Reckless Driving in Las Vegas, Nevada
Reckless driving in Nevada is a misdemeanor or a minor criminal offense. However, it can escalate to a felony if the driver kills or injures a motorist or pedestrian or fails to stop for law enforcement.
Because reckless driving can reference many types of dangerous driving acts, it can be more difficult to define when compared to other traffic violations like speeding or a DUI — though these actions often contribute to a reckless driving offense.
Nevada law (NRS 484B.653) explains reckless driving as:
- driving a vehicle in willful or wanton disregard of the safety of persons or property on a highway or premises to which the public has access
- driving a vehicle in an unauthorized speed contest on a highway or premises to which the public has access; or
- driving a vehicle in an unauthorized trick-driving display on a public highway.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that reckless driving accidents have increased in recent years. About one-third of all fatal car accidents in Nevada involve speeding. Police issued some 4,400 speeding tickets in Nevada to motorists going 100 mph or more in 2020, an increase of about 26 percent from 2019, state statistics show. This shocking statistic shows that reckless driving is a real and present danger on our roads.
How Reckless Drivers Leave Victims in Their Wake
A Nevada resident could be charged with reckless driving for doing any of the following while operating a vehicle:
- Speeding excessively (25 miles per hour or more over the posted speed limit)
- Passing school buses with their stop signs down
- Running red lights or stop signs
- Going around railroad barriers
- Speeding or completing a U-turn in a school zone
- Failing to yield to other vehicles and pedestrians
- Driving under the influence/while intoxicated
- Racing other vehicles
- Evading law enforcement
- Passing on a two-lane highway or over a double yellow line
- Texting while driving
- Passing on blind curves
- Swerving and cutting in and out of lanes
When someone drives recklessly and chooses to disregard the safety of others, it dramatically increases the chances of an accident. That’s why our attorneys always work to discover what occurred before a car crash. The actions or events leading up to the accident help us understand if reckless driving behavior was a cause. Sadly, if another driver on the road chooses to drive recklessly, it can be difficult or impossible for victims to protect themselves even by driving defensively and following traffic rules.
How We Determine if Reckless Driving Contributed to Your Accident
The aftermath of the accident is disorienting, but it’s essential you contact a reckless driving accident attorney right away. If a driver’s disregard for your safety injured you or killed a loved one, you deserve to seek justice, and that journey should start as soon as possible. Our team of experienced attorneys is here to help you every step of the way.
Car accidents happen in just seconds. Accurately analyzing and reconstructing the events that led to them is critical for helping to build the most robust case for you. Official police reports, your own video or photos from the scene, eyewitness accounts, or local security or traffic camera footage can be invaluable during this process.
If we determine that reckless driving was a cause for the accident, our Las Vegas reckless driving accident lawyers work to prove it. We will gather key evidence from the sources listed above that shows the other driver was driving recklessly.
A reckless driver has likely driven recklessly before. We’ll uncover the facts that point to their dangerous and habitual behavior. If the driver has a history of traffic infractions, we use the evidence to illustrate the driver’s propensity for breaking traffic laws.
Other ways our Las Vegas car accident attorneys help you build your case include:
- Determining the value of your damages. From car repairs and medical bills to emotional suffering or the wrongful death of a loved one, we help you determine the full and fair compensation you deserve for the pain you’ve endured.
- Drawing from their experience in other Las Vegas reckless driving cases. Choosing a personal injury attorney who has experience with reckless driving cases is essential. Their previous cases and knowledge of traffic laws will help them understand how to approach your case to achieve the best outcome for you.
- Standing up to the reckless driver’s attorney and their insurance company. A reckless driving defendant, their attorney, and their insurance company will do everything they can to avoid paying you the fair compensation you deserve. A personal injury attorney will know their tactics and make sure you — the victim — are never silenced.
Acting as a trusted, confidential legal advocate. Having a trusted lawyer on your side is critical to protecting your rights. You don’t have to be a legal expert or skilled communicator to seek justice. They will give you the facts and offer advice based on what’s best for you. They will speak for you to provide you with the strongest and most compelling representation.
Costs Can Accumulate Following a Reckless Driving Accident
A lawsuit is the means to a more secure financial end for you. Our goal is full and fair compensation — nothing more. We make sure the driver responsible for your accident and their insurance company deliver the money you need. After your experience, you deserve to be able to pay your medical bills, repair or replace your vehicle, and put your life back on track.
Full and fair compensation ensures you can pay for:
- Medical costs, including ambulance fees, hospital stays, surgeries, and rehabilitation for injuries such as whiplash, broken bones, and more.
- Mental health care for the mental and emotional distress you’ve suffered. Seeking care for anxiety or depression is just as critical to your health as healing your physical wounds.
- Lost wages incurred from losing your job or having to take time off work to deal with the aftermath of the accident
Choose Henness & Haight, The Experienced Reckless Driving Accident Lawyers
Reckless driving crashes result in horrific and senseless pain and loss. But you have the power to take action and seek justice for yourself — or for the person you loved.
If you’ve been the victim of a car accident, our Las Vegas attorneys stand ready to help. Learn more about our Las Vegas car accident attorneys and see some of our case results, or contact us for a completely free, no-obligation consultation
FAQs about Reckless Driving Accidents
Let us provide you with a free case evaluation; our Las Vegas reckless driving attorneys will review the details of your case and provide you with a safe estimate of its value. This review helps you understand exactly what we’re working toward before we get started. The evaluation carries no obligation so there’s no risk in taking it. Start the case evaluation here.
It’s possible to file a lawsuit without the assistance of an attorney, but it’s generally not in your best interest to do so. Attorneys understand the legal system and ways to work within it. Without the help of a lawyer, you’ll be missing out on valuable legal opportunities that could increase your settlement or save you from a trial.
With our no-win, no-fee approach, we’ve removed the biggest roadblock to hiring an attorney: the cost. You don’t pay us a dime until you reach a settlement or judgment. With zero financial risk to you, there’s no reason not to hire an attorney.
Settlements are more common than trials in these types of cases. Compared to a trial in the court system, they are faster, not as risky and more affordable. However, negotiations can still take, on average, several months. The process can be faster or slower depending on the accident, the willingness of the other party to negotiate, and other factors unique to your case.
Don’t avoid medical care because of an inability to pay. There are resources and ways you can receive medical care even if you don’t have the funds available now to pay for it.
If you do not have health insurance, find out if you qualify for Medicaid in Nevada. If you qualify, Medicaid will cover your medical bills going forward, and possibly even some of your existing bills.
If you do not qualify for Medicaid, our team can help you explore other options for receiving necessary medical care.
As a Nevada resident, you are entitled to receive a copy of the accident report that was filed after your accident. We created an in-depth article that details exactly how to receive a Nevada car accident report depending on which law enforcement agency is handling your case. It’s a great resource if you’re looking for step-by-step instructions. Please note: the process does typically require a fee. However, it’s important to remember that if you are working with a car accident attorney in Las Vegas, they will handle the paperwork and fees for you.
Not exactly. While similar offenses, Nevada law (NRS 484B.650) defines road rage, or “aggressive driving” and reckless driving as two separate driving violations. The most obvious difference is that aggressive driving is a series of violations that happen within 1 mile of each other.
Aggressive driving is defined as any single, continuous period of driving where, within the course of 1 mile, the driver does all the following, in any sequence:
- (a) Commits one or more acts of speeding
- (b) Commits two or more of the following acts, in any combination, or commits any of the following acts more than once:
- (1) Fails to obey an official traffic-control device
- (2) Overtakes and passes another vehicle upon the right by driving off the paved portion of the highway
- (3) Drives improperly or unsafely upon a highway that has marked lanes for traffic
- (4) Follows another vehicle too closely
- (5) Fails to yield the right-of-way
- (c) Creates an immediate hazard. . . to another vehicle or to another person, whether or not the other person is riding in or upon the vehicle of the driver or any other vehicle.
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