A 12-year-old-boy was the victim of a hit-and-run accident when he was struck by a vehicle as he rode his bicycle through the streets of his Las Vegas neighborhood, according to police reports. The vehicle that caused the crash entered the neighborhood, driving recklessly according to witnesses, and struck the child as he rode his bike in the street. After hitting the boy, the vehicle made a U-turn and swerved back to the scene of the accident. A bystander fired shots at the vehicle in an attempt to stop it but missed entirely. The boy was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The driver was apprehended and placed under arrest.
RECKLESS DRIVING DEFINITION
Nevada law describes reckless driving as a “willful or wanton disregard of the safety of persons or property”. Reckless driving is usually charged a misdemeanor, but if a driver causes death or substantial physical harm it often changes the charge to a felony. In an accident such as this it is the bicyclist who usually absorbs the impact directly and suffers the most substantial injuries as a result. Bicyclists do not have the added protection that a vehicle provides and accidents involving vehicles hitting bicycles can be life-altering for the victim. In bicycle accidents liability is often unclear, and a surprising number of these crashes involve hit-and-run.
Fortunately, in this situation the driver was apprehended and there are witnesses to the event. Charging the driver with reckless driving does nothing to reimburse the victim for injuries, however. In order to collect damages, victims may be required to file a personal injury lawsuit. Every year there are hundreds of cases in which an individual riding a bicycle was injured due to the negligence of another. Personal injury damages are intended to cover the costs incurred by an individual who is injured by another’s carelessness. Costs usually covered include medical bills, property damage and something most commonly referred to as pain and suffering. In accidents where an individual’s conduct is exceptionally egregious or careless, compensation may include not only compensatory but also punitive damages, intended to punish the offender.
The injury lawyers in Las Vegas and staff at High Stakes Injury Law may be able to help someone involved in a bicycle accident. We have years of experience in the process of collecting compensative and punitive damages for individuals who are dealing with losses due to the irresponsible actions of another. Contact High Stakes Injury Law Law Firm in Las Vegas today to schedule a consultation.