If you’ve been struck by a vehicle while walking in Las Vegas, you’re not alone. This year’s KURU Footwear report ranks Las Vegas as the third most dangerous city for pedestrians in the United States, with 3.41 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people. In 2024, Nevada recorded its highest number of pedestrian fatalities ever, with 95 deaths in Clark County alone. These statistics matter for your injury claim because they establish the severity of the pedestrian safety crisis and support your case for compensation.
Understanding your legal rights after a pedestrian accident is essential to securing full compensation for your injuries, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident, call George Bochanis Injury Law Offices today at 702-388-2005 for a free consultation with an experienced pedestrian accident lawyer.
Why Las Vegas Streets Are So Dangerous for Pedestrians
Several factors converge to make Las Vegas exceptionally hazardous for those traveling on foot. Urban design plays a role. Safety experts point to street, crosswalk, and sidewalk design as contributors to the danger.
The city’s walkability score reflects these design flaws, earning only 42 out of 100 points. Major corridors like Charleston Boulevard, Flamingo Road, Desert Inn Road, and Boulder Highway have become notorious hotspots for pedestrian accidents. High-speed traffic on roads like I-15 and Sahara Avenue creates hazards that increase both accident frequency and injury severity, especially for pedestrians unfamiliar with these dangerous conditions.
Driver behavior compounds these infrastructure problems. The most common contributing factors to pedestrian accidents in Las Vegas include:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Impaired driving
- Failure to yield
- Poor visibility
The tourist population adds another layer of complexity. With millions of visitors each year, Las Vegas streets are filled with drivers unfamiliar with local roads and traffic patterns, increasing the risk of accidents.
What This Means for Your Injury Claim
If you’ve been struck by a vehicle while walking in Las Vegas, understanding the severity of the pedestrian safety crisis strengthens your injury claim in several ways.
Establishing Negligence
Nevada law recognizes that drivers owe a duty of care to all road users, including pedestrians. The prevalence of driver-caused accidents in Las Vegas may support a claim that negligence was a factor in your accident. A pedestrian accident lawyer can gather evidence demonstrating how the driver breached this duty through speeding, distraction, impairment, or failure to yield.
Dangerous Road Conditions
The known infrastructure problems in Las Vegas may support your claim. Poor lighting at intersections, inadequate crosswalks, and high-speed corridors create conditions that courts recognize as dangerous. If your accident occurred in a location with documented safety issues, this could strengthen your case and create additional liability for municipalities or property owners.
Comparative Negligence in Nevada
Nevada follows a comparative negligence system, which means you can still recover compensation even if you share some responsibility for the accident, as long as you are 50% or less at fault. For example, if you were jaywalking, but the driver was speeding and distracted, you might be found 20% at fault. In this case, your compensation would be reduced by 20%, but you would still receive 80% of the total damages awarded.
This legal framework is particularly important in pedestrian accidents, where insurance companies often try to shift blame to the victim. An experienced pedestrian accident lawyer knows how to counter these tactics and protect your right to compensation.
Types of Compensation Available
Pedestrian accidents typically result in severe injuries because you lack the protection afforded to vehicle occupants. Common injuries include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, broken bones, internal injuries, lacerations, and in the most tragic cases, wrongful death. The compensation available in your case may include:
Economic Damages
Medical expenses (emergency room visits, hospitalization, surgery, physical therapy, rehabilitation, medication, and future medical care), lost wages and loss of earning capacity, property damage, and out-of-pocket expenses.
Non-Economic Damages
Pain and suffering, emotional distress, PTSD, anxiety, and depression, loss of enjoyment of life, permanent disability or disfigurement, and loss of consortium for spouses and family members.
Punitive Damages
In cases where the driver acted with extreme negligence or malice, such as driving under the influence or fleeing the scene, Nevada courts may award punitive damages to punish the wrongdoer and deter similar conduct.
Time Limits and Taking Action
Nevada law imposes a two-year statute of limitations on personal injury lawsuits. This means you have two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit, or you will lose your right to pursue compensation. While two years might seem like ample time, building a strong case takes months of investigation, evidence gathering, medical documentation, and negotiation with insurance companies.
Acting quickly provides several advantages. Critical evidence such as security camera footage, witness memories, and physical evidence deteriorates over time. Early medical documentation establishes the connection between the accident and your injuries. Insurance companies take claims more seriously when you have legal representation from the start. Additionally, your lawyer has more time to investigate thoroughly, consult experts, and build the strongest possible case.
Get the Compensation You Need
Because of the pedestrian safety crisis in Las Vegas, drivers have a heightened duty to watch for and yield to people on foot. When drivers fail in this responsibility, the consequences can be catastrophic. You didn’t ask to become another statistic in Las Vegas’s pedestrian safety crisis. If a negligent driver has changed your life, you deserve compensation that reflects the full extent of your losses.
At George Bochanis Injury Law Offices, we fight for injured pedestrians throughout Las Vegas and surrounding communities. Our team understands the unique challenges of pedestrian accident cases in Southern Nevada. We know which intersections and corridors are most dangerous. We understand how to counter insurance company tactics that blame pedestrians for accidents caused by negligent drivers. Most importantly, we care about helping you rebuild your life after an injury. To discuss your rights, contact our pedestrian accident lawyers today at 702-388-2005.
