Pedestrian Accidents & Arizona Weather

While Arizona is hot, we rarely see rain, making it a decent place to travel by foot during certain parts of the year. I didn’t even get harassed by any hobos on my walk today, which is better than the last time I walked to get coffee in Los Angeles. I have a mean mug for when I’m walking by myself. I also carry a hot pink can of pepper spray! Walking is fun and great exercise. Unfortunately, countless conditions can make the streets more dangerous for pedestrians. If you’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident, a personal injury attorney can make sure you receive fair compensation for your injuries with as little stress as possible. Our Phoenix injury team will help you through every step of the injury compensation process- click here or call 480-448-9800 for your free consultation.

What Type Of Weather Can Influence Pedestrian Accidents?

Virtually any type of weather can affect pedestrian safety. The weather affects how many people will be out and about, which overall increases the risk of a pedestrian accident. Therefore, you are more likely to see pedestrians during the cooler months in Arizona. Sunny weather can make it more difficult to see, especially during the sunrise and sunset hours going in certain directions. This can be aggravated by reflections and other distractions on the road.

There are other weather conditions less common in Arizona that can affect pedestrian safety as well. They include:

Heavy winds
Sleet and snowstorms
Heavy rain
Fog and haze
Ice and slippery roads
Debris on road and sidewalks

Other Factors That Can Affect Pedestrian Safety

Weather isn’t the only factor that affects how safe it is to be a pedestrian in Arizona and countrywide. Speed is one of the biggest factors that can affect brake time and the severity of injuries in a pedestrian accident. Speed can cause a pedestrian to be thrown farther by the impact of a collision and experience more severe injuries overall.

Everyone is guilty of driving while distracted at least once or twice. It could be something as innocent as adjusting your radio or air conditioning, or you may be doing something technically illegal like texting while driving. It’s important to keep your eyes on the road while driving not just for yourself but for pedestrians and other drivers. If you’ve been injured in an accident by a speeding or distracted driver, click here or call 480-448-9800 for more information.

Arizona treats driving under the influence as a serious crime because it is a serious crime. Driving under the influence doesn’t just increase the rate of traffic accidents, but the fatality of them as well.

Improving Safety As a Pedestrian- Especially In Bad Weather

There are certain steps a pedestrian can take during inclement weather to improve their safety. One of those is to always maximize visibility depending on weather conditions. If it’s nighttime, a pedestrian should wear light and bright colors- reflective clothing is even better. However, darker clothing may make a pedestrian more visible during the morning and daytime hours. Darker clothes will help a pedestrian be seen more easily in snowy weather, but lighter and reflective clothes may be more effective in the rain.

It isn’t a pedestrian’s responsibility to make sure that drivers are attentive and careful on the roads. At the end of the day, a pedestrian has very little power over whether a driver will ignore a traffic sign, swerve onto a sidewalk, or otherwise cause a pedestrian accident. If you’ve been injured by a driver in a pedestrian accident, a personal injury attorney can help you get the most out of your claim. For your free consultation with one of our experienced Phoenix injury lawyers, click here or call 480-470-1504.

What Types Of Weather Are The Most Frequent In Arizona?

Unless you’ve only been in Arizona for a few days, you probably know that most of the year is relatively hot and sunny compared to the rest of the country. When it rains, it rains heavily but usually for only a short amount of time. However, because of the rarity of the rain here, many drivers are unfamiliar with how to adapt their driving to the rain. A pedestrian can be injured in any type of weather in Arizona. If you’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident, make sure you speak to a Phoenix personal injury attorney before the other party’s insurance company – call 480-448-9800 or click here for your free consultation.

Damages You May Be Eligible To Collect After a Pedestrian Accident

The sums of money you are eligible to collect in a personal injury claim are known as damages. Some damages are economic, meaning they can be calculated and represented by a number. Others are non-economic, less tangible, and harder to give a clear value. If you need help determining which damages you should demand in your injury claim, click here or call 480-470-1504 for your free consultation.

Medical Bills

Accident victims need to demand medical bills they have accrued not just at the time they file their lawsuits, but that they will accrue for the rest of their lifetimes. Medical bills can include a variety of professionals who treat injuries from a pedestrian accident, from dentists, plastic surgeons, podiatrists, hospital emergency rooms, and more. It may require testimony from medical professionals to determine how much your injuries will cost you throughout your lifetime.

Lost Compensation

Injuries from a pedestrian accident are likely to be severe and therefore require the victim to miss time from work. This may be done using the victim’s annual salary or hourly wage but may require expert testimony if the victim is an independent contractor, operates a business, etc. There is also the possibility that the injuries are so severe that they will impede the victim’s progress in their career for life. If so, this damage must be financially compensated through a personal injury claim as well.

Pain & Suffering

A pedestrian accident victim will undoubtedly suffer pain, stress, inconvenience, and possibly even more severe consequences from their injuries. These types of damages are hard to give a numerical value. There are many ways a plaintiff can calculate pain and suffering damages, but two common ways are the multiplier method and the per diem method. To use the multiplier method, the plaintiff must calculate all of their economic damages. Then, the plaintiff will decide upon a multiplication factor based on the severity of their injuries. That number is usually between one and five but can be much higher if there are aggravating factors present. That number will be tacked onto the plaintiff’s economic damages. The per diem method involves assigning a daily value for the pain the plaintiff experiences, and multiplying that by the number of days that the pain is likely to persist.

Permanent Disability Or Disfigurement

If a pedestrian were to lose a limb in an accident, suffer a brain injury, or develop paralysis, these would be considered permanent disabilities and disfigurements for personal injury law. One can expect the value of these types of claims to be much higher than a standard personal injury claim.

Wrongful Death

This is the worst-case scenario in a pedestrian traffic accident. A family member can bring a wrongful death claim if a pedestrian is involved in a fatal accident. A wrongful death claim should only be handled by a skilled and knowledgeable injury attorney.

Call Our Phoenix Injury Team For Your Free Consultation

Pedestrians can suffer more serious injuries which means more serious personal injury claims. You’ll fare best when you have an experienced lawyer by your side. My AZ Lawyers can help you get started with your case with your free consultation. Contact us today through our online form or call us at 480-448-9800.