The Las Vegas Sun reported that the Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) made as many as 36 arrests in the Las Vegas area during a patrol it conducted on New Year’s Eve. According to the news article, Metro Police will be releasing its impaired driver statistics at a later time. Within the first days of January 2021, Metro Police announced its first fatal car accident on its Twitter account. The driver, who was killed, was ejected in a single-car accident that occured on Highway 163 near Laughlin. Metro further noted that the New Year’s Eve celebration that happened in the resort corridor resulted in 26 arrests; 17 were misdemeanors and nine were felony offenses. According to Clark County, 11 party-goers were transported to the hospital during the holiday for treatment of minor medical issues. NHP posted on Twitter that 17 arrests were made in Reno.
Nevada DUI Statistics
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NTSA) reports that nearly 30 people are killed every day due to an alcohol-related accident in the United States. That translates to more than one each every hour of every day. According to the NTSA, approximately 29% of all car accidents in 2018 involved alcohol. Unfortunately, despite decades of drunk driving crackdowns by law enforcement and public awareness campaigns, driving under the influence is still an issue in America.
In addition to crash statistics, the financial impact of drunk driving is significant not just in Nevada but across the country. The costs of addressing the consequences of drunk driving — physical, emotional, and financial harm to the victims and their loved ones — costs Americans $37 billion annually, according to the Federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics (FBTS).
What to Do
It is critical to know that the moment the accident happens, the clock on the statute of limitations starts ticking for a drunk driving accident victim to seek monetary compensation for harm suffered. A statute of limitation is the timeframe in which a claim must be filed or your legal rights will be forever waived. For this reason, the sooner an accident victim can contact an experienced attorney, the better their chances are at recovering the maximum financial award available under applicable law.
The victims of a drunk driving accident victim can do the following to protect their rights and those of their loved one:
- Get medical treatment: Any and all injuries should be treated as quickly as possible after a Nevada car accident. Making sure you receive medical care is important not just for recovery of injuries, but valuable for a potential personal injury case
- Take care with insurers: The insurance company’s representative will likely engage in tactics to try to foreclose or limit the financial exposure for injuries caused by a drunk driver. Do not agree to a settlement offer from an insurance company without first consulting with an experienced attorney;
- Social media fast: Stay off of social media platforms (at least for now). Typically a person’s social media depicts happy and positive lives; having this image after a car accident can give insurance companies the ability to talk down your harm.
We Can Help
The Nevada personal injury attorneys at H&P Law know the law and what it takes to put together a strong personal injury claim. Contact our Las Vegas or Hendersen office to speak with one of our courtroom proven lawyers today.
