Glendale Pedestrian Accident Attorney

Direct Attorney Representation for Glendale Pedestrian Accident Victims

According to the CDC, an estimated 140,000 pedestrians are treated in emergency rooms each year for non-fatal crash-related injuries. Thousands more don’t survive. Over 8,000 pedestrians were killed on U.S. roads in 2022 alone. Alcohol contributes to nearly half of all pedestrian deaths. If you or someone you care about has been hit by a car, semi-truck, or any other vehicle in Arizona, you may be entitled to compensation through a personal injury claim.

At Klink Law, we offer free consultations to pedestrian accident victims and handle every case on a contingency basis. You pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you. Call (602) 483-6059 to speak with our Glendale pedestrian accident attorney today.

What to Do After Being Hit by a Car in Glendale

When a distracted or careless driver strikes a pedestrian, the pedestrian bears the physical and emotional costs. The steps you take in the hours and days that follow can affect both your recovery and the strength of your legal claim. After a pedestrian injury in Arizona, take these steps:

• Call the police and make a report. A police report establishes the context of the accident and creates an official record.
• Get witness information at the scene. Witness accounts can provide critical support for your claim.
• Take photos and video of the accident scene. Visual evidence documents details that may disappear quickly.
• Collect names, police report numbers, and any other available documentation. The more you gather early, the stronger your position.
• Seek medical attention as soon as possible. Hidden injuries like internal damage may not be immediately symptomatic. Prompt care also creates medical records that document your trauma.
• Contact a pedestrian accident lawyer in Glendale, AZ. We can guide your next steps and protect your interests from the start.
• Don’t speak to an insurance adjuster before consulting an attorney. Insurers look for ways to minimize payouts. Let us handle those communications.

Acting quickly preserves critical evidence and reduces the risk of costly errors with insurance companies. Our team can help you understand your options before you make any decisions.

Proving Driver Negligence in an Arizona Pedestrian Accident

Most pedestrian accident claims turn on whether a driver acted negligently. We know how to build a strong case by gathering evidence, medical records, and documentation that supports each of the four required negligence elements.

Duty

Arizona law requires drivers to exercise reasonable care toward pedestrians. When a driver fails to meet that standard, the door opens to liability.

Breach

A driver breaches their duty when they fail to act as a reasonable person would under the same circumstances. Common examples include:

• Speeding or driving too fast for road or weather conditions
• Running a red light or stop sign when pedestrians are crossing
• Failing to watch for pedestrians at a crosswalk or well-known crossing
• Not stopping for a school bus letting off children
• Failing to check for pedestrians before backing out of a parking space
• Not yielding to pedestrians walking in a parking lot

Courts also consider whether the driver was distracted by a phone, GPS, or another object. Camera footage and witness statements can help establish whether the driver met or failed their duty of care.

Causation

You need to show that the driver’s actions directly caused your injuries. We work with medical professionals to demonstrate how a specific injury connects to the collision, which strengthens proof of causation and supports a complete picture of your losses.

Damages

Damages in a pedestrian accident claim go beyond medical bills. Claims can include compensation for lasting pain, reduced quality of life, lost future earnings, and permanent disability. We prepare cases with litigation in mind, calculating both current and anticipated future losses to present the strongest possible claim.

Arizona Pedestrian Laws and Safety

Arizona pedestrian law expects you to make your actions predictable for drivers. Following the rules not only keeps you safer. It strengthens your legal position if you’re ever injured. State law requires pedestrians to cross at marked crosswalks where available, obey traffic signals, and avoid stepping into traffic unexpectedly. Walking along highways where sidewalks are present is prohibited. If your actions contributed to an accident, Arizona’s comparative fault rules may reduce your recovery, but won’t necessarily eliminate it. Showing that you followed applicable laws makes that argument harder for an insurer to win.

Common Injuries in Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrians have no protection when a vehicle strikes them, and injuries reflect that. Broken bones, concussions, and traumatic brain injuries are common, as are back and neck injuries requiring months of care. Severe impacts can cause organ damage, deep lacerations, or joint injuries that limit mobility permanently. Pedestrians face two points of impact: the initial vehicle strike and the secondary impact when the body hits the ground.

These injuries can result in lasting disabilities that affect a person’s ability to work and live independently. Children and older adults face elevated risk and typically need longer recovery periods. Psychological harm, including PTSD and emotional trauma, can follow as well. Understanding the full scope of your injuries is essential to pursuing compensation that reflects your actual losses.

Comparative Fault in Arizona Pedestrian Claims

Arizona follows a pure comparative fault rule, which means a pedestrian can still recover damages even if they share some responsibility for the accident. If a court finds the pedestrian partially at fault, for crossing against a light, for example, it reduces the compensation award by that percentage of fault.

Insurance adjusters routinely argue that a pedestrian’s own conduct contributed to the crash in order to lower settlement offers. Thorough evidence collection, including camera footage, witness statements, and police reports, supports a fair fault assessment and counters those arguments. A pedestrian accident lawyer in Glendale can help you address comparative fault claims and pursue compensation available under Arizona law.

Other Parties Who May Be Liable in a Glendale Pedestrian Accident

The driver who struck you isn’t always the only party responsible. If that driver was working at the time of the crash, their employer may be vicariously liable under Arizona law. When defective infrastructure contributed to the accident, including broken signals, obscured crosswalk signs, or cracked sidewalks, the City of Glendale or another municipality may share responsibility.

When the at-fault driver can’t be identified or lacks insurance, Arizona uninsured motorist (UM) coverage may provide compensation for medical expenses and lost wages through your own auto policy. In cases involving a driver who was under the influence, punitive damages may be available in addition to compensatory damages. We investigate the full circumstances of every case we handle to identify all potentially liable parties and manage insurance negotiations, including UM claims, so you can focus on recovery. Every additional source of liability can affect the total compensation you may be able to recover, which is why working with a pedestrian accident lawyer in Glendale matters from the start.