Las Vegas, NV (October 21st, 2024) – A suspected drunk driver struck and killed a pedestrian on East Charleston, near the 10th Street intersection in downtown Las Vegas over the weekend.
The 51-year-old pedestrian was pronounced dead at the car accident scene. While crossing Charleston outside a marked crosswalk, the man was struck by an eastbound Toyota Camry driven by 23-year-old Nicholas Pina. After the collision, the driver displayed signs of impairment. Law enforcement arrested the motorist on DUI-related charges.
The LVMPD Collision Investigation Section is investigating the collision, which, according to the LVMPD, is the 126th traffic-related fatality in the agency’s jurisdiction this year.
What Are Common Signs of Impairment?
Alcohol can have effects on drivers, which impair their ability to safely control their vehicles. Knowing how to spot the signs of impairment may help you stay safe on the road, and prevent some serious or fatal accidents. Some of the most common signs a driver is under the influence include:
- Driving too fast or well below the posted speed limit
- Weaving or swerving between lanes
- Braking or accelerating erratically
- Making wide turns or nearly hitting objects or other vehicles
- Tailgating or following too closely
- Delaying responses to traffic signs and signals
When drinking, you can take precautions to ensure you do not get behind the wheel. However, there is no guarantee that others have made the same choice. Therefore, knowing how to spot the signs that a driver may be intoxicated can help you take steps to avoid a crash.
What Should You Do if You Suspect a Driver Is Under the Influence?
If you spot a driver you believe is under the influence, the steps you take could help keep you, and others, safe.
Maintain a Safe Distance
Motorists who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol may drive erratically or lose control of their vehicles. Therefore, if you believe another driver is intoxicated, you should keep your vehicle well away from the suspected impaired driver.
Call Law Enforcement
If you suspect a driver is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you should report the behavior to law enforcement. Be prepared to give as much detail as possible, including your location and direction of travel, a description of the vehicle, and the behaviors you observed.
Do Not Attempt to Make Contact
Trying to get the suspected drunk driver to pull over might seem like a good way to keep yourself and others safe. However, this could lead to a dangerous confrontation with the other motorist or cause an accident. Therefore, you should leave making contact to the authorities.
Pull Over to Safety
Depending on the suspected driver’s behavior, you may not feel safe sharing the road with them. If you feel unsafe continuing to driver near the suspected drunk driver, find a place to pull over and wait for law enforcement to arrive and stop the motorist.
Liability for Drunk Driving Accidents
In Nevada, if you’ve been injured in an accident with an alleged drunk driver, you may hold varying parties responsible.
The Impaired Driver
Often, it’s the intoxicated driver who bears financial responsibility for any injuries or damages resulting from their negligent actions. Getting behind the wheel while under the influence not only breaks the law, but also breaches a driver’s duty of care to those with whom they share the road.
Bars and Restaurants
Under state laws, those injured in drunk driving accidents may also seek to hold bars and restaurants who over-served motorists prior to collisions. The state’s dram shop laws allow accident victims to hold establishments that serve alcohol to visibly intoxicated patrons or minors partially liable if they cause a crash.
Social Hosts and Employers
In some cases, those who host parties and provide alcohol to guests can also be responsible for injuries and damages caused if they get into accidents. When drunk drivers are operating company vehicles or are on the job at the time of such collisions, their employers may bear some liability.
Can You Recover Compensation for a DUI Accident?
If you are injured in a DUI accident in Las Vegas, you can pursue compensation for your injuries and losses through an insurance claim or a car accident lawsuit. The damages you may be entitled to include those for your economic and non-economic losses, including:
- Medical expenses, for both the current and future medical costs related to your injury
- Lost wages, for the income from time missed from work due to your injuries
- Loss of earning capacity, for the income you may miss out on because your injuries have affected your ability to work in the future
- Pain and suffering, for the physical pain and emotional distress caused by the accident and resulting injuries
An experienced Las Vegas car accident lawyer will review the circumstances of your case, as well as your losses, to help ensure you receive the maximum compensation.
Comparative Fault in Las Vegas
Fault plays an important role in recovering compensation for accident-caused injuries. As such, Nevada’s comparative negligence law can significantly affect your ability to recover damages in a DUI accident case.
Based on the circumstances of the accident, a judge or jury will assign percentages of fault to those involved. Provided you are not more than 51% at fault for a crash, you can seek to recover damages for your associated losses. Your damages, however, will be reduced in proportion to your percentage of fault. Therefore, it can help to work with an attorney to understand how to prove you are not at fault in a car accident.
In the case of DUI accidents, intoxicated drivers are often found primarily at fault because of their choice to get behind the wheel after drinking. Other factors can still come into play, such as whether the injured party violated any traffic laws or took reasonable actions to avoid the accident. In the case of the pedestrian who was recently killed, for example, the court may assess him a percentage of fault for having been crossing outside a marked crosswalk at the time of the accident.
Since establishing George Bochanis Injury Law Offices in 1985, our team has helped hundreds of people like you to recover the compensation they deserve. Our attorney, George Bochanis, has helped obtain millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements on behalf of our clients. To discuss your case and options, call our law offices today at 702-388-2005.