Las Vegas Injury Attorney Blog

Despite major advances in car safety, road engineering and greater public education regarding the dangers associated with driving, the sobering fact is that car accidents remain one of the leading causes of death among adults and the leading cause of death among teenagers. The top ten causes of car accidents are:

1. Road Conditions - Icy roads, crumbling streets, potholes and slick roadways can present significant danger to the motorist. In Las Vegas, given the year round sunshine, rain can pose a significant hazard when it mixes with the oil on city streets. The mixture creates an extra slick surface leading to cars colliding as a result of poor tire traction.


2. Reckless Driving - How many times have you observed someone engaging in aggressive driving placing others at risk? If you received a penny for every daily observation, you'd have a nice chunk of change at the end of the day. Drivers that fail to yield the right of way, failing to provide a turn signal, tailgating, excessive speeding and sudden braking can all lead to catastrophic consequences. The road can be a dangerous place based on the reckless behavior of others!


3. Speeding - This one is fairly obvious. Sadly, far too many people treat the city streets like a raceway. It's bad enough when a speeding driver places him or herself in danger, but it's unconscionable when they jeopardize the safety of others. Speed limits exist for a reason. Unfortunately, though, far too many people treat them as merely optional.


4. Driver Distraction - Kids wrestling in the car, fixation with the radio, daydreaming while driving; all events that can lead to deadly results. Keeping one's eyes on the road is the key to ensuring maximum safety.


5. Drug Use - You'd be surprised to learn some people believe they can consume drugs and drive. It happens far more frequently that one might think. Illegal drugs, however, are not always the culprit. Even over-the-counter cough medicine with a sedative effect can induce sleepiness leading to fatal results.


6. Drunk Driving - Again, no surprise. Drinking and driving is simply asking for trouble.


7. "Rubbernecking" - A car accident or other event occurs that gets everyone's attention as they crane their necks to observe what is happening roadside. This is called "rubbernecking" which is merely a form of distracted driving.


8. Multitasking - The average person is under constant barrage of information as a result of ubiquitous technological innovations. This, coupled with the constant pressures associated with modern life, can cause people to do too much. Eating and talking on the phone while driving is not a smart move.


9. Switching Channels - While driving safely should always be the first priority of every driver, far too many people make it a secondary concern to their desire to have the perfect song play on the radio.


10. Cell Phones - Texting, talking or snapping constant pictures can lead to tragic results when those activities occur behind the wheel of a car. For this reason, many states have enacted laws regulating cell phone use while driving.

Being aware of safe driving habits can significantly minimize the risk of a car accident. Of course, while you can always change your own behavior, it still pays to be a defensive driver given all the other motorists engaging in high-risk behavior while behind the wheel.

Following a car accident, slip and fall or some other type of personal injury incident, people often seek the help of either a chiropractor or physical therapist. Of course, this makes perfect sense. Before exploring legal rights, one's health and well-being come first. However, the question often gets asked, "should I see a chiropractor or a physical therapist if I've been inured?" The answer is that it depends on the circumstances. While both are health care professionals specializing in alternative medicine, their approach towards treatment can differ.

Chiropractors

Chiropractic science focuses primarily upon the interplay between the neurological and skeletal systems. The principal theory underlying chiropractic treatment is that "spinal adjustments" promote the free flow of nerve energy which helps to alleviate or cure many ailments.

The goal of every chiropractic treatment is to decrease pain through a series of visits in which a "spinal adjustment" is performed on the patient. In order to see full benefits, patients generally require several chiropractic adjustments before they experience results, this can require a treatment regimen that runs the course of several weeks to even a year in chronic pain cases. Generally, each treatment or spinal adjustment lasts between 10 and 30 minutes.

Physical Therapists

The goal of physical therapy is to focus on decreasing pain and improving mobility by emphasizing strength conditioning. Physical therapists target musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems in order to improve patient posture, joint flexibility and eliminate movement dysfunction.

While chiropractic medicine has the spine as its focal point, physical therapy encompasses a much broader range of body parts by addressing soft tissue neurological and joint structures. Like chiropractic medicine, physical therapy focuses upon pain reduction through a progressive and sustained treatment regimen.

They Can Both Help

Both Chiropractors and Physical Therapists are licensed health care professionals that must go through extensive certification before they can treat patients. Unlike Physicians, they're focus is upon alternative medicine that avoids prescribing medications for pain alleviation. Of course, if pain medication is necessary, they can both refer patients to qualified physicians that specialize in pain management.

Often, the best starting point is a chiropractor since most trauma occurs in the spine following an accident. After the chiropractor is able to make initial assessments about the degree of spinal trauma, he or she can then refer the patient to another professional that might be able to provide more specific treatment remedies.

When most people think of a "car accident," they assume a collision between two motor vehicles. However, the occurrence of cars hitting pedestrians is far more common than many people would imagine.

Sobering Statistics

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ("NHTSA"), a federal government agency, on average around 4,500 pedestrians were killed per year in traffic crashes in the United States since 2008.

A pedestrian is killed in a traffic crash every 2 hours and injured in a traffic crash every 8 minutes. You don't need to be a safety expert to understand the depth of the problem.
According to NHTSA, more than 70% of the pedestrians that were killed were males and most fatalities and serious accidents occur between Friday and Sunday. In almost half of all cases, either the driver or the pedestrian were intoxicated.

Most pedestrian accidents occur in urban settings, usually at cross-walks or other street intersections.

Important Safety Reminders

Drivers are required to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians crossing streets in marked or unmarked crosswalks in most situations. Given the occurrence of most accidents at intersections, pedestrians need to be exceptionally careful when crossing the street. This means being aware of one's surroundings. If a pedestrian is jogging and has headphones on, it is wise to look both ways and from behind before running into and through an intersection.

Increase visibility at night by using a flashlight or wearing retro-reflective clothing when exercising.

If you choose to run in the street instead of the sidewalk, make sure you're running in the face of traffic. This will ensure that you'll see what's coming towards you.

Legal Recourse

If you're the victim of a pedestrian accident, you have the same right to sue for injuries sustained as you would if you were driving a car and involved in an accident. Auto insurance policies cover pedestrian accidents. Being the victim of a pedestrian accident can potentially far worse than a run-of-the-mill car accident since the impact of the car on the human body carries with it far greater risk and potential for serious injuries. If you've been the victim of a pedestrian accident, "don't get mad, get legal!"

According to recent reports from Las Vegas Metropolitan Police pedestrian accidents increased by 80% in our valley during 2012. Take a moment to read (and share) these tips to help keep our valley safe!

After a traumatic or life-threatening event, it is very common for a person to experience upsetting memories of the event (i.e. "flashbacks"), increased unease or jumpiness, trouble sleeping and feelings of rage or depression. If these reactions do not ease over time or simply get worse, a person might be suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or "PTSD."

While PTSD is popularly viewed as a mood disorder associated with anxiety, it can in fact be a form of brain injury brought about by constant bombardment of brain chemicals due to a traumatic event. With advances in science and heightened studies of PTSD, many experts have come to view PTSD as associated with traumatic brain injury or "TBI."

According to a study discussed in the January 31, 2008 edition of The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that American soldiers who experienced mild concussions while deployed in Iraq exhibited symptoms associated with PTSD and physical health problems 3 to 4 months following the soldiers' return home to the United States. The same study also found that depression and PTSD are important links signifying the relationship between mild TBI and physical health problems. Recognizing the seriousness of PTSD, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs has provided significant information on its website (www.ptsd.va.gov) regarding PTSD in an effort to assist veterans and their families in dealing with this emerging health crises.

If you think PTSD is limited to soldiers fighting in war zones, you would be mistaken. PTSD can occur following a traumatic accident such a motor vehicle collision. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV ("DSM-IV"), PTSD may be summarized in the following manner:

1. There is exposure to a traumatic event;
2. There is persistent re-experience of the event in the mind of the PTSD sufferer;
3. There is persistent avoidance by the PTSD sufferer of things associated with the traumatic event;
4. There are persistent symptoms;
5. The duration of the symptoms last more than one month; and
6. There is significant impairment of the PTSD sufferer in social, occupational or other important areas of life.

The DSM-IV defines "traumatic events" for purposes of diagnosing PTSD as an event that involves actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others. The PTSD sufferer's response involves intense fear, helplessness or horror.

When many people experience a catastrophic accident, they tend to rightly focus on the physical injuries they may have sustained. However, as demonstrated above, ignoring the mental injuries (which can become physical injuries) can be a significant mistake leading to adverse consequences. PTSD is a real and significant condition that must be addressed and taken seriously.

If you or a loved one has been in an accident, you need to aggressive and highly-skilled legal representation. Finding the right lawyer can help you achieve the just compensation you deserve. A good lawyer will know good doctors who in turn will conduct a thorough medical examination. While the road to justice can be long and winding, it should not be made more difficult than necessary. If you or a loved one has been injured:

According to the Brain Injury Association of America the statistics involving brain injuries are sobering. Of the 1.7 million people who sustain a traumatic brain injury each year in the United States:

• 50,000 will die;
• 235,000 will require hospitalization;
• 1.1 million will be treated and released from an emergency room;

When most people think of a brain injury, they think of complete impairment or a person in a vegetative state. However, this is most often not the case. Did you know that a "concussion" is a form of brain injury? In fact, concussions are the most common type of traumatic brain injuries.

Concussions occur as the axons of neurons stretch and contort and brain fluid from the axons literally squirts out the ends of the telodendrites which is the end process of the neuron that transmits neurotransmitter substance to other brain cells. A concussion is basically a complicated pathophysiological process that impacts the brain.

It is often the case that, following a traumatic event resulting in a concussion, mental function is at least temporarily impaired. There is usually damage from the biochemical changes in neurons negatively affecting cell membranes and synapses. The "synapse" is simply the junction between where neurons release neurotransmitter substance from one cell before it is received by the receptors of another cell.

According to the American Academy of Neurology, concussions may be rated in one of two graded fashions:

Grade 1: Some transient confusion; no loss of consciousness and symptoms clear up in 15 minutes;

Grade 2: Some transient confusion; no loss of consciousness and symptoms last longer than 15 minutes.

A concussion is nothing to be taken lightly. While we hear of concussions occurring all the time in professional sports, and therefore tend to view it as routine injury, athletes are highly conditioned individuals that are in peak physical shape and have the ability to withstand trauma in ways that might adversely affect the average person. However, even athletes often suffer significant problems from concussions which lead to major cognitive problems later in life.

If you or a loved one has sustained a concussion from a car accident or some other type of personal injury, make sure you receive prompt medical attention from a medical professional. Because a "concussion" is the type of injury that is difficult to self-diagnose, it is imperative to receive appropriate medical attention following a personal injury to ensure there are no major problems left unaddressed.

Following a car accident, many people experience pain in their back and assume that their injuries are limited to the spinal column. While this is often true, advances in technology and medical testing are leading many doctors to also explore the possibility of brain trauma. Often, injuries to the brain can be subtle and difficult to detect and discern. A good doctor examining the victim of a traumatic event will always be on the lookout for potential brain injury.

According to the Brain Injury Association of America (www.biausa.org) the statistics involving brain injuries are sobering. Of the 1.7 million people who sustain a traumatic brain injury each year in the United States:

• 50,000 will die;
• 235,000 will require hospitalization;
• 1.1 million will be treated and released from an emergency room;

Of course, these statistics do not tell the whole story. The number of people with a traumatic brain injury who are not seen in an emergency department or who receive no care whatsoever is unknown. Among the leading causes of brain injuries are the following:

• Falls;
• Motor-Vehicle accidents;
• Assaults.

Additionally, men are 1.5 times more likely as females to sustain a traumatic brain injury. Given the propensity of men, especially younger men, to engage in high risk behaviors such as speeding or reckless driving, the disparity between men and women suffering from traumatic brain injuries becomes clearer and easier to understand.
If you or a loved one have suffered a traumatic personal injury, it is essential to make sure a qualified medical professional conducts the appropriate testing to ensure a brain injury is not left untreated. As noted by the Brain Injury Association of America:

"Brain injury is not an event or an outcome. It is the start of a misdiagnosed,misunderstood, under-funded neurological disease. Individuals who sustain brain injuries must have timely access to expert trauma care, specialized rehabilitation, lifelong disease management and individualized services and supports in order to live healthy, independent and satisfying lives."

In most instances, the appropriate physician to diagnose a traumatic brain injury will be a neurologist. If you or a loved one has been in a car accident, the potential for brain injury exists. While you might think a brain injury involves complete impairment, this often not the case. A concussion, even a mild one, is a type of brain injury that, if left untreated, can significantly impact a person's life.