Recent estimates of traffic accident-related deaths in 2021 released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicate that the number traffic fatalities are at the highest they have been since 2005.
Damages in a Las Vegas Accident
If you or someone you know has been hurt in a Las Vegas, Nevada car accident, you may be entitled to monetary compensation for harm suffered. Below is a simple description of the three types of compensation—referred to as damages—available under Nevada law:
- Economic: This includes monetary compensation for harm that can be objectively verified as a monetary loss. Examples of economic damages include loss of past and future wages, past and future medical expenses, and damage or loss of property, among other financial losses.
- Non-economic: This includes monetary compensation for harm that cannot be objectively verified as monetary loss. Examples of non-economic damages include loss of life or companionship, disfigurement, pain and suffering, and emotional distress, among others.
- Punitive damages: This includes monetary compensation for egregious harm suffered by the victim in an effort to punish the at-fault party for bad behavior and also warn others that such behavior is not acceptable.
In order to recover any monetary compensation, an accident victim must show that the other driver is at fault, their actions were the cause of the crash, the accident resulted in harm, and that harm resulted in damages. If the accident victim is found to be partially at-fault, then any monetary award will be reduced by the percentage that the victim is found to have contributed to the crash.
Traffic Fatality Statistics
The data is as follows, according to the NHTSA, for the year 2021:
- 42,915 accident related-deaths
- 19,777 Multi-vehicle crash-related deaths
- 7,530 deaths among drivers over the age of 65
- 11,780 car accident deaths resulting from speeding
- 25,411 car accident fatalities on urban roads
- 19,799 fatalities as a result of daytime car accidents
- 8,174 car accident deaths resulting from alcohol consumption
The data is as follows, according to the NHTSA, for the year 2020:
- 38,824 accident related-deaths
- 17,083 Multi-vehicle crash-related deaths
- 6,578 deaths among drivers over the age of 65
- 11,258 car accident deaths resulting from speeding
- 21,940 car accident fatalities on urban roads
- 17,917 fatalities as a result of daytime car accidents
- 7,795 car accident deaths resulting from alcohol consumption
It is important to understand that while the above just looks like numbers, they are not. Each one represents a person who lost their life in a traffic accident.
Making America’s Roads Safer
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is promoting the Safe System Approach (SSA) in its effort to address and mitigate the inherent risks of America’s roadway system. The SSA focuses on five objectives for road safety:
- Encouraging those on the roads to implement safe and responsible behavior (safer people)
- Designing roadways to prevent crashes and reduce harm to all users (safer roads)
- Expanding the availability of car features that will make vehicles safer for all (safer vehicles)
- Promoting safer speeds by comprehensively approaching education, intervention, enforcement, and road design (safer speeds)
- Ensuring quick access to emergency medical care to help crash victims survive accidents and creating safe work environments for first responders (post-crash care).
Contact Our Accident Attorneys
In order for America’s roads to be safer, we all need to do our part. Unfortunately, you can’t always prevent a car accident from happening to you. If you or someone you know has been hurt in a Las Vegas accident, contact the experienced accident attorneys at H&P Law today. We will fight for the best outcome available to you.
