A state legislative committee has been told that the number of vehicle accident reports which have to be filled out is preventing police officers from Omaha and Lincoln from fighting crime.

However, the committee was also told that the police play a vital role in issuing the impartial accident report which often prevents costly lawsuits.

There are two key proposals. The first is to limit accident reports to those crashes with more than $5,000 of property damage in metropolitan cities in the state, such as Omaha, and $1,000 elsewhere rather than the current limit of $1,000 which applies everywhere.

Apparently the limit has not been increased since 2003 and about half of the 8,600 crashes in Omaha in 2012 were under $5,000 so it could save around 45 minutes an accident freeing the police for other matters such as fighting crime on the streets.

However lobbyists for insurance companies and trial attorneys opposed the idea, saying that motorists rely on the impartial report by the police to help sort out who was at fault and whose insurance policy will pay the damages and if there were no accident report there would be more lawsuits to determine who was at fault and the police would be called to testify, which would take much longer than the 45 minutes needed to fill out the report in the first place.

The second proposal was to charge a $15 fee for a copy of an accident report which currently costs $5 from the Omaha Police Department, although that received little support.

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident in Omaha, please call the Omaha accident attorneys of Harris & Associates, P.C., L.L.O., at (402) 397-1200 or contact us online today. We can help you review your compensation options and ensure you are receiving the compensation you deserve.

On Saturday night there was a single vehicle crash which resulted in a fatality on Highway 75.

According to authorities, the accident happened at around 8.15 p.m. on Highway 75 just south of the Q street overpass. A 2003 Honda Accord was heading southbound, being driven by 19 year old Zaiid Sharif Zakir Ibn El Gaines Liwaru at a high rate of speed and left the roadway, flew down an embankment and smashed into a chain link fence next to a Union Pacific rail line.

The victim, who was not wearing a seat belt, was taken to Nebraska Medicine in a very grave condition, and he died there shortly afterwards.

Liwaru was a 2013 graduate of Omaha North High School. There he served on multiple leadership boards for organizations, and was crowned Homecoming Prince. On Monday night, his classmates held a memorial service.

The investigation is ongoing into the accident.

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident in Omaha, please call the Omaha accident attorneys of Harris & Associates, P.C., L.L.O., at (402) 397-1200 or contact us online today. We can help you review your compensation options and ensure you are receiving the compensation you deserve.

On Wednesday an Omaha woman was involved in a serious car accident.

According to police, the accident happened at around 6.15 p.m. near Northwest Radial and Miami Street, when 55 year old Joanne N. Smith was taking items out of the truck of her car, a 2000 Buick Sentry which was parked on Northwest Radial. A 2012 Toyota Camry approached, being driven by 41 year old Omaha resident Lawanda F. Cook, and she was trying to pick up her cell phone which had fallen onto the floor of the car. As she was distracted, she ran into Smith and due to the force of the crash both of Smith’s legs were severed above the knees.

Smith was rushed to the Nebraska Medical Center, where she underwent surgery but she died on Sunday night.

Cook was not injured and the city attorney will now determine whether to file charges against Cook.

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident in Omaha, please call the Omaha accident attorneys of Harris & Associates at (402) 397-1200 or contact us online today. We can help you review your compensation options and ensure you are receiving the compensation you deserve.

On Monday, slick conditions on Interstate 80 caused cars to slide and a semi truck to leave the road.

According to the police, there was one accident call after another and the volume was so high that the police were unable to respond to every accident, and in fact at one stage, the 911 dispatchers were saying that unless someone was injured in an accident, there were no police available to respond. From noon for a few hours they even stopped taking calls. Drivers in accidents with no injuries were advised to exchange information and continue with their journeys, assuming the vehicles were driveable.

It appears that some roads were better than others, but it was snowing heavily and the side streets were slick.

Even though there were many accidents, some drivers said that on the whole people were driving with caution and those from further afield in the state said that conditions were much worse in other areas.

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident in Omaha, please call the Omaha auto accident attorneys of Harris & Associates, at (402) 397-1200 or contact us online today. We can help you review your compensation options and ensure you are receiving the compensation you deserve.

Changes to the Interstate 80 in Omaha have caused problems to some drivers and there has been an increase in accidents.

The $10 million project expanded I 80 from the I 480 interchange to 60th Street in hopes of alleviating traffic congestion as people leave downtown after work.

Westbound I 80 expanded to seven lanes south of downtown but funnels to four lanes near the 60th Street exit. The sixth and seventh lanes become an exit at 60th Street, and the fifth lane disappears during a short lane merge after the 60th Street exit. The fifth lane returns in the form of an on ramp from 60th Street. However, the bottleneck around the exit has caused several accidents as the traffic slows.

According to the Nebraska Department of Roads, drivers should adjust in time and there is signage telling drivers that the lane will drop together with painted arrows to direct drivers to merge left.

Nonetheless, the Police Department said there has been almost double the number of accidents and four times more involving injuries in the merge area than during the same time last year.

Officials now say they know about the problem but they think it will go away as drivers become more familiar with the changes and change their driving habits accordingly.

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident in Omaha, please call the Omaha auto accident attorneys of Harris & Associates, at (402) 397-1200 or contact us online today. We can help you review your compensation options and ensure you are receiving the compensation you deserve.

Early Sunday morning two cars collided at an intersection in Omaha, leaving three people injured.

According to authorities, the crash happened just after 2.30 a.m. at Saddlecreek Road and Leavenworth Street.

They said that a grey 2006 Chrysler Sebring was traveling eastbound on Leavenworth Street when it ran the red light at South Saddlecreek Road and Leavenworth Street. The Sebring then hit a 2001 Chevy Impala which was travelling southbound. The unrestrained driver of the Sebring, 29 year old Brian Curry, and his passenger, William Harris, aged 30, who was also not wearing a seat belt, along with the driver of the Impala, 21 year old Travis Hydeial, were taken to Nebraska Medicine by Omaha Fire Department paramedics.

Curry, Harris and Hydeial all suffered facial abrasions and lacerations but none of the injuries were life threatening.

Police said that speed and alcohol are believed to be factors in the accident and that charges are pending.

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If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident in Omaha, please call the Omaha auto accident attorneys of Harris & Associates at (402) 397-1200 or contact us online today. We can help you review your compensation options and ensure you are receiving the compensation you deserve.