Hit by a Car While Walking in Las Vegas?

If you've been hit by a car, your first priority is getting out of the travel lane if you can move safely. Las Vegas's high-volume roads — Las Vegas Boulevard, Charleston Boulevard, Sahara Avenue, Tropicana Avenue, Boulder Highway — are dangerous for anyone on foot, especially after a crash when other drivers may not see you.

Call 911 immediately. If the driver who hit you is still at the scene, do not let them leave without police documenting the incident. If the driver fled, give the dispatcher everything you can: vehicle make, model, color, direction of travel, any part of the plate number.

Even if your injuries seem minor, get police on the scene. The crash report from LVMPD is your most important piece of evidence. Without it, proving what happened becomes exponentially harder.

Pedestrian injuries are almost always more severe than vehicle-on-vehicle collisions because your body absorbs the full force of impact. Broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and internal bleeding are common — and many of these injuries don't produce full symptoms immediately.

University Medical Center (UMC) at 1800 W. Charleston Blvd. is Nevada's only Level I trauma center and treats over 12,000 trauma patients annually. Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center at 3186 S. Maryland Pkwy is a Level II trauma center and the largest acute care facility in Nevada. Dignity Health St. Rose Dominican Hospital in Henderson provides Level III trauma care.

Go to an ER, not urgent care, if you were struck by a vehicle. Pedestrian impacts at even 25 mph can cause life-threatening injuries. The medical records from that initial visit create the documented link between the accident and your injuries — without them, the insurance company will argue your injuries came from something else.

Keep every receipt, every doctor's note, and every prescription. These records form the foundation of your injury claim.

If you're able, photograph everything: the intersection where you were hit, crosswalk markings (or lack thereof), traffic signals and signs, the vehicle that struck you, any skid marks, your injuries, and damaged clothing. Take photos from multiple angles.

Get the driver's information: full name, phone number, insurance company and policy number, driver's license number, and license plate number. If there are witnesses, get their names and phone numbers — witness testimony is critical in pedestrian cases because the driver will almost always claim they didn't see you.

In Las Vegas, surveillance cameras are everywhere — casinos, hotels, gas stations, traffic cameras, ATMs, ride-share dashcams. An attorney can subpoena footage, but cameras overwrite quickly. Make a note of every business and camera you see near the crash site.

Do not apologize or say anything that could be interpreted as admitting fault. Under Nevada's modified comparative negligence rule (NRS 41.141), your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault, and if you're found 51% or more at fault, you recover nothing.

If LVMPD responded to the scene, they'll generate a report automatically. If they didn't respond or you need to supplement the report, you can file through LVMPD's citizen police report system.

To obtain a copy of your crash report, contact the LVMPD Records and Fingerprint Bureau at (702) 828-3271 or visit 400 South Martin Luther King Blvd., Building C. Reports are also available online with a credit card payment. Allow at least 10 business days from the date of the accident.

For pedestrian fatalities or serious injuries, LVMPD's Fatal Detail investigates the crash separately. These investigations are more thorough and may include accident reconstruction. If the driver fled, the Fatal Detail handles the criminal investigation.

If the accident happened in Henderson, North Las Vegas, or on a Nevada state highway, contact those police departments or Nevada Highway Patrol directly.

Nevada law gives pedestrians the right of way in marked crosswalks and at intersections, even without crosswalk markings (NRS 484B.283). Drivers must yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and exercise due care to avoid hitting any pedestrian on any roadway.

That said, Nevada also imposes duties on pedestrians. NRS 484B.287 requires pedestrians crossing outside a crosswalk to yield right-of-way to vehicles. Jaywalking is a civil infraction — not a criminal offense — carrying a maximum penalty of $100. Even when a pedestrian jaywalks, drivers must still yield if doing so would avoid a collision.

Insurance companies will use these pedestrian duties aggressively. If you crossed outside a crosswalk, they'll argue contributory fault. But crossing outside a crosswalk does not mean you're automatically at fault — drivers still have a duty to exercise due care. Many Las Vegas pedestrian crashes happen because drivers speed through wide, poorly lit arterials where pedestrians have no safe crossing point for half a mile or more. A FHWA/UNLV study identified 47 high-crash pedestrian sites across 16 zones in the Las Vegas metro — most are on these wide, high-speed arterials designed for cars, not people.

Nevada's modified comparative negligence rule (NRS 41.141) means your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you're 51% or more at fault, you recover nothing. This is why documenting the scene and getting witnesses matters — fault determination in pedestrian cases is often heavily disputed.

The at-fault driver's insurance company will contact you quickly, often within 24 to 48 hours. They'll sound sympathetic. They are not on your side. Their goal is to settle your claim for as little as possible — and they will try to get you to say something that shifts blame to you.

You are not legally required to give them a recorded statement. If they ask, say: "I'm not prepared to give a statement at this time." They may also offer a quick settlement. Don't accept it — pedestrian injuries are severe, treatment is expensive, and early settlement offers are almost always far below the actual value of your claim.

In pedestrian cases, the insurance company's primary strategy is to blame you. They'll argue you jaywalked, weren't paying attention, were wearing dark clothing, or stepped into the road suddenly. An attorney can handle all communication with the insurance company and prevent you from inadvertently hurting your own case.

Under NRS 11.190(4)(e), you have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit in Nevada. For wrongful death claims, the deadline is also two years from the date of death.

Two years sounds like time, but building a strong pedestrian accident case requires gathering evidence, obtaining medical records, getting accident reconstruction analysis, and negotiating with insurance companies. Attorneys recommend starting the process within weeks of the accident.

If the accident involved a government vehicle or happened on a government-maintained road or sidewalk where dangerous conditions contributed to the crash, you must file written notice within 2 years under NRS 41.036. If a dangerous road design — missing crosswalks, inadequate lighting, broken signals — contributed to your accident, the government entity responsible may share liability.

Pedestrian accident cases in Las Vegas often involve catastrophic injuries — traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, multiple fractures, internal organ damage. The medical costs alone can reach six or seven figures. An experienced attorney knows how to calculate the full value of your claim, including future medical costs, lost earning capacity, and pain and suffering.

Las Vegas has unique factors that affect pedestrian cases: millions of tourists walking unfamiliar streets, 24/7 alcohol service contributing to impaired driving, wide high-speed arterials with infrequent crosswalks, and extreme desert heat that can impair both driver and pedestrian judgment. An attorney who handles Las Vegas cases regularly understands these dynamics.

Surveillance footage from casinos, hotels, and businesses is critical evidence in Las Vegas pedestrian cases — but it gets overwritten fast. An attorney can send preservation letters to ensure footage isn't deleted before your case is built.

Most pedestrian accident attorneys in Las Vegas work on contingency — no upfront cost, and they only get paid if you recover. A free consultation gives you a clear picture of what your claim may be worth.