A man riding a motor scooter was killed in Northwest Las Vegas when he was hit by another vehicle, according to police sources. Keilan Jordan Coakley, 19, apparently hit the median and was ejected from the scooter when he was hit by a 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The accident occurred at the intersection of Cheyenne Avenue and Fort Apache Road. The victim was apparently turning on to Cheyenne when, for some reason, he struck the median and lost control of the scooter.
TRAFFIC FATALITIES IN LAS VEGAS CONTINUE TO CLIMB
The death of this victim brings total Las Vegas traffic fatalities for the first two months of 2014 to 16. Every year, hundreds of people are killed in auto accidents, pedestrian and bicycle crashes and other transportation-related incidents and thousands are injured.
When a person is hit and injured or killed by another driver, several factors must be considered before one person or the other can be said to be "at fault." For example, if two cars crash, normally one driver is deemed to be responsible for the accident and is expected to pay damages to the other driver. In most cases, when a pedestrian or a person on a scooter is hit by a car, the driver of the car is held responsible.
Drivers have a duty of care to watch out for pedestrians, bicyclists and others who do not have the protection of a large vehicle. On the other hand, just because someone is on a scooter or is a pedestrian does not automatically make the driver liable when he or she hits that person. If the pedestrian or the person riding the scooter is negligent, the driver may not be at fault. Nevada follows the rule of modified comparative negligence. This means that a victim who is less than 51 percent responsible for an accident, as determined by a jury, may be able to collect damages.
However, if the victim is deemed to be more than 51 percent responsible for the accident, the victim is not entitled to compensation. What is certain is that insurance companies and others will try to make the victim responsible for the accident to avoid payment of damages. That does not mean that the victim cannot fight for his or her rights, however. The Las Vegas, NV injury lawyers at High Stakes Injury Law are ready to help victims of all types of accidents exercise their rights and collect payment for their injuries.
