Anyone who has ever driven on Interstate 15 as it passes by the Las Vegas Strip can probably imagine the chaos a single driver could cause by trying to merge or change lanes without checking for other cars near them first. When a tractor-trailer driver fails to check their “blind spots” like this, though, the outcome may not be chaotic so much as catastrophic for multiple other people sharing the road with them.
Blind spot truck accidents in Las Vegas can be extremely dangerous and deceptively hard to effectively sue over. The seasoned truck accident lawyers at Shook & Stone could help you understand what rights you have after a wreck like this, assist with constructing a strong claim for compensation, and ensure that common legal and procedural roadblocks do not keep you from getting paid what you deserve.
Does Not Checking Blind Spots Count as “Negligence?”
Every person driving any kind of motor vehicle on public Nevada roads has the same “duty of care” to act lawfully and responsibly around other drivers. That duty includes an expectation for them to use their mirrors and anything else at their disposal to check their “blind spots” before turning or switching lanes. Most cars have blind spots just beyond the front and back bumpers as well as diagonally out from both sides, but since the blind spots on tractor-trailers are big enough to hide multiple other cars from view, it is especially vital for truck drivers to be diligent about checking them.
Any truck driver who directly causes a traffic accident in Las Vegas by failing to check their blind spot or otherwise “breaching” their duty of care is legally “negligent” and can be held liable for ensuing injuries and losses based on that negligence. Our attorneys could provide vital support both with establishing civil fault for a particular crash along these lines and demanding fair compensation for damages like:
- Medical bills
- Car repair costs
- Lost work income
- Physical and psychological suffering
How Comparative Fault Could Affect Recovery Efforts
Even if you can prove that a truck driver hit you after failing to check their blind spot properly, that does not necessarily mean a court will find that truck driver 100 percent at fault for the collision. It is not only possible but somewhat common for people injured in blind spot truck crashes in Las Vegas to face accusations that they were negligent themselves in some way—for instance, by staying inside a truck’s blind spot for an unreasonable amount of time.
Based on such an allegation, a court could assign you a percentage of “comparative fault” for your own injuries and then either reduce the total compensation awarded to you or—if you are more than 50 percent to blame for the accident as a whole—bar you from recovery altogether in accordance with Nevada Revised Statutes § 41.141. This is just one of many legal obstacles our team could help you navigate during the litigation process.
Contact a Las Vegas Attorney for Help After a Blind Spot Truck Accident
Even at low speeds, a truck colliding with a commuter car because the truck driver failed to check their blind spots properly can have disastrous consequences for everyone involved, and crashes like this at higher speeds can cause exponentially greater harm. When you are injured in this type of wreck, demanding compensation for your damages could be vital to preserving your overall quality of life.
Our dependable tractor-trailer accident attorneys at Shook & Stone could help you through the legal process from start to finish. Call today to discuss your options following a blind spot truck accident in Las Vegas.
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