit the taxi were taken from the scene with non-life threatening injuries. One of the drivers left the scene, but contact and insurance information was provided to police. Police are reviewing surveillance tapes from the area to confirm how the crash occurred.

Preserve the Evidence You Have

Given the fact that the taxi cab sustained both front and rear-end damage, the circumstantial evidence indicates that it was in the middle of the chain when it was struck from the rear by the red car and pushed into the vehicle ahead of it. Nevada courts permit circumstantial evidence so long as the proper foundation for it is laid. Photos of the damage to both ends of the taxi cab should provide a strong inference of how the crash occurred. Foundation can be laid through the testimony of the taxi driver.

Common Causes of Rear-End Accidents

Preliminary numbers from the Nevada Department of Public Safety indicate that 321 fatalities occurred on Nevada roads in 2015. Those represent a 10.3 percent increase from the prior year. The preliminary numbers on serious traffic injuries for 2015 aren’t ready yet, but in 2014, there were 1,209 serious injuries attributable to Nevada traffic accidents. Like the crash in front of Caesars, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration reports that 28 percent of all accidents nationwide are rear-end collisions. Common causes of those rear-end collisions include but aren’t limited to:

• Distracted driving like texting, talking on a phone, using a navigational device or CD player while driving
• Fatigued driving, particularly in the context of commercial carriers
• Following too closely for traffic and/or weather conditions
• Aggressive driving like speeding or cutting other drivers off
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs or a combination of both

There’s No Opportunity to Prepare for Impact

Given the physics of rear-end collisions, the body part most commonly injured is the spine, especially when the occupant of a car has no idea that the impact is coming. That’s usually when more serious injuries will result, because the victim isn’t given the opportunity to brace for the impact. That bracing can significantly reduce damage to spinal muscles, ligaments, discs and nerves which are the parts of the spine most often affected from a rear-end impact.

Common Rear-End Accident Injuries

Regardless of whether you’re a driver or a passenger, you don’t ordinarily have an opportunity to brace for a rear-end impact. You never knew it was coming, so you never had a chance to brace. That’s when the most significant rear-end impact spinal injuries occur. Sometimes those injuries require surgical intervention.

Spinal injuries aren’t the only injuries that can be connected with rear-end collisions. Other injuries might include:

• Head and facial bruises or lacerations
• Rib, knee or foot fractures
• Traumatic brain injures
• Spinal cord injuries

Get Examined and Start Treatment Right Away

At the scene, you might not even realize that you’ve been injured. Some people who suffer brain injuries believe that they’re behaving in a perfectly normal fashion, but their families notice significant differences. That’s why it’s important to be examined and treated by medical professionals immediately after any accident. Opposing insurers love to see delays or gaps in treatment. They can be used against a claimant.

Contact Eric H. Woods Law Offices Right Away After an Accident

If you or somebody close to you is the injured victim of a rear-end collision, contact Eric H. Woods Law Offices as soon as possible after the accident. Don’t wait for the insurer of the person who hit you to contact you. That insurer is only going to want a written or recorded statement from you that it can use against you in the future. Protect your rights and the value of your claim by calling Eric H. Woods Law Offices at 702-737-0000 for a free personal injury consultation and case evaluation on any Nevada accident case. Insurance defense lawyers and Nevada judges know and respect him. He’s highly experienced, thorough and aggressive, but he’s also compassionate. Once you retain Eric H. Woods, you’ll never hear from that insurance company again. He’ll be in control of the case for you.