Pedestrian Crash in Arizona: Your Complete Action Plan

You were walking. A car hit you. Everything after the impact is pain, confusion, and the feeling that the world shifted under your feet.

This guide covers everything: the immediate steps (call 911, get the driver’s info, go to the ER) plus what comes after. The medical priorities that get missed, the road design claims most families don’t know exist, the UM/UIM insurance process when the driver fled, and the 180-day deadline that catches more families off guard than any other.

Our investigation into Arizona pedestrian deaths and road design found that Arizona’s pedestrian fatality rate is nearly double the national average. That’s not because Arizona pedestrians are less careful. It’s because Arizona roads were built for cars, not people. A related report found that Phoenix’s own safety plan ranked the two most dangerous intersections in the city on one stretch of Indian School Road, so the road you were hit on may already be flagged in the City’s records.

Wide arterials, long block spacing, missing crosswalks, and inadequate lighting create conditions where pedestrians die at rates that other states don’t see.

Understanding that context matters for your case. Sometimes the driver is the only one at fault. Sometimes the road itself is part of the problem. Your attorney needs to investigate both.

The First 48 Hours: Medical Priorities

Pedestrian injuries are almost always more severe than what a car occupant sustains in the same crash. No seatbelt. No airbag. No steel frame. Your body took the full impact.

Most clients tell us the hardest part of the first 48 hours is that they don’t know what’s wrong yet. The adrenaline wore off. The pain started. But the full picture of their injuries hasn’t emerged.

Here’s what to focus on medically.

TBI Screening

Traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of death and long-term disability in pedestrian crashes. The initial impact, your head hitting the vehicle’s hood or windshield, is followed by a secondary impact when you hit the pavement. Both can cause brain injury.

Get screened even if you feel alert

Concussions and mild TBIs don’t always produce dramatic symptoms at first. You might feel “off” without being able to explain why. Headaches, difficulty concentrating, sensitivity to light, nausea, mood changes, and memory gaps can develop over 24 to 72 hours.

Ask for imaging

A CT scan at the ER can detect bleeding, swelling, and fractures. If the initial CT is clear but symptoms persist or worsen over the next few days, ask for an MRI. Some brain injuries that don’t show on CT become visible on MRI.

Follow up with a neurologist or concussion specialist

The ER stabilizes you. The specialist evaluates you over time. TBI symptoms can evolve. What looks like a mild concussion in week one can reveal itself as a more significant injury by week four. Consistent follow-up is how you catch it.

Internal Bleeding

The blunt force of a vehicle striking your midsection can rupture your spleen, lacerate your liver, or damage your kidneys. Internal bleeding doesn’t always produce immediate pain. You might feel fine for hours before the blood loss causes lightheadedness, rapid heart rate, or dropping blood pressure.

The ER should evaluate for internal injuries with imaging. If you were discharged and develop any of these symptoms within 48 hours, return to the ER immediately: worsening abdominal pain, dizziness or fainting, rapid pulse, blood in urine, or bruising that spreads across your abdomen.

Fractures and Orthopedic Injuries

The “bumper hit” pattern is common in pedestrian crashes. The vehicle’s bumper strikes at hip or thigh height, fracturing the pelvis, femur, or lower leg. Pelvic fractures are especially dangerous because they can cause internal bleeding and damage to surrounding organs.

If the ER identifies fractures, follow up with an orthopedic surgeon within the first week. Many fractures from pedestrian crashes require surgical repair with hardware (plates, screws, rods). Waiting delays treatment and gives the insurance company an argument that the injury wasn’t urgent.

The Pain Journal

Start on day one. Three to five sentences every day.

Where does it hurt? How bad is it on a scale of one to ten? What couldn’t you do today that you normally do? How did you sleep? What medications did you take? How does the injury affect your mood, your family, your ability to work?

“Day 4: Pain in left hip is 7/10. Can’t sit in a chair for more than 20 minutes. Couldn’t drive to pick up my kids from school. Woke up three times from pain. Taking ibuprofen every four hours, barely takes the edge off.”

That entry, multiplied by 60 or 90 days, creates a record that no medical chart can match. It’s the most powerful non-economic damages evidence you’ll produce. Most clients don’t start it. The ones who do end up with stronger claims.

Documenting Road Design Defects

Here’s where pedestrian crashes differ from every other type of crash case. Sometimes the driver isn’t the only one responsible. Sometimes the road itself was dangerous.

Arizona’s road design contributes to pedestrian deaths at nearly double the national rate. Wide, high-speed arterials with no crosswalks for half a mile. Missing sidewalks. Inadequate lighting. Traffic signals timed for cars, not people. Turn lanes that block drivers’ view of pedestrians. These aren’t random conditions. They’re design choices made by government engineers.

If any of these factors contributed to your crash, the government entity responsible for the road may share liability.

Missing crosswalks are the most common design issue. If you were crossing a road with no marked crosswalk and the nearest one was a quarter mile away or more, the road design forced you to cross without one. That’s evidence against the government entity that approved the design.

Inadequate lighting often compounds the problem. Pedestrian crashes on unlit or poorly lit roads are disproportionately fatal. If the crash happened where better lighting could have given the driver time to see you, the entity responsible for streetlight maintenance may bear responsibility.

Speed design is the next category. Wide, straight roads encourage high speeds even when the posted limit is 40 or 45 mph. If the road’s design encouraged speeds that made it impossible for the driver to stop in time, the road design is part of the problem, not just the driver’s behavior.

Missing sidewalks force the same outcome. In parts of the West Valley, major roads lack continuous sidewalks, and pedestrians are forced into travel lanes because the infrastructure doesn’t provide an alternative.

How to Document Road Design Issues

You don’t need to be an engineer. You just need to document what you see.

Photograph the intersection from every approach. Measure (or estimate) the distance to the nearest crosswalk. Note whether there’s a sidewalk on both sides of the road. Photograph the street lighting (or the absence of it). Note the posted speed limit. Photograph any obstructions that might have blocked the driver’s view.

Your attorney will retain a traffic engineer to analyze the road design and determine whether it met applicable safety standards. Your photographs provide the starting point.

The 180-Day Government Entity Deadline

This is the deadline that catches families off guard.

If a government entity, a city, county, or the state, is responsible for the dangerous road condition that contributed to your crash, Arizona law requires you to file a notice of claim within 180 days of the crash (ARS 12-821.01). Not two years. Six months.

The notice of claim isn’t a lawsuit. It’s a formal written notice to the government entity describing what happened, what they did wrong, and what damages you’re claiming. It gives the government entity a chance to investigate and respond. If they deny the claim or don’t respond within 60 days, you can then file a lawsuit.

Missing this deadline typically ends the road design claim. Arizona courts enforce the 180-day requirement strictly. A few narrow exceptions exist, but they’re rare. If you believe the road design contributed to your crash, tell your attorney immediately. Don’t assume the standard two-year statute of limitations applies. It doesn’t for government entity claims.

UM/UIM Claims When the Driver Fled

Pedestrian hit-and-runs are devastatingly common. The driver panics, flees, and leaves you on the pavement. Our hit-and-run investigation found that about 90% of hit-and-run crashes in Maricopa County go unsolved.

If the driver who hit you fled and hasn’t been identified, your own auto insurance is your primary source of compensation.

Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage on your auto policy applies when you’re struck as a pedestrian by an unidentified driver. It covers medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages up to your policy limits.

You don’t have to own the car that insures you. If you live with a family member who has an auto policy with UM coverage, that policy may extend to you as a household member under most Arizona policies. Check the declarations page and the definition of “insured” to confirm.

In our experience, insurance companies sometimes treat UM claims as less urgent because you’re filing against your own policy. Don’t let them. You paid for this coverage. You’re entitled to its full value. If your insurer offers less than your damages justify, your attorney can pursue the claim through negotiation or litigation.

Building the Full Case

A pedestrian crash case often has more layers than a standard vehicle collision. Your attorney should investigate all of them.

The driver is usually the primary liability factor. Were they speeding? Distracted? Running a red light? Turning without yielding to pedestrians? Every one of those behaviors lands liability on the driver and their insurer.

The road is the second factor. Were the conditions safe for pedestrians? Were crosswalks, sidewalks, lighting, and signals adequate? If not, the government entity responsible for the road may share liability.

Each additional liable party means additional insurance coverage. In severe pedestrian injury cases, pursuing every responsible party is how your attorney ensures the compensation matches the actual damages.

Recovery Timeline: What to Expect

Every injury is different. But here’s what most pedestrian crash clients experience in the months after.

Weeks one through four

The acute phase. Pain is highest. Mobility is most limited. You’re seeing doctors, getting imaging, possibly having surgery. The insurance process is just starting. Focus on medical care and documentation.

Months two through four

Active treatment. Physical therapy, follow-up surgeries, specialist appointments. You’re starting to understand the full scope of your injuries. Some symptoms improve. Some plateau. Your attorney is investigating, preserving evidence, and building your case file.

Months four through eight

Progress toward maximum medical improvement (MMI). Your doctors will eventually determine that you’ve recovered as much as you’re going to, or that ongoing treatment is maintenance rather than curative. This is when your attorney can calculate the full value of your claim.

Months eight through twelve (and beyond)

Demand, negotiation, or litigation. Your attorney sends a demand letter or files suit. Settlement negotiations happen. If the case doesn’t settle, it proceeds to trial.

Don’t accept any settlement offer before you’ve reached maximum medical improvement. You can’t know what your case is worth until you know the full extent of your injuries. Settling early almost always means settling for less.

Key Deadlines

180 days for government entity claims

ARS 12-821.01. This is the most commonly missed deadline in pedestrian cases involving road design defects. Six months from the crash. No extensions.

Two years for personal injury

ARS 12-542. The general statute of limitations for your claim against the driver.

Two years for wrongful death

ARS 12-611. Two years from the date of death if a family member didn’t survive.

For more on your legal rights as a pedestrian in Arizona, including comparative fault rules and ARS 28-796, read Ron’s legal guide.