• Motorcycle Accidents
• Wrongful Death

September 3, 2013

Las Vegas Motorcyclist Killed in Box Truck Collision on Highway 95

The Clark County coroner recently identified the motorcyclist killed in yesterday morning’s fatal crash as a 23-year-old man from Las Vegas. The accident happened yesterday at 2:30 in the morning on Highway 95 near Cheyenne.

The motorcyclist was traveling southbound when somehow his motorcycle crashed into the back of a box delivery truck. The rider was ejected from the bike and pronounced dead at the scene, his motorcycle still lodged in the tailgate of the truck.

What does the initial Investigation reveals ?

The accident is still under investigation and there is no conclusive word as to whether alcohol, drugs or reckless driving may have contributed to this fatal accident. Nevada Highway Patrol officials believe the accident may have been caused by the motorcyclist’s speeding.

If he was traveling at high speeds, he may not have had enough time to react to the box truck driver slowing down. The coroner did rule that the critical injuries caused the death including blunt force trauma to the head and chest. The box truck driver was unharmed by the accident with minor injuries and is not expected to face charges.

Traffic Laws for Motorcyclists in Nevada

In the state of Nevada, motorcyclists must heed to the same traffic laws as other drivers. There are some additional safety requirements and suggestions that riders should follow.

• In Nevada, motorcyclists are required to wear helmets.
• Lane splitting or sharing is illegal in the state of Nevada.
• Motorcyclists must have a valid motorcycle license and registration to operate on public roads.

If a motorcyclist is disobeying a traffic law or motorcycle-specific law at the time of an accident, they can be held partially or totally liable for their own injuries.

In this particular accident, that may be the case. If, after an investigation, the highway patrol determines that the motorcyclist was speeding at the time of the accident, there will be no cause for wrongful death action.

Guidelines for filing wrongful death claims

Wrongful death and personal injury claims can only be filed against at-fault parties. If the box truck driver was in no way at-fault for the accident, then the driver cannot be named as a defendant in a wrongful death case.

Motorcyclists are prone to more serious injuries in the event of an accident than drivers of passenger or commercial vehicles. They do not have a cab surrounding them, but only a helmet and some additional safety equipment protecting them from the open road and other vehicles.

For this reason, extreme caution must be taken at all times. Statistically, more than 75 percent of motorcycle accidents involve a passenger vehicle. The CDC also reports that motorcyclist death rates increased 55 percent from 2001 to 2008.

Source: https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/811639

If you or someone you love was involved in a motorcycle accident and you would like to discuss the possibility of filing a claim, contact or Las Vegas personal injury attorneys at Shook & Stone today by calling 702-570-0000.