Anyone who has spent time in Arizona understands that pedestrians are a regular sight, especially in the state’s larger cities. Not only do millions of tourists come every year to enjoy what it has to offer, but people who live and work here tend to take advantage of the climate at times and use their feet for healthy transportation. Unfortunately, this tends to lead to pedestrian accidents, and many of them occur in crosswalks, resulting in the need for competent Phoenix, AZ pedestrian accident lawyers. Our trusted personal injury attorneys have represented pedestrians in crosswalk accidents for many years and work to compensate victims to the fullest extent of the law. Below you’ll find information regarding pedestrian accident statistics, the manner in which a negligence standard would apply to these situations, the types of damages that could become relevant for someone who has been injured in a crosswalk accident, and finally, how you should proceed if you or someone you love has been injured in a crosswalk accident and you need the help of an attorney.
Arizona Pedestrian Accident Statistics
Unfortunately, pedestrian accidents in Arizona occur at an alarming rate. Statistics indicate that every year, more than 1,500 such accidents occur, and these accidents lead to more than 1,300 injuries and more than 100 fatalities. In fact, between 2010 and 2018, nearly 1,600 pedestrians were struck and killed, primarily in large cities like Phoenix, Glendale, and Tucson, according to an Arizona Republic analysis of state Department of Transportation data. In addition to the overall statistics, the numbers regarding crosswalk accidents in AZ are also extremely troubling. Of those people who are injured in Arizona pedestrian accidents, hundreds of them occur when someone is crossing a road. These constitute crosswalk accidents, and in addition to the number of injuries that result from these incidents, many of the fatalities that occur also take place while someone is crossing the road. It should come as no surprise that the volume of pedestrian accidents is much higher during daylight hours, but the percentage of these accidents that leads to serious harm is higher at night. Of all pedestrian crashes, 15.05 percent were fatal, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation 2021 Motor Vehicle Crash Facts report.
Proving Negligence in Crosswalk Accidents
When someone is injured or worse in an Arizona crosswalk accident, those who have been harmed may have legal options that include the filing of a personal injury lawsuit with the help of our Phoenix pedestrian accident attorneys. If such a lawsuit was filed, its result would largely depend on the specifics of the accident at issue. Those specifics will determine which party was negligent and whether comparative negligence is an appropriate consideration. Crosswalks in Arizona are governed by basic traffic laws. Pedestrians are allowed to cross the streets of the state inside these crosswalks and when a traffic signal allows them the opportunity to cross. At intersections where there is no electronic traffic signal, pedestrians are expected to look both ways for oncoming traffic and to cross inside the crosswalk when it’s safe to do so. Once a person is in a crosswalk and has entered it reasonably, that pedestrian has right-of-way relative to other travelers. This tends to be where Arizona crosswalk accidents occur at the highest rate. Motorists may assume that either they have the right-of-way in a particular situation or they misjudge whether or not their continuation on their path will put the pedestrian in danger. Another leading cause of Arizona crosswalk accidents is when a motorist is distracted and does not see a pedestrian in the street. This type of gross negligence absolutely deserves the attention of an effective accident injury attorney.
Crosswalk Accidents – Damages and Comparative Negligence
Generally, the situations described above would lead to a finding that the person that harmed a pedestrian was negligent, and would entitle the pedestrian to obtain damages that compensate him or her for medical costs, lost income, and pain and suffering among other forms of compensation. However, there are situations where both a pedestrian and a motorist are at fault for an accident. When this situation arises, Arizona uses what’s known as the pure comparative negligence standard. In these cases, the court will decide which party is responsible for which percentage of the total fault, and if the defendant is liable for any of the harm the plaintiff’s damages are reduced by the amount that he or she was also negligent. These cases tend to arise when a pedestrian was crossing against traffic or suddenly darted into the street without much of an opportunity for the motorist to avoid the collision.
How an Attorney Can Help
Arizona crosswalk accidents, as the statistics indicate, lead to a high rate of injuries and fatalities. If this includes you or someone you love, you need to seek the help of Arizona personal injury lawyers who have been handling these kinds of cases for many years — call the team at Phillips Law Group today.
Call 602-222-2222 to schedule a free consultation.
Contact a Phoenix, AZ Pedestrian Accident Attorney
Accidents on the road don’t just impact people in vehicles – pedestrians can be hurt or killed in accidents on the street as well, and a victim may not know their rights if they’re injured in a pedestrian accident.
Sadly, Arizona is the fifth deadliest state in the nation for pedestrians, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and AZ Central. Unfortunately, all types of traffic deaths have increased in the area recently, and 2021 was the deadliest in the past two decades with 231 fatalities in the state.
Although the city of Phoenix city plans to spend $10 million a year to implement a road safety action plan that includes the goal of reducing serious injuries and deaths, for now, there are still many improvements to be made, and pedestrians need to be aware of their rights if they’re injured in an accident.
The Phoenix, AZ pedestrian accident lawyers at Phillips Law Group can help victims of pedestrian accidents and their families. If you or a loved one has been injured in such an incident, you need an experienced attorney to determine the responsible parties and bring them to justice.
Pedestrians who survive their traffic accidents could deal with expenses that include medical care, rehabilitative care, the impact of lost wages, and more. If you’ve been the victim of a pedestrian accident, please don’t hesitate to contact the team at Phillips Law Group to see if you have a case and may be able to recover damages.
There is no fee for the initial consultation when you first contact us – you only pay us if we successfully recover compensation on your behalf! Give the Phillips team a call today and learn about all of your legal options.
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