The fact that your wife was a pedestrian does not mean that she cannot nake a claim, however, as with any claim, whether it is likely to be successful or not cannot be determined until all the facts are known, Police report obtained and medical records looked at.
As a retired Police traffic officer, I hear all too often that the Police have not bothered to investigate properly, or they have simply written it off as a freak accident, even though the evidence often points to someone being at fault.
Many people do not like the idea of making a claim, but look at it from another point of view that you yourself raised, if in 20 years so or time your wife is stiill suffering, maybe even sooner, you need to be able to take care of her financially, and compensation, whilst not being able to restore your wife to good health, does at least take away te financial worry so that it is one consideration that you don't have to worry about later.
At the end of the day a claim is about returning you to the financial position you were in before the crash, compensaiting your wife for the pain, suffering and inconvenience she has experienced and being able to take care of your wife in the longer term and ensure that she is provided for.
