Two young children were seriously injured after the SUV their mother drove was pinned underneath a large truck.
Few details were available about the car wreck, which occurred on northbound Interstate 15 near Mile Marker 77, around Moapa. One victim was airlifted to a local hospital with serious injuries; the other was rushed to the hospital via ambulance. Two other juvenile occupants, as well as the female driver, were not seriously injured.
None of the names were released.
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Some Facts About Nevada Large Truck Crashes
When fully loaded, these vehicles weight a minimum of 80,000 pounds. Moreover, federal and state regulators routinely grant waivers for oversize loads. Trucking companies, which are eager to transport as much as possible on a single trip and therefore maximize their own profits, eagerly take advantage of these waivers. When these massive vehicles cause a car crash around Las Vegas, serious injuries almost always result. Some common ones include:
- Severe Burns: In addition to the trailer load, these trucks usually carry about 150 gallons of intense-burning diesel fuel. If this fuel ignites, it usually causes serious third-degree burns, and the victims must undergo painful revision surgeries to correct the damage.
- Crushed Bones: Tractor-trailers ride very high and many vehicles, like the one in the above story, are pinned underneath them during a car crash. As a result, the victims’ bones are crushed as opposed to broken, again necessitating painful revision surgery and intense physical rehabilitation.
- Head Injuries: The tremendous amount of force in these Nevada car wrecks means that the neck is subject to more force than it can withstand. Moreover, if there are any cellphones or other unsecured objects in the passenger area, they essentially become high-speed missiles, because they continue traveling at their prior speed until they strike solid objects.
Damages in such cases typically include compensation for both tangible losses, such as medical bills, and intangible losses, such as pain and suffering. Moreover, in many of these cases, Nevada law allows victims to use the zone-of-danger rule and expand the foreseeability doctrine, so even victims who do not suffer a physical injury may be entitled to compensation.
Who is Liable for Damages in Nevada Truck Wrecks?
If the tortfeasor’s (negligent driver’s) conduct fell below the standard of care, the tortfeasor was negligent as a matter of law. Since truck drivers are professional drivers, the law often holds them to a higher standard than non-commercial drivers, making negligence easier to prove in these cases.
Furthermore, even if the tortfeasor was not a legal employee of the company which owned the truck or the cargo, the respondeat superior rule normally applies. This doctrine holds that an employer is responsible for the negligent acts of an employee if said negligence occurred while the tortfeasor acted within the course and scope of employment. This latter phrase (course and scope of employment) is also very broadly defined to include any act which benefits the employer in any way.
Count On an Experienced Attorney
Negligent truck drivers often cause serious or fatal injuries. For a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Las Vegas, contact Naqvi Injury Law. We do not charge upfront legal fees in these cases.