Summerlin, Nevada is known for its extensive master-planned communities featuring curved roads, roundabouts, and high traffic volumes. While these neighborhoods aim to promote walkability and connectivity, the unusual road layouts can also contribute to car accidents for drivers unfamiliar with the area. If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident in a Summerlin master-planned community, understanding your legal options and hiring an experienced attorney is crucial.
Unique Road Design in Summerlin Communities
Many neighborhoods in Summerlin feature roads with curves, hills, and roundabouts. These are intentionally designed to slow traffic, but also require extra caution from drivers. Some key hazards include:
- Curving roads with limited visibility – Roads in Summerlin neighborhoods often wind and curve up and down hills. Drivers may not see pedestrians, cyclists, or other cars around a bend.
- Frequent roundabouts – Roundabouts require drivers to yield, navigate around a center island, and watch for cars from multiple directions. They are unintuitive for many drivers.
- Hidden driveways – Homes in master-planned communities often have driveways that curve and descend from the main road. Drivers may not see a car pulling out of a driveway.
- Pedestrian crossings – With more pedestrians and cyclists sharing the roads, there are also more marked crosswalks to watch out for.
These road hazards lead to side-swipe accidents, head-on collisions, failure to yield incidents, and car vs pedestrian accidents. For drivers who are not anticipating the road layout, accidents can happen before they even realize what occurred.
Two intersections in particular see frequent crashes due to their layouts.
Charleston Boulevard and Town Center Drive is a crossing of a major arterial road and shopping center access. With multiple turn lanes and entrances from all sides, drivers struggle to navigate safely. Rear-end collisions are common as congestion leads to sudden stops at the traffic light.
Another problem area is Sahara Avenue and Fort Apache Road. Sahara is a wide arterial road while Fort Apache curves through neighborhoods. Drivers turning left from Sahara fail to properly judge the speed of oncoming traffic. Meanwhile, cars crossing from Fort Apache don’t see oncoming vehicles hidden by the curve. The resulting side-impact collisions at high speeds often lead to severe injuries.
Both intersections pose challenges due to limited visibility and complex traffic patterns intersecting. Extra caution is required when navigating these and other intersections in Summerlin.
Common Summerlin Car Accident Injuries
The types of accidents that occur in Summerlin frequently result in severe injuries, such as:
- Traumatic brain injuries – Head-on impacts or side collisions often cause traumatic blows to the head. Even mild concussions require medical care.
- Spinal cord injuries – The sudden force of two vehicles hitting can damage delicate vertebrae and spinal discs, leading to partial or total paralysis.
- Broken bones – Collisions usually cause broken bones in the arms, legs, hips, or other body parts that absorb impact forces. These may require surgery to implant pins, plates, or rods.
- Internal organ damage – The traumatic impact of an accident can lead to lacerations, contusions, or ruptures of vital organs like the liver, kidneys, spleen, etc. This often requires hospitalization.
- Burn injuries – Friction burns from sliding on asphalt or chemical burns from airbag deployment are common after serious wrecks.
Any car accident injury requires prompt medical evaluation and treatment to minimize complications. Seeking emergency care and following up with the appropriate specialists is crucial.
Navigating Insurance After a Summerlin Car Accident
After a collision, dealing with auto insurance should be your next priority. Insurance claims can be confusing, especially with multiple parties involved. Key tips include:
- Do not admit fault or accept any settlement offer until you speak to your attorney at Karns & Karns Personal Injury and Accident Attorneys. You don’t want to accidentally say anything that hurts your claim.
- Save all records related to the accident, including medical bills, auto repair invoices, missed work notes, and any communications from insurers.
- Be cautious about signing medical or claim releases at the request of insurers. Consult your lawyer at Karns & Karns Personal Injury and Accident Attorneys first.
- Expect the claims process to take time. Insurers for multiple parties must investigate before determining fault and damages.
Having an experience personal injury lawyer from Karns & Karns Personal Injury and Accident Attorneys to interface with insurers while you focus on recovery can make a big difference in maximizing your eventual settlement or award.
When to Hire a Summerlin Car Accident Attorney
It is always advisable to consult a car accident attorney from Karns & Karns Personal Injury and Accident Attorneys after a serious accident in Summerlin’s complex road networks. We can help with injury claims, property damage, negotiating with insurers, and pursuing legal action if a settlement offer seems insufficient.
Signs you need an attorney include:
- You suffered severe injuries requiring extensive medical treatment
- Multiple vehicles were involved, complicating the question of fault
- You already receive demand letters or low settlement offers from insurers
- The insurer is disputing who caused the accident or assigning you partial blame
- You are at risk of losing wages long-term due to injuries sustained
A car accident lawyer understands how to build a strong legal case using police reports, witness statements, road evidence, medical records, and expert testimony by accident reconstructionists, doctors, or engineers. They can assess realistic damages for current and future medical bills, property damage, lost income, pain and suffering, and other losses.
Choosing the Right Summerlin Accident Attorney
Karns & Karns Personal Injury and Accident Attorneys are here to help you get the compensation you need after a car accident in Summerlin. Call our team on 800-4THE-WIN (800-484-3946) for advice on what to do if you have been injured in an accident on one of Summerlin’s roads.
Being involved in a car accident in a Summerlin master-planned community doesn’t have to be a bad experience. The lawyers at Karns & Karns Personal Injury and Accident Attorneys can help you through this difficult time.
