States with cities that have a lot of pedestrian activity tend to have the most pedestrian accidents. Arizona pedestrian accidents are the highest in the United States, with most accidents leading to death. Pedestrian is a term not limited to people walking; it also includes people in motorized wheelchairs. In 2021, the Arizona Department of Transportation reported that there was a total of 1,714 accidents with 1,535 pedestrians injured and 257 pedestrians killed.
Laws to Help Prevent Arizona Pedestrian Accidents
Driving laws have been implemented to help reduce the number of pedestrian accidents in Arizona. When pedestrians cross the street, there is a likelihood of being involved in a pedestrian accident. Drivers need to follow these few rules that are established by the driving laws:
- While going through a school zone, drivers must not exceed 15 miles per hour.
- Do not pass a school bus while it is stopped to let students off. There will be flashing lights to indicate when the bus is slowing down to a stop.
- Drivers must yield to pedestrians when they are crossing the road, especially when crossing on a crosswalk.
- This means drivers should also not go around other vehicles that have stopped at a crosswalk.
Pedestrians also have laws that hold them accountable for their own safety. The pedestrian themselves can help prevent a majority of pedestrian injuries and pedestrian deaths. Below are some rules that Arizona pedestrians should be following:
- Pedestrians should not walk on the road if there is a sidewalk available.
- Arizona pedestrians should walk on the shoulder facing oncoming traffic if no sidewalk is available.
- While at an intersection, pedestrians should also follow traffic light rules.
- If the pedestrian traffic light signals to walk, pedestrians should not walk into the path of a vehicle assuming the driver will stop.
Pure Comparative Fault and Damages for Arizona Pedestrians
For personal injury cases in Arizona, pure comparative fault is used to determine the percentage of fault for the defendant and the victim. The rules established by the laws we have mentioned above are used to determine the fault percentage during pedestrian accident claims. Pure comparative fault means that if the victim is found to be some percentage at fault for the accident, the settlement amount will be reduced by that percentage.
After an Arizona pedestrian accident, the victims of the accident should reach out to a pedestrian accident attorney. This will provide find out what compensation they are entitled to. Injuries from pedestrian accidents can be severe and even fatal:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones
- Spinal cord injuries
- Neck injuries
- Soft Tissue injuries
- Pain and suffering
- Death
Both economic and non-economic damages are available for compensation for pedestrian accident victims. Economic damages are damages determined by medical bills, lost wages, and other monetary damages. Non-economic damages are nonmonetary damages that cannot have a number placed on them like pain and suffering. Pain and suffering include depression, anxiety, PTSD, loss of a loved one, and loss of enjoyment of life.
A free consultation with an Arizona pedestrian accident lawyer will make it easier for victims to collect a full settlement for their damages. In pedestrian accidents, that result in serious injury, victims should focus on getting treatment. While they let their injury attorney handle the details of their case. The attorney is meant to take on the stress so the client can trust the attorney to gather all the details needed to get their client compensation.