Pedestrian Accident Attorneys in Las Vegas, NV
Trustworthy Pedestrian Accident Lawyers
A pedestrian struck by a car, bus or truck can suffer devastating injuries. Even if you only have minor injuries, the person at fault might be required to reimburse you for medical bills and lost wages. At Carvalho & Associates, our experienced pedestrian accident attorneys in Las Vegas, NV, will fight for your rights if you were injured by a motor vehicle while a pedestrian. We will do everything possible to secure the best possible outcome, including reimbursement for your pedestrian accident injuries.
How A Pedestrian Accident Attorney Can Help After a Crash
A pedestrian accident attorney can help your case immediately after an accident – from gathering evidence before they are lost to finding the right doctors and documenting your injuries. Without proper proof of who is at fault, your injuries, the extent of those injuries, and how the accident caused your injuries, neither an insurance company nor a court or jury would award you the compensation you deserve. An experienced accident attorney knows it's important to investigate how an accident occurred right away, and this includes visiting the scene of the accident, documenting all roadway factors that contributed to the accident, searching for and preserving any video of the pedestrian accident, and interviewing witnesses while their memories are fresh.
As experienced accident attorneys, we also know that some accident victims may face difficulty paying for medical care and finding the right doctors, and our attorneys are there to assist our clients from the get go to make sure they get need medical care. We then document the full extent of your injuries and how those injuries affected your life by gathering your medical records, speaking with your family, friends, and co-workers or employers. We then prepare a demand with a persuasive evaluation of who is at fault and the extent of your damages and send it to the at fault party’s insurance company. We will then negotiate on behalf of our clients and, if a satisfactory settlement cannot be reached, file suit and take the case to trial. Without a pedestrian accident attorney, navigating the court or insurance claims process might be overwhelming, time-consuming, and difficult.
Compensation for Seriously Injured Pedestrians
Injured pedestrians may compensation for economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are those that can be assigned a dollar value, like medical bills, property damage, lost earning capacity, and lost wages or income. Non-economic damages, like pain and suffering, do not have a set monetary value and is determined by a jury based on the evidence. In cases where the at fault party acted maliciously, intentionally, or recklessly, a court may also award punitive damages, which are intended to punish defendants for their egregious actions. As every human being is unique, no two cases are alike. An experienced accident attorney takes a lot of factors into consideration to determine the value of a case, and there is no set formula. Your pedestrian accident lawyer will determine how to proceed based on the facts of your case and will do everything in their power to get you the highest compensation possible.
Statute of Limitations on Pedestrian Accidents
In the state of Nevada, you have two years from the date of the pedestrian accident to file a lawsuit for your bodily injuries. Before the expiration of the two years, you can try to settle your case. If you are unable to settle your case by the second anniversary of the pedestrian accident, you must file a lawsuit or forever be barred from obtaining compensation for your injuries.
What to Do If You Are Hit by a Car in Las Vegas
If you’re a pedestrian who suffered injuries or struck your head after being hit by a car, truck or other motor vehicle, you should immediately call 911 if you are able or have someone call for you. If you don’t feel any symptoms right away, you may have injuries that aren't yet showing symptoms or are being masked by adrenaline. If you do start to feel symptoms soon after the accident, seek medical attention.
At the accident scene and if you are able to, ask the driver and witnesses at the scene to share their contact information. Take photos and videos of the scene, the vehicles involved, and injuries. You should also call a pedestrian accident law firm right away. If the police has been called and you are not being taken by ambulance to the hospital, do not leave the scene until you have spoken to the police.
Your pedestrian accident attorney can conduct a more thorough investigation that includes visiting the accident scene, looking for and obtaining any videos of the accident, and interviewing witnesses while their memories are still fresh. Experienced accident attorneys know its important to act immediately and investigate all the factors that contribute to an accident.
Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents
The most common cause of pedestrian accidents is distracted drivers and distracted pedestrians. Crossing against the light or outside a marked crosswalk is a common reason for why motor vehicles strike pedestrians. Even if a pedestrian is outside of a crosswalk, they still have rights because drivers must exercise care in avoiding collisions with pedestrians. This means that if a vehicle driver can avoid hitting you, they have a duty to do so. Drivers also have the duty to exercise caution when a pedestrian is so close as to present a danger.
A few years ago, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department started a campaign called “Santa in the Crosswalk” to make drivers more aware of their duty to pay attention and yield to pedestrians. This campaign was prompted when a child walking in a marked crosswalk was struck by a car and killed. While other vehicles had stopped for children crossing, the at fault driver didn’t. If a driver sees other cars stopping, they should too, as there may be a pedestrian crossing that they can’t see yet.
Other common causes are driving while intoxicated, speeding, poor weather conditions, bad road conditions, unclear or poorly lit crossing areas, malfunctioning traffic or crosswalk lights, mechanical problems, and not following road signs. The most common types of pedestrian accidents are:
- Out-of-crosswalk accidents
- Backing up accidents
- Turning vehicles
- Bus-related accidents
- Off-road accidents
- Dart & dash accidents
- Multiple-cause accidents
What Areas of Las Vegas Are Most Dangerous for Pedestrians?
Las Vegas is one of the 15 most dangerous cities for pedestrians. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department identifies the most dangerous intersections in the city for a car vs pedestrian accidents as:
- West Sahara Ave & Arville Street
- West Sahara Ave & South Decatur Blvd
- West Tropicana Ave & South Decatur Blvd
- Paradise Road & East Tropicana Ave
- East Charleston Blvd & South Lamb Blvd
A commonality amongst these areas is the heavy pedestrian and motor vehicle traffic. These areas are also the location of busy bus routes and bus stops.
Some Important Pedestrian Accident Statistics
Here are some pedestrian accident statistics from the State of Nevada. Note that if more than one pedestrian is killed in one accident, it is still counted as just one accident by the State of Nevada for statistical purposes.
- Las Vegas is responsible for 338 of the total 391 pedestrian fatalities in Clark County between 2016-2020
- 90% of pedestrian accidents take place on major urban roadways
- 68% of fatal pedestrian accidents occur in unmarked areas of the road
- 20% of fatal pedestrian accidents occur at an intersection or marked crosswalk
- 5% of fatal pedestrian accidents occur on a sidewalk
- Males are significantly more likely than females to be filled in pedestrian accidents
- The highest number of pedestrian fatalities were men aged 26-30 years old
- The most common factors associated with pedestrian accidents are: alcohol, jaywalking, inattention, distracted pedestrians of drivers, and pedestrians failing to identify turning vehicles
- 62% of pedestrian accidents occur between 6:00 pm and 11:59 pm
Is A Driver Always at Fault When Hitting a Pedestrian?
No, drivers are not always at fault in a pedestrian vs car accidents. The motorist might not be at fault if a pedestrian does something unlawful or reckless, like suddenly darting into a busy street. It's also possible for neither party to be at fault. For instance, if the city fails to maintain a traffic light and it malfunctions, causing a car vs pedestrian accident, both parties could potentially sue the city. The driver and pedestrian could also both be at fault in some scenarios. For instance, if a pedestrian crosses an unmarked roadway (not at a light or crosswalk) and a driver is unable to stop in time because he is speeding, they could both be found at fault. Remember, Nevada follows comparative negligence. This means that an injured person can still be somewhat at fault and recover some compensation for their damages.
Who Is Liable for My Injuries After a Pedestrian Accident?
Any party who acted negligently, recklessly, or intentionally to cause an accident is considered at fault and may be liable for an injured person’s damages. The at-fault party might be the driver of a car in a car vs pedestrian accident, the city for failure to maintain the roadway or crosswalk, or even a company for failing to maintain a company vehicle that experienced mechanical failure and caused a pedestrian accident. An injured pedestrian can pursue a claim against a driver even if the pedestrian shares some of the fault. If you sustained pedestrian accident injuries, you can make a claim or file a lawsuit to recover your medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and lost enjoyment of life.
Why Choose Us for Help After a Pedestrian Accident
Our pedestrian accident attorneys have decades of experience evaluating car vs pedestrian accidents. We can gather documentation that will help you prove your case in court, and we can negotiate on your behalf with the at-fault party, his attorney, and insurance companies. We will determine the appropriate party to seek damages from and work hard day and night to get you an appropriate settlement and reimbursement for your injuries.
Contact Our Pedestrian Accident Lawyers in Las Vegas, NV
If you're looking for the best pedestrian accident lawyer in Las Vegas, NV, call us at Carvalho & Associates. We can evaluate your case and determine if you can seek damages in a pedestrian accident lawsuit. Contact our expert accident attorneys to schedule a consultation.
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