12 News reported that a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle near Northern and Grand avenues in Glendale at around 4:30 a.m., and that the collision was followed by a second crash and a road closure. According to the outlet, there was no word on the extent of the pedestrian's injuries. No findings about fault have been reported, and nothing below should be read as a conclusion about what any driver or pedestrian did.
When a pedestrian is struck on an Arizona roadway, fault is rarely decided by one fact. Arizona law requires drivers to yield to pedestrians in marked and unmarked crosswalks under A.R.S. § 28-792, and requires pedestrians crossing outside a crosswalk to yield to vehicles under A.R.S. § 28-793. Neither statute ends the analysis. Every driver still owes a duty to keep a proper lookout and to avoid a collision when a person is visible in the road, and darkness or low light does not excuse a failure to see what a careful driver would have seen. If a pedestrian is found partly responsible, Arizona applies pure comparative fault under A.R.S. § 12-2505, which reduces a recovery by the injured person's percentage of fault but never bars it outright. That matters: an insurer's early claim that a pedestrian was at fault is a negotiating position, not a legal conclusion, and the deadline to sue is generally two years under A.R.S. § 12-542.
Right of Way Is a Starting Point, Not the Whole Case
Insurance adjusters often open a pedestrian claim by asking one question: was the person in a crosswalk? That question matters, but it is not the end of the inquiry. A.R.S. § 28-792 covers marked and unmarked crosswalks, and an unmarked crosswalk exists at many intersections even with no paint on the pavement. A.R.S. § 28-793 places a duty on a pedestrian crossing elsewhere, and a violation of that duty is evidence of comparative fault rather than an automatic bar to recovery.
Speed, lighting, sight lines, driver attention, and the physical layout of the intersection all bear on whether a driver met the duty of reasonable care. Those are factual questions. They are usually answered with scene photographs, signal and intersection records, vehicle data, and independent witnesses, not with an adjuster's first phone call.
When One Collision Leads to Another
A secondary crash at the same location raises its own set of questions. More than one driver may have an insurance policy in play, and the policies may point fingers at each other. Under A.R.S. § 12-2505, fault can be apportioned among several parties, so an injured person is not forced to pick a single defendant and hope. Every driver involved in a collision also has duties under A.R.S. § 28-661 to stop, remain at the scene, and exchange information; a failure to do so can shift both the insurance analysis and the criminal exposure.
If a vehicle owned by a city, county, or the state turns out to be involved, a much shorter clock applies. A notice of claim against a public entity or public employee must be served within 180 days under A.R.S. § 12-821.01, and missing that window can end an otherwise strong claim.
Practical Steps After a Pedestrian Is Hit
If you or a family member was struck while walking, the following steps protect the claim without requiring you to do anything adversarial:
- Get a full medical evaluation even if you walked away. Head injuries and internal injuries are commonly missed in the first hours, and a gap in treatment is the single most common argument insurers use to discount a claim.
- Request the police report number at the scene or by calling the investigating agency later, and request a copy once it is released.
- Photograph the location, including lighting, crosswalk markings, signals, and sight lines, as soon as it is safe. Conditions change and construction moves.
- Write down the names of anyone who stopped, before memories and phone numbers scatter.
- Give no recorded statement to the other driver's insurer until you understand how Arizona comparative fault works. You are not required to provide one.
- Check your own auto policy for medical payments coverage and uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. Pedestrians are frequently covered by their own policy even when no vehicle of theirs was involved.
- Preserve clothing, footwear, and any damaged personal items exactly as they are.
If a pedestrian does not survive, Arizona separates the claims: the family's wrongful death claim arises under A.R.S. § 12-611 through A.R.S. § 12-613, and the claim the person held for their own losses before death survives through the estate under A.R.S. § 14-3110.
If you were hurt walking in this part of the Valley, our Glendale pedestrian accident attorneys can explain where your claim stands and what deadlines apply to it.