Reno Pedestrian Accident Lawyers

Your Rights as a Pedestrian in Reno

The State of Nevada has certain laws and statutes regarding pedestrian activity. If you decide to walk or jog around Reno, it is your responsibility to understand and obey these laws. This can keep your movements predictable to surrounding drivers and reduce your risk of getting hit by a car. You also have certain rights, including the right to expect drivers to obey Reno’s traffic laws.

Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) § 484B.280

Under NRS § 484B.280, a motor vehicle driver in Nevada is legally required to “exercise due care to avoid a collision with a pedestrian.” This means the driver must exercise proper caution not to strike a pedestrian who is on or near a street or highway, at or near a bus stop, or in or near a school zone.

NRS § 484B.283

Pedestrian rights-of-way within a crosswalk under NRS § 484B.283 state that motor vehicle drivers must yield the right-of-way (or slow down or stop) to yield to a pedestrian who is crossing a crosswalk within the half of the road in which the vehicle is traveling, or to a pedestrian who is approaching closely from the other side.  

This law also states that a pedestrian does not have the right to leave a curb or place of safety to enter the path of a vehicle that is approaching too closely to yield. At an intersection or crosswalk with pedestrian signals, pedestrians may only proceed when faced with the “Walk” indication.

NRS § 484B.287

According to NRS § 484B.287, a pedestrian must yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon a roadway when crossing at any point other than a marked crosswalk or intersection. In addition, pedestrians are not permitted to cross at a point between adjacent intersections that have traffic control devices in operation at any place besides a crosswalk.

How are People Injured in Pedestrian Accidents?

Pedestrians hit by a vehicle are at a great disadvantage. Occupants of vehicles are protected by tons of metal. But pedestrians are open to those tons of metal coming at them. Cars can hit walkers at high speeds and throw them from the accident scene. The result? Injuries ranging from the catastrophic, causing paralysis and loss of bodily function, to minor but painful. Common pedestrian accident injuries include:

• Fractured Bones & Contusions: Fractures and severe bruises are some of the most common pedestrian accident injuries, especially to the legs, hips, and pelvis. These can severely limit your mobility and be immensely painful.
• Lacerations & Loss of Limbs (Amputations): Serious cuts that lead to scarring, infection, or even an amputation are not only painful, but traumatizing, and can result in a serious change to your quality of life. We will fight for a full settlement.
• Traumatic Brain Injuries, Including Concussions: One of the most common injuries after any kind of vehicle collision, TBI symptoms vary widely between victims and can be some of the most difficult to identify and fully treat after the accident.
• Spinal Cord Injuries, Including Paralysis: When a collision with a vehicle causes damage to you spinal cord, you may suffer from inability to walk, loss of organ function, lost independence, numbness, tingling, and many other symptoms.
• Crush Injuries & Damage to Internal Organs: Often difficult to identify initially, internal bleeding and organ damage can also be one of the most severe, life-altering injuries that result from a pedestrian accident. Victims may require surgery and life support.
• Nerve Damage: Damage to nerves as a result of being crushed, struck, or other injured is common. Unfortunately, nerve damage can be painful or result in a serious loss of physical ability and sensation.
• Death: Serious pedestrian accidents can be fatal. In these cases, a Reno wrongful death lawyer may file a lawsuit on behalf of the bereaved family for pain and suffering, loss companionship and income, and more.