Getting hit by a commercial vehicle, a delivery truck, bus, church van, security vehicle, etc. is always more complicated than if you were hit by someone driving their personally owned car.  While it may seem like an accident is an accident, and fairly straightforward, nothing is as simple as it seems. In this particular situation, the complications typically come from the need to prove negligence.

What is Negligence?

This is the legal term for fault.  In any accident, it needs to be proven who caused it, who was at fault for the wreck, and what percentage of fault each driver had.  In Nevada, the law allows for each driver to be partially to blame for the wreck and their percentage of blame determines what percentage of the settlement they are responsible for paying.  For example, if you are in a wreck and the settlement is for $10,000 but you were found to be ten percent negligent, you would only be entitled to $9,000 of the total award.

Who is to Blame When Hit by a Commercial Vehicle?

If you were hit by a commercial vehicle, the case has multiple layers.  First, was the driver using the vehicle while on duty or in their free time?  Were they doing a task that was assigned to them and were they trained on how to operate the vehicle?  Was the vehicle properly maintained or did a lack of maintenance contribute to the crash?  These are the types of questions that must be asked and answered in order to know if the driver was fully to blame or if the company they work for had some responsibility.  If you think that the company was completely or partially to blame you need to include them in the lawsuit.  If you fail to do so and settle, you will not be able to go back and sue them at a later date.

A Car Accidents Lawyer in Las Vegas Can Help You to Prepare a Lawsuit

It can be difficult to know whether you should include just the driver or the driver and their company in your lawsuit. A car accidents lawyer in Las Vegas can help to make that determination after hearing the details of your case. The next step will be to file a lawsuit and begin down the path of either settling or going to court in pursuit of damages.

What if You Were in a Commercial Bus that Was Hit?

Unfortunately, this does happen.  In fact, a famous Las Vegas case is the one where a local 25-year-old man hit a small tour bus, killing two people and injuring three more.  In the event that you are or were in a similar situation, and were hit while a passenger, you still need to have the case thoroughly researched to identify all parties that could be to blame for your injuries.

Do you know anyone that has been in an accident with a commercial vehicle?  Share this blog with them so that they know their rights and the importance of identifying all responsible parties.

A hit and run driver was on the loose in downtown, crashing into an untold number of vehicles.  While rare, she went on an accident spree before ever being apprehended. News 3 Las Vegas reported that she hit at least three other vehicles but it is unclear how many were actually impacted by her reckless driving.

The Vehicle

She was driving a Toyota truck which made the string of accidents potentially worse.  For example, she was able to take out a street light near Stewart and Main, something that would have probably stopped a small sedan in its tracks.  Why she kept on going, no one knows since normally that would cause a person to at least pull over.

Who Was Hit?

After crashing into the light, she hit two other vehicles near Pecos and Stewart.  The next accident happened a few minutes later as the truck hit five other vehicles.  Unfortunately, this time people were hurt.  Two people were transported to the hospital with one of them bleeding and unresponsive.

Witnesses Followed Her

People that saw the last accident started to follow the truck and found it stopped near Fremont and St. Louis. According to reports, there were open alcohol containers in the truck along with her dog.  She was agitated or combative and was arrested when police arrived.  Fortunately, with the help of witnesses, the truck was tracked down so that the driver could be held accountable.  In many hit and run cases, the driver gets away, leaving victims and their families in search for justice, like with the case of the grandfather that was hit in November.  Often the only way to track the driver down is with tips and leads that the police have to follow up on.  Once a driver is found, criminal charges can be made against them and a civil case filed by a car accidents lawyer in Las Vegas.

Ongoing Investigation

Metro officers are investigating the accidents.  Naturally there are quite a few vehicles involved and many potential injuries.  Do you know anyone that had their vehicle run into before 12:40 on January 4^th?  Whether it was parked or they were driving, if they were the victim of a hit and run, it could have been part of this accident chain.  Share this blog with them so that they can contact the police, make a report, and see if their accident was part of this chain of events. If it was, their accident could become part of the criminal case against her.