Tempe Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
Your Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Tempe for Pedestrian Injury Claims
A pedestrian accident lawyer in Tempe can explain who had to yield, deal with the driver's insurer and tell you which deadlines apply, usually 2 years from the injury (A.R.S. 12-542(1)). Tempe puts students, visitors and commuters on foot beside cars, the light rail and the Tempe Streetcar, around the ASU campus, Mill Avenue and Tempe Town Lake. If a driver hit you, the first call is a free case review.
- Filing deadline
- 2 years from the injury
- A.R.S. 12-542(1)
- Crosswalk rule
- Drivers must yield to a pedestrian in a marked or unmarked crosswalk
- A.R.S. 28-792
- Fault rule
- Pure comparative fault, no percentage bar
- A.R.S. 12-2505
Where a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Tempe Sees People Hit on Foot
Tempe is one of the most walked cities in the Valley, and the same few settings come up again and again.
- Campus crosswalks
ASU's Tempe campus enrolled more than 55,500 students in fall 2025, and the streets that touch it carry students on foot, on bikes and on scooters. A driver turning right on red or left on green may look only for other cars.
- Mill Avenue and the lake
Evening crowds, 2nd Sundays on Mill street events and festivals at Tempe Beach Park bring visitors who may not know the traffic patterns.
- Rail and streetcar crossings
The A Line light rail has run since December 2008, and the Tempe Streetcar opened on May 20, 2022 and runs on Rio Salado Parkway, Ash Avenue, Mill Avenue and Apache Boulevard. Drivers turning across the tracks and people stepping off a platform can end up in the same lane.
- Wide arterial roads
Streets like Baseline Road have three lanes each way, which a city engineer said encourages speeding, and long distances between crossings.
- Shopping center lots
Arizona Mills and Tempe Marketplace have large lots where a driver backing out of a space may not see someone walking behind the car.
Arizona
What a Crosswalk Accident Lawyer in Tempe Asks: Who Had to Yield
Fault in a pedestrian case often turns on where the person was crossing. Insurance companies and attorneys often negotiate the percentage of fault, and a pedestrian who shares blame can still recover.
In a marked or unmarked crosswalk
- Where signals are absent or not operating, the driver must slow or stop for a pedestrian in the driver's half of the road or approaching closely (A.R.S. 28-792).
- A driver may not pass a vehicle that has stopped for a pedestrian.
- A pedestrian may not suddenly leave a curb into the path of a vehicle too close to yield.
Outside a crosswalk
- The pedestrian must yield to vehicles (A.R.S. 28-793).
- Between adjacent signalized intersections, cross only in a marked crosswalk.
- Under pure comparative fault the pedestrian can still recover, with compensation reduced by their percentage (A.R.S. 12-2505).
Arizona
Streets, Stations and Hospitals That Matter After a Crash on Foot
A pedestrian claim is built from specific places, and the details below tell us where to look for cameras and which agency took the report.
Mill Avenue/3rd Street station and Veterans Way/College Avenue
A Line stops in the downtown core. The streetcar connects to the light rail at Mill Avenue/3rd Street.
University Drive/Rural station and the Rural Road corridor
Rural Road from 6th Street to Playa del Norte was a 2024 safety corridor with stricter enforcement.
Dorsey/Apache Boulevard and McClintock/Apache Boulevard
Apache Boulevard light rail stops where cars, trains and people on foot share the road.
Baseline Road near Kiwanis Park
A 3.9 mile corridor that received a $12 million U.S. DOT grant; AZ Family reported 35 serious or fatal crashes in recent years (September 2024), 7 of them involving pedestrians, and planned high-visibility crosswalks and better lighting.
Tempe Town Lake paths and Tempe Beach Park
Five miles of paths circle the lake, shared by walkers, joggers and cyclists.
HonorHealth Tempe Medical Center, 1500 S. Mill Ave
A 74 bed hospital with an emergency department. The state's December 2025 list shows no designated trauma center with a Tempe address; the closest Level I centers are in Mesa and Chandler.
What Tempe's Safety Program Means for a Pedestrian Claim
Tempe became the first Arizona city recognized as a Vision Zero city in 2018, and it publishes a Vision Zero dashboard of fatal and serious injury crashes from 2012 onward, sorted by mode of travel, lighting, junction type and more (City of Tempe data, updated August 2025). A Tempe pedestrian accident attorney reads that data for a road's known history. A pedestrian hit by a car needs a lawyer in Tempe who knows where the cameras are and what the city has recorded. The data does not decide your claim, because fault in your crash depends on what the driver and you did that day.
Statewide figures give some context. The Arizona Department of Transportation reported that pedestrian fatalities fell 12.3% in 2023 compared with 2022, but more than 1,300 people still died on Arizona roads that year (ADOT, 2023 data). If you were hit, the numbers do not matter to you, and we focus on the evidence from your crash.
What to Do After a Driver Hits You on Foot in Tempe
If you were a pedestrian hit by a car in Tempe, take these steps in order as you are able.
- 1
Call 911 and get checked out.
Many injuries show no or seemingly minor symptoms at first. Tell the doctor about your head, neck and back even if they feel fine.
- 2
Tell the officer what happened.
If you believe you were not at fault, make sure you explain this to the officer. Ask for the report number. Tempe Police usually writes the report for crashes on city streets.
- 3
Document the scene.
If safely possible, before any vehicle is moved, photograph the vehicle, the crosswalk, the signal and the lighting. Get names of witnesses.
- 4
Save what you were wearing and carrying.
Shoes, clothing and a damaged phone or bag show the force of the impact.
- 5
Do not agree to a recorded statement.
An early comment about how you feel can injure your legal rights. Send the adjuster to us at (602) 584-8054.
If the Driver Left the Scene
A driver in a crash with injuries must stop, identify themselves and render aid, and leaving the scene of an injury or fatal crash is a felony (A.R.S. 28-661, 28-663). If the driver is never found, your own uninsured motorist coverage may still help. Physical contact with the unidentified vehicle is not required, but if there was none, you must provide corroboration such as an independent eyewitness, video from a dashcam or storefront, physical scene evidence or 911 and police dispatch records made right after the crash (A.R.S. 20-259.01(M)). Written notice to your own insurer is generally due within 3 years (A.R.S. 12-555). Call us as soon as you can, because video from Mill Avenue businesses is often overwritten.
Courts, Distance and Neighboring Cities
A pedestrian injury lawsuit is filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, which has a Central Court Building at 201 W. Jefferson in Phoenix and a Southeast location at 222 E. Javelina Ave. in Mesa. The court's assignment rules decide where a case is heard, and we confirm that when we file. Our office is at 5635 N Scottsdale Rd, Suite 170, Scottsdale, AZ 85250, about 7.7 miles by road from downtown Tempe, and we start by phone.
A pedestrian car accident lawyer in Tempe will check right away whether the vehicle belonged to a public agency. If it did, a notice of claim generally must be filed within 180 days (A.R.S. 12-821.01); our notice of claim guide explains how. For what to say to the other side's insurer, read about talking to insurance adjusters. We also handle pedestrian cases in Mesa, Phoenix and Scottsdale. The statewide rules are in our guide from an Arizona pedestrian accident lawyer, and the city overview is on our personal injury lawyer in Tempe page.
Related pages
Questions
Questions about Tempe pedestrian accident cases
I was crossing in a crosswalk and was hit. Whose fault is it?
A driver must yield to a pedestrian in a marked or unmarked crosswalk where signals are absent or not operating (A.R.S. 28-792). Fault still depends on the facts, including the signal, the lighting and what each person did.
What if I was crossing outside a crosswalk?
You may still have a claim. A pedestrian outside a crosswalk must yield to vehicles (A.R.S. 28-793), but Arizona uses pure comparative fault, so a share of blame lowers your recovery instead of barring it.
I was hit near the light rail or streetcar. Does that change anything?
It can change who is involved. If a public agency's vehicle was involved, a notice of claim against a public entity generally must be filed within 180 days (A.R.S. 12-821.01). These rules have exceptions, so call us.
Who writes the report after a pedestrian crash in Tempe?
Tempe Police usually writes the report for crashes on Tempe city streets. Ask the officer for the report number, then see our guide to getting a police report in Arizona.
Which hospital treats serious pedestrian injuries near Tempe?
The state's December 2025 trauma list shows no designated trauma center with a Tempe address. HonorHealth Tempe Medical Center has an emergency department, and the closest Level I centers are Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa and Chandler Regional Medical Center in Chandler.
How much does it cost to talk with you?
You pay no attorney fee unless we recover money for you. Request a free case review and we will explain how costs are handled.
Free case review
Talk With Us After Being Hit on Foot in Tempe
Call (602) 584-8054 or request your free case review. Our experienced and friendly attorney will explain your legal rights and what to do next. The earlier you call, the better, but it's never too late to find out your legal rights.
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