If you read the news this week, you may have heard about the stiff sentence imposed on the man convicted of drunk driving in the death of a 12-year old girl who was hit by his car while she was trick-or-treating on Halloween last year in Las Vegas. The 42-year old man was ordered to spend between the next eight and 20 years in prison, which was the maximum possible sentence for that crime. Perhaps you hoped that this case would serve as a reminder for drivers to be more watchful for pedestrians in the valley.

Based on what happened later in the week, perhaps not.

A female pedestrian is recovering after being hit by a vehicle in Henderson yesterday. Around 5pm Thursday, the pedestrian was in a crosswalk at the intersection of Anthem Parkway and Somersworth Drive in south Henderson near The Revere Golf Club when she was struck by a vehicle. The driver remained on the scene, and alcohol is not suspected to be a factor at this time. The pedestrian had to be airlifted to University Medical Center in Las Vegas.

Since the victim was reportedly in a crosswalk at the time of the auto-pedestrian accident, the driver will very likely be held liable for the incident and the pedestrian’s injuries. That means that the victim could choose to file a personal injury lawsuit against the driver sometime in the future. This suit could allow the plaintiff to collect reimbursement for hospital expenses, compensation for any missed time at work, and perhaps even monetary damages for pain and suffering.