When a person is injured in an auto-pedestrian accident, it’s a tragic event; and it’s even more horrifying when a pedestrian is killed by a moving car. But some may argue that the anguish is even more excruciating for family members if the victim is hospitalized – and then dies months after the accident took place.

The family of an elderly North Las Vegas man is dealing with this precise type of torment. Back on February 28, the 78-year old man was crossing North Las Vegas Boulevard at East Tonopah Road in North Las Vegas near Jerry’s Nugget Casino (just north of the Main Street merge). The man was in a marked crosswalk when he was struck by a 1985 Toyota Tercel. The victim was eventually transferred from University Medical Center to a rehabilitation facility in Valley Hospital, where he died earlier this month.

The 82-year old man driving the Tercel, who was reportedly under the influence of prescription drugs, drove forward as the traffic signal on Las Vegas Boulevard changed from red to green. However, he did not wait for the 78-year old man to finish crossing the street as the law dictates. Therefore, it appears that the driver will be held responsible for the auto-pedestrian accident – and the subsequent death of the victim.

If they wish to do so, the 78-year old’s surviving family members may file a wrongful death lawsuit against the car’s driver. Such a suit could allow the plaintiffs to be reimbursed for hospital expenses (which undoubtedly are into the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars) and perhaps receive compensation for loss of companionship and/or mental anguish.