State and local law enforcement in the Las Vegas, Nevada, area will be conducting heavy enforcement at intersections for the next several days. Reports from 8 News Now say that the action comes after the release of a lower-than-average result for the city in regards to pedestrian safety.

The Alliance for Biking and Walking ranked Las Vegas 32nd out of 51 for the safest major cities in the country earlier this week. This prompted law enforcement to step up their actions at major intersections in the city.

For the rest of the week, the Nevada Highway Patrol in conjunction with Las Vegas Metro Police, the Henderson Police Department, and the Boulder City Police Department, will conduct numerous operations to ensure traffic motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians alike follow traffic laws and signals.

The operations will take place:

Tuesday

• At major intersections near Charleston and Lamb from 6:00 AM – 11:00 AM and     2:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Wednesday

• At intersections near Maryland Parkway and Desert Inn from 6:00 AM – 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Thursday

• At major intersections near Tropicana and Paradise 6:00 AM – 11:00 AM and          2:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Friday

• At major intersections near Serene and Eastern from 6:00 AM – 11:00AM
• At major intersections near Cheyenne and Losee from 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM

The Las Vegas car accident lawyers with the Richard Harris Law Firm would like to remind both pedestrians and motorists to share the road for safety.

Two people from Las Vegas, Nevada, were killed early Thursday morning after being involved in a single-vehicle crash on an on-ramp of I-215. According to 8 News Now, the accident occurred as the vehicle exited the highway near Cheyenne Avenue.

Investigators with the Nevada Highway Patrol said that the vehicle did not stop or slow down as it got off the highway and passed through an intersection. Authorities say the vehicle was traveling too fast and collided with a barrier wall next to the highway. The 66-year-old driver and 72-year-old passenger both died at the scene of the accident.

Experts say that Thursday’s deaths bring the total number of highway fatalities in the state to eight so far for the year. The number of highway deaths in the state has slowly, but steadily, risen in recent years.

This rise caused the Advocates for Highway Safety to research the growing problem and released a report yesterday that reveals the monetary cost of reckless driving. The report estimates that state taxpayers pay $1.9 billion a year for accidents caused by negligent driving. That cost includes medical expenses, property damage, legal costs, infrastructure repair, employee payout losses, and lost productivity.

This is why the Nevada auto accident attorneys with the Richard Harris Law Firm encourage motorists to follow these tips to safe driving:

• Always buckle up
• Eliminate distractions before driving- check mirrors, phones, and stereos
• Slow down
• Never get behind the wheel if intoxicated

A 62-year-old man died in a Las Vegas, Nevada, motorcycle accident yesterday afternoon. According to 8 News Now, the single-vehicle crash occurred at around 6:30 PM along a stretch of US-95, near Anne Road.

Nevada highway patrol confirmed that the man was with two other bikers yesterday as they headed northbound. The two other riders got ahead of the man though, leaving him alone. Troopers say that then, for an unknown reason, the biker veered off the side of the highway and lost control of the bike. The impact of the crash ejected the rider from the bike and threw him to the asphalt. The injured biker was taken to University Medical Center, where he later died of complications.

Investigators are still working to determine the case of the crash.

The Nevada motorcycle accident lawyers with Richard Harris Law Firm understand the dangers that motorcycles can present for a rider, but by following a few safety tips, they can also be wonderful hobby and pass-time.

The most important thing to remember is to Wear a helmet AND protective clothing! The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that wearing a helmet saved an estimated 1,158 lives in 2003. The agency also cites in a safety pamphlet that eye protection, boots, and sturdy leathers are vital in protecting the rider as well.

Taking a motorcycle safety course and obtaining the proper motorcycle license will also decrease your chances of being involved in a motorcycle crash.

In a town like Las Vegas, where as many people can potentially be walking next to the street as there are driving on it, it is vital that motorists and pedestrians alike understand the importance right-of-way at a crosswalk. That is why, according to 8 News Now, the North Las Vegas Police Department conducted a Crosswalk Safety event Friday.

The exercise, which was sponsored by the Nevada Department of Public Safety, Office of Traffic Safety, hosted officers focusing on drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians at crosswalks and drivers who pass vehicles stopped for pedestrians. They hoped the end goal of the event was increased awareness of surroundings on the highway by both drivers and pedestrians.

The effort was conducted in response to a string of recent pedestrian accidents in the area. In October, a 6-year-old girl was killed when she was hit in a crosswalk by a by a 78-year-old woman. Studies show, of the 414 pedestrian accidents in Clark County last year, 105 of them involved a child between the ages of one and 15, while 28 involved someone ages 16 to 20.

The Las Vegas Personal Injury Lawyers with the Richard Harris Law Firm support efforts such as these because they say it makes the community safer as a whole. Each year, the firm sponsors a campaign called “Students With A Cause,” which invites area high school students to create public service announcements to combat these kinds of problems.

Motorcycles can be a great way to rejuvenate a person’s sense of freedom and a great source of comradery with other bikers. Sometimes though, speed and reckless behavior give way to accidents that can paint the biker image in a negative light. According to 8 News Now, that was the case in two separate accidents involving speed and motorcycles Thursday night in Las Vegas.

The first crash happened Thursday just after 8:00 P.M. when two cars crashed and were stopped in the middle of Blue Diamond Road. Suddenly, a Kawasaki motorcycle came upon the crash and did not stop. The bike plowed into the stopped vehicles and sent the bike’s rider flying through the air. He died in the hospital later that night. Authorities are still investigating how fast the bike was traveling at the time of the crash.

A second accident happened shortly after, when a motorcyclist traveling 100 MPH in a southbound lane of I-15 near Flamingo Road attempted to pop a wheelie and hit a metal barrier near the road. Authorities say the man remains in the hospital listed in critical condition.

The Las Vegas Motorcycle Accident Attorneys at Richard Harris Law Firm understand that most bikers are generally the most safe, considerate individuals on the road, and that the few spoil things for the many. However, our attorneys encourage all bikers to slow down for their safety and the safety of others.

Nevada state legislature has added an updated distracted driving law to the books that makes it illegal to text and drive or talk on cell phones while behind the wheel, but it won’t become official for another couple of months. The legislation made headlines earlier this week when police released information indicating that the ban would be enforced beginning July 1^st instead of October 1^st, when most new take effect.

According to a report by the Las Vegas Sun, Metro Police tweeted that they’d pull drivers over for the infraction starting on the first day of July. This prompted the Nevada Public Safety Department to issue a press release stating the law would not be enforced until October 1^st. Even then, offenders will only receive a verbal warning; police cannot issue actual citations until January 1st of next year.

Distracted driving has become one of the top three causes of fatal accidents, ranking among speed and alcohol as a top killer. In recent years, many states have created laws to curb cellphone use by drivers. To this date, more than 35 states have such legislation on their books, as lawmakers wait to see if their work makes a difference in lowering the number of accidents and fatalities.

Nevada Auto Accident Attorneys with the Richard Harris Law Firm may be able to help the victims of other drivers’ carelessness. Visit their website to learn more about some of the firm’s noteworthy cases and settlements.

A police officer and his motorcycle were involved in a Las Vegas motorcycle accident when the motorcycle collided with a Toyota Corolla.

The Toyota was headed westbound when it made a left turn into the path of the motorcycle during the Las Vegas motorcycle accident, according to the Las Vegas Sun.

The officer was taken to University Medical Center with moderate injuries from the Las Vegas motorcycle accident.

Read more.

Are police officer on motorcycles putting their lives at a greater risk? What special training do you think is needed to ensure safety of police officers on motorcycles?

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Las Vegas motorcycle accident, the Las Vegas motorcycle accident lawyers at Richard Harris Law Firm can help.

Besides this, there were many items which didn’t give much of a sense of warm and fuzzy.  I won’t quote the RJ, so as not to incur the wrath of their new copyright attorney, but a review of articles goes like this (according to my feeble memory):

Item – A poll that people in Las Vegas are not feeling secure with the economic conditions in town.  That’s no big surprise, but the same poll found that people don’t hate it enough to leave.

Item – A full page advertisement/announcement of Station Casinos having their reorganization plan confirmed by the court, which paves the way for the Stations to come out of bankruptcy as a viable company.

Item – Forbes magazine has found Las Vegas to be the most stressful city in the US, this two weeks after the same Forbes magazine found Vegas to be the “Coolest City in America”

Item – on the Sun front page that a middle class man is about to become homeless as his home is foreclosed.

This coupled with subsequent news from other sources that 3 out of 4 mortgages in Nevada are underwater, i.e. the house is not worth the balance of the mortgage, can give one a sense of hopelessness, and perhaps even dread.  No wonder this is the “most stressful” city in the US.

At the same time, this really is the coolest city in America.  I’ve told out of town friends that it’s a pretty good town to live in, with an incredible entertainment district.  On any given night in this town, we can see any number of big name rock and roll bands perform, and then there’s always the Cirque shows (are we up to 10 different ones now?), and, of course, any number of vices are indulged and even encouraged in this town, if you’re into those types of things. 

Well, unfortunately we don’t have the solution for all of our problems…we are a law firm afterall.  But what we can offer is assistance when you have been injured in a traffic accident through no fault of your own, or have had problems getting your social security disability, or have encountered issues getting your worker’s compensation. 

All of the above services come with our NO FEE-GUARANTEE, which means we work on a contingency and don’t charge you anything until we obtain a settlement for you.  In the meantime, we can provide referral services to medical providers, many of which work on a lien basis, which means you do not pay medical bills for your accident related treatments until settlement.  So even though we can’t solve all the problems of the Las Vegas economy, or prevent homelessness, or solve the national debt crisis, we can represent you with the insurance company when you’re in an accident.  Call us at 444-4444 and let us help you.

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Las Vegas auto accident took place on Lake Meade Boulevard near Bruce Street in North Las Vegas.

The 40-year-old Las Vegas man driving the motorcycle died at the scene.

Read more.

Do you think Las Vegas motorcyclists are safe? What Las Vegas roads do you think are safe or not safe for those who want to ride motorcycles?

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Las Vegas motorcycle accident, the Las Vegas motorcycle accident lawyers at Richard Harris Law Firm can help.

A 31-year-old Las Vegas father was carrying a 7-year-old and an 8-year-old on the bike when the accident took place, according to KTVN.com.

The motorcycle was traveling down Dawn View Lane when a car at the curb driven by a 19-year-old woman made a U-turn in front of them. The report says the motorcycle wasn’t able to stop and ran into the car.

Las Vegas police officers say charges will be filed against both the motorcyclist and the other driver.

Read more.

Do you think Las Vegas motorcycles can safely handle passengers? What regulations should be in place for Las Vegas motorcyclists who carry children as passengers?

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Las Vegas motorcycle accident, the Las Vegas motorcycle accident lawyers at Richard Harris Law Firm can help.