Anyone who has spent any amount of time walking across or even near busy suburban streets has likely had more than one close call with a driver who did not see them or was simply being irresponsible behind the wheel. Unfortunately, if you were recently struck by such a driver while walking, you have likely also learned how debilitating the injuries caused by this sort of incident can be, as well as how taxing they can be to recover for in physical, financial, and psychological terms.
Getting paid fairly for your losses can be a complicated and time-consuming process, but help is available from the experienced auto accident attorneys at Shook & Stone. A Summerlin pedestrian accident lawyer from our team can help demand fair financial restitution on behalf of pedestrians who were hurt not just here in Summerlin, but also in Sovana, Sun City, Rhodes Ranch, and surrounding areas.
Holding a Driver Liable for a Pedestrian Collision
While a pedestrian involved in a traffic accident is virtually always more likely to suffer serious injuries compared to the driver who hit them, pedestrians who get hurt in this way and want to recover civil compensation still hold the legal burden of proving the driver is “at fault” for their accident. More specifically, injured pedestrians must prove that the driver who hit them was legally “negligent”—in other words, that they directly caused the accident through a specific reckless or careless act.
Both overtly illegal acts like traffic violations or drunk driving and broadly irresponsible acts like driving while distracted can serve as valid grounds for a pedestrian accident lawsuit. This is because both types of action would qualify as a “breach” of the legal duty all drivers have to act lawfully and responsibly behind the wheel at all times. That said, establishing negligence to the satisfaction of an insurance company or civil court can require much more evidence than just a police report from the accident scene. Our Summerlin pedestrian crash attorneys could help find and preserve the evidence necessary to prove a motorist was at fault in a specific case.
Recovering Fairly Within Filing Deadlines
Through a successful lawsuit or settlement demand, a pedestrian injured in a traffic accident can potentially recover for both economic and non-economic forms of harm, such as:
- Physical pain and discomfort
- Lost overall enjoyment of life
- Personal property damage/loss
- Emotional and psychological suffering
- Lost working capacity, work income, or work benefits such as health insurance
- Medical bills, including expected costs of future rehabilitative or maintenance care
Importantly, though, Nevada Revised Statutes § 11.190 generally limits people who get hurt through the negligence of others to a maximum of two years after their injury first occurs to file suit. Failing to abide by this “statute of limitations” will almost always lead to the case being thrown out of court, as a well-practiced pedestrian accident lawyer in Summerlin can explain in more detail.
Get in Touch With a Summerlin Pedestrian Accident Attorney
It is more than understandable to be furious at the driver who recklessly or carelessly struck and injured you while you were walking. That said, it is vital in situations like this to understand and enforce your rights under Nevada civil law as calmly as possible—something which seasoned legal counsel can provide irreplaceable help with.
A Summerlin pedestrian accident lawyer from Shook & Stone can be the ally you need to obtain every cent of the compensation you deserve. Learn more by calling today.
