By Farhan Naqvi, Personal Injury Lawyer in Las Vegas

When we hear about drunk driving injuries and deaths, we often picture innocent victims who were either driving a car that was struck by an intoxicated driver or a pedestrian who was hit by a drunk driver. But we sometimes forget that the victims of DUI can also be located just a few feet away from the drunk driver.

The Las Vegas Sun newspaper is following up on a story it released the day before Halloween about a drunk driving accident. This week, the paper reported than a man who had died in the south Las Vegas Valley has been identified by the coroner’s office.

26-year-old Herman Morales was a passenger who died at the scene of the one-car crash just west of Interstate 215 on October 30. The driver of the 2004 Nissan Maxima only sustained minor injuries but was jailed on a count of DUI resulting in death. According to police, the driver was on the Paradise/Maryland interconnect at Woodwinds Way when his car swerved off the right side of the road, struck a curb, and slammed into a block wall around 2:45am.

In drunk-driving accidents, the innocent passenger or their loved ones can filed a claim against the at-fault drivers for wrongful death – even if the passenger willingly got into the car and was aware that the driver was intoxicated. Every DUI case is different, so you should check with a qualified DUI attorney to see if your case warrants a lawsuit.

About the Editor: Farhan R. Naqvi is a Las Vegas personal injury lawyer who has experience representing victims injured in car accidents, drunk driver crashes, truck wrecks, slip and falls, taxi cab accidents, and bicycle crashes. He also has experience handling spine injury, product liability, underinsured/uninsured driver, and wrongful death cases. If you’ve been seriously hurt in an accident in Summerlin, North Las Vegas, Clark County, Henderson, Boulder City, Green Valley, or Pahrump, give Farhan a call at 702-553-1000 for a free, no-hassle consultation.