Fatal Crash in Las Vegas Caused by Driver’s Medical Episode

September 19, 2013

Fatal Crash in Las Vegas Caused by Driver’s Medical Episode

Las Vegas Metro Police reported that a man died in a car accident instigated by an apparent medical episode. After police responded to the incident, they determined upon initial investigation that the man was killed after driving into a wall on North Lamb Boulevard. He was transported by an emergency medical team to University Medical Center and died a short time later.

After the accident, which occurred at about 7:05am, the traffic authority shut down all but one lane of traffic going north on Lamb Boulevard. A spokeswoman from Metro said that police will likely shut down the road completely for a period of time while conducting a more thorough investigation of the incident. Southbound Lamb Boulevard will not be affected.

What is a medical episode crash?

A medical episode crash is a crash caused by an unexpected medical condition that affects a driver’s ability to control or operate their vehicle safely. In some cases, the cause of the crash can be attributed to something as small as a fainting spell or seizure.

Other times, the medical episode could be more severe, such as stroke or heart attack. In any case, medical episode crashes can be as dangerous and deadly as any other type of car accident.

Casualty crashes in Nevada

Every year, there are about 300 fatal crashes in the state, according to the Nevada Department of Transportation. Statistically the most common causes of these fatal accidents are drinking and driving, failure to yield and reckless driving. The DOT does not list the total number of annual accidents in the state caused by medical episodes.

Although rare, this is often a fatal or permanently debilitating type of accident. Usually, when accident reports indicate “medical episode,” it means the driver suffered something like a heart attack, loss of consciousness or any other type of health-related attack that impaired their ability to drive or drive safely.

Thankfully, no one was injured in this motor vehicle accident aside from the tragic death of the driver. Some individuals are not fit to drive due to certain preexisting medical conditions.

Shook & Stone: Your Accident Lawyers in Las Vegas

This may or may not have been the case with this driver, but if you were involved in an accident caused by another driver’s medical episode and they should not have been driving, then you may have a claim.

At Shook & Stone, we understand the pain, confusion and frustration that can come with a medical episode crash. Our law firm in Las Vegas specializes in assisting individuals who have been injured in car accidents to receive the compensation they require for medical expenses and lost wages from insurance companies.

Call us at (702) 570-0000 to contact a Las Vegas car accident lawyer today or fill out the form for a free consultation.