California Pedestrian
Accident Lawyer

Pedestrian accidents can happen when drivers fail to recognize or safely respond to people walking near or across the roadway.

Potential causes may include:

• Distracted driving
• Unsafe left or right turns
• Failure to yield
• Speeding or unsafe speed
• Red-light or stop-sign violations
• Backing vehicles
• Vehicles entering or leaving driveways
• Drivers failing to check crosswalks
• Impaired driving
• Poor visibility
• Unsafe passing
• Commercial or delivery vehicles
• Rideshare vehicles
• Hit-and-run drivers

Some pedestrian collisions involve more than one contributing factor.

For example, a driver may be making a turn while concentrating on approaching vehicle traffic and fail to notice someone already entering or crossing the roadway.

Other accidents may involve nighttime visibility, parked vehicles, glare, roadway construction, or other conditions affecting what the driver and pedestrian could see before impact.

The circumstances should be evaluated from the available evidence rather than assuming responsibility based only on where the pedestrian was located.

Crosswalks are one of the most important issues in California pedestrian accident cases.

A pedestrian may be struck while walking through a marked crosswalk, crossing at an intersection without painted lines, or entering a roadway while a vehicle is turning.

California recognizes both marked and qualifying unmarked crosswalks. The absence of painted crosswalk lines therefore does not automatically mean that a pedestrian was improperly crossing the roadway.

Traffic signals, pedestrian signals, crosswalk markings, intersection design, vehicle movements, visibility, and the pedestrian’s direction of travel may all become important after a collision.

Drivers approaching pedestrians in crosswalks must use appropriate care and may need to slow or stop depending on the circumstances.

Pedestrians also have safety responsibilities.

For that reason, right-of-way questions should generally be evaluated using the complete sequence of events rather than a single fact.

Learn more about California pedestrian right-of-way laws and California crosswalk accident claims.

Left- and right-turning vehicles can create particular dangers for pedestrians.

A driver making a right turn may focus on vehicles approaching from the left while overlooking a pedestrian entering from another direction.

A driver making a left turn may concentrate on finding a gap in oncoming traffic while failing to notice someone already crossing.

These accidents may occur even when the driver has a green traffic signal because motorists still need to account for pedestrians lawfully using the intersection.

Important evidence may include:

• Traffic signals
• Pedestrian signals
• Vehicle direction
• Turning movements
• Crosswalk markings
• Witness statements
• Surveillance video
• Dash-camera recordings
• Traffic-camera footage when available
• Vehicle damage
• Accident-scene photographs

The driver’s and pedestrian’s movements immediately before impact may be particularly important when the parties provide different descriptions of what happened.

A pedestrian accident occurring outside painted crosswalk lines does not automatically determine who was responsible.

California pedestrian rules vary depending on the location of the crossing, intersection layout, traffic controls, proximity of vehicles, and other circumstances.

A pedestrian’s actions may become relevant when determining responsibility, particularly if the person entered the roadway close to an approaching vehicle.

However, drivers also continue to have responsibilities to use reasonable care for people in the roadway.

An insurance company may focus heavily on the pedestrian’s crossing location after an accident.

Photographs, video, witnesses, vehicle speed, sight lines, lighting conditions, roadway configuration, and the movements of both people may help provide a more complete picture.

Learn more through our guide to California pedestrian right-of-way laws.

A hit-and-run collision can create additional difficulties because the pedestrian may not initially know who caused the accident or what insurance may be available.

Potential evidence may include:

• Surveillance footage
• Traffic-camera footage
• Dash-camera video
• Witness statements
• Vehicle descriptions
• Partial license-plate information
• Vehicle debris
• Photographs
• Police information
• Video from nearby homes or businesses

Nearby businesses, homes, apartments, parking structures, buses, and other vehicles may have cameras that captured the collision or the vehicle leaving the area.

Because some recording systems overwrite footage, identifying possible video sources early can be important.

Insurance issues may also require review when the responsible driver cannot be identified.

A missing driver does not necessarily mean there are no potential options, but applicable coverage depends on the individual circumstances and insurance policy.

Learn more about hit-and-run pedestrian accidents in California.

Some pedestrian accidents involve someone who was driving for work at the time of the collision.

A pedestrian may be struck by a delivery vehicle, commercial truck, company vehicle, rideshare driver, shuttle, bus, or another vehicle being used for business purposes.

Those situations can involve additional questions concerning vehicle ownership, employment, commercial insurance, and whether another company may be connected to the driver’s activities.

A pedestrian struck by an Uber or Lyft vehicle may also face insurance issues that depend on how the rideshare vehicle was being used when the collision occurred.

Learn more about California Uber and Lyft accident claims.

Pedestrian collisions involving commercial trucks can be particularly serious because of the size and weight of the vehicle. Learn more about California truck accident claims.

Pedestrians injured by transit vehicles can also review our information about California bus accident claims.

Children can be particularly vulnerable to serious pedestrian injuries.

Their smaller size may make them more difficult for drivers to see, particularly around parked vehicles, driveways, school areas, and other locations with limited sight lines.

Child pedestrian accidents may occur near:

• Schools
• Parks
• Residential streets
• Apartment complexes
• Crosswalks
• Parking areas
• Shopping centers
• School-bus stops
• Pickup and drop-off areas

A child may suffer traumatic brain injuries, fractures, facial injuries, internal injuries, spinal trauma, scarring, or other serious harm.

A significant injury can also affect schooling, physical development, activities, mobility, and future medical needs.

Claims involving minors can raise additional procedural and deadline issues. Families should therefore not assume that every rule applying to an adult pedestrian claim operates in exactly the same way for a child.

Learn more about pedestrian accidents involving children in California.

The driver who struck the pedestrian may be responsible, but some accidents involve additional potentially responsible parties.

Depending on the circumstances, those parties may include:

• Vehicle driver
• Vehicle owner
• Driver’s employer
• Delivery company
• Rideshare company
• Commercial transportation company
• Trucking company
• Transit provider
• Another motorist
• Contractor
• Government entity
• Another person or business connected to the collision

For example, a delivery driver may strike a pedestrian while performing work duties.

A rideshare driver may hit someone while entering or leaving a pickup area.

Another collision may involve several vehicles, where the actions of one driver force another vehicle into a pedestrian.

A different accident may raise questions about a potentially dangerous public roadway condition.

Identifying all potentially responsible parties can affect available insurance, evidence, and filing requirements.

Learn more about who may be liable in a California pedestrian accident.

Pedestrian accidents frequently result in serious injuries because the human body absorbs substantial forces during a vehicle impact.

Potential injuries may include:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Concussions
• Facial fractures
• Dental injuries
• Neck injuries
• Back injuries
• Spinal trauma
• Broken arms and wrists
• Hip and pelvic fractures
• Broken legs and ankles
• Knee injuries
• Internal injuries
• Nerve damage
• Lacerations
• Road rash
• Permanent scarring
• Other serious physical injuries

A pedestrian may suffer injuries from both the vehicle impact and contact with the roadway.

Some people require emergency treatment, hospitalization, surgery, physical therapy, rehabilitation, or ongoing medical care.

More serious injuries may result in permanent mobility limitations, inability to return to work, continuing pain, or the need for future assistance.

Learn more about common injuries in California pedestrian accident cases.

When significant head trauma is involved, additional information is available through our California brain injury practice.

Pedestrian accidents can involve sharply different accounts of what happened.

A driver may claim the pedestrian appeared suddenly, crossed outside a crosswalk, ignored a signal, or could not reasonably be seen.

The pedestrian may remember the collision differently or may have been seriously injured and unable to recall everything that occurred.

Available evidence can therefore become especially important.

Potential evidence may include:

• Accident-scene photographs
• Vehicle damage
• Crosswalk markings
• Traffic signals
• Pedestrian signals
• Roadway signs
• Surveillance video
• Dash-camera footage
• Traffic-camera footage when available
• Witness information
• Collision reports
• Vehicle information
• Debris
• Lighting conditions
• Medical records
• Employment records
• Insurance documents

Nearby businesses, restaurants, residences, apartment buildings, parking structures, buses, and vehicles may have cameras that captured part of the incident.

The accident location can change quickly. Vehicles move, debris is removed, lighting conditions change, and recordings can eventually be overwritten.

For that reason, identifying potentially useful evidence early may be important.

Medical care and immediate safety should come first after a serious pedestrian collision.

When circumstances allow, potentially useful information may include photographs of the vehicle, roadway, crosswalk, traffic signals, visible injuries, and surrounding location.

Witness contact information may also become important.

Other useful records may include:

• Driver and vehicle information
• Insurance information
• Collision reports
• Medical records
• Medical bills
• Employment documentation
• Photographs
• Video
• Witness information
• Accident-related expense records
• Insurance communications

Identifying nearby surveillance cameras can be particularly important after a disputed or hit-and-run collision.

The injured pedestrian should focus on appropriate medical care rather than trying to personally investigate a serious accident while injured.

Read our complete guide on what to do after a pedestrian accident in California.

Responsibility can become disputed after a pedestrian collision.

A driver or insurance company may claim the pedestrian crossed outside a marked crosswalk, entered the roadway unexpectedly, ignored a pedestrian signal, was difficult to see, or otherwise contributed to the accident.

Those allegations do not automatically determine the outcome.

California allows responsibility to be divided when the conduct of more than one person contributed to an accident.

The effect of partial responsibility depends on the facts and evidence involved.

A pedestrian who may have made a mistake should therefore not automatically assume that no potential claim exists.

Likewise, being inside a crosswalk does not necessarily answer every issue without evaluating the driver’s actions and surrounding circumstances.

Video, witnesses, traffic signals, crossing location, vehicle speed, visibility, roadway layout, and the movements of both people may help determine what happened.

Some pedestrian collisions occur at night or under other conditions where visibility becomes disputed.

Potential factors may include:

• Darkness
• Street lighting
• Vehicle headlights
• Glare
• Weather
• Parked cars
• Trees or landscaping
• Buildings
• Construction
• Clothing visibility
• Roadway design

A driver’s statement that the pedestrian was difficult to see does not by itself determine responsibility.

The investigation may consider vehicle speed, available lighting, sight distance, surrounding conditions, driver attention, and how long the pedestrian was present in the roadway.

Photographs and video taken under similar lighting conditions can sometimes provide useful context, although conditions may differ from the exact circumstances that existed during the collision.

There is no reliable average settlement amount for a California pedestrian accident case.

The potential value of an individual claim depends on its particular circumstances.

Factors may include:

• Severity of the injuries
• Emergency treatment
• Hospitalization
• Surgery
• Rehabilitation
• Future medical care
• Lost income
• Reduced earning ability
• Permanent limitations
• Scarring or disfigurement
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional effects
• Responsibility for the accident
• Strength of the evidence
• Available insurance
• Number of potentially responsible parties

A pedestrian who recovers after relatively limited treatment has a very different damages picture from someone who suffers a traumatic brain injury, multiple fractures, spinal trauma, permanent mobility limitations, or injuries requiring long-term assistance.

Another person’s settlement or verdict does not determine the value of a different pedestrian accident claim.

Learn more about how much a California pedestrian accident case may be worth.

A pedestrian accident can create substantial medical and financial consequences.

Treatment may include ambulance transportation, emergency care, hospitalization, diagnostic testing, surgery, specialist appointments, physical therapy, rehabilitation, medications, and future medical care.

A serious injury may also prevent someone from working.

Fractures, brain injuries, spinal trauma, limited mobility, chronic pain, and other conditions can result in missed work, reduced hours, work restrictions, or an inability to return to the same occupation.

Medical records, employment records, wage information, work restrictions, and future treatment recommendations may help document these effects.

Long-term needs can become especially important when a pedestrian suffers permanent disability or requires continuing assistance.

Some pedestrian collisions unfortunately result in fatal injuries.

Fatal accidents may involve crosswalks, high-speed roads, hit-and-run drivers, commercial vehicles, rideshare vehicles, buses, unsafe turns, or other circumstances.

When a pedestrian dies, qualifying family members may need to evaluate potential wrongful death issues in addition to investigating how the collision occurred.

Evidence preservation can be particularly important because the pedestrian may not be available to provide their own account of the accident.

Video, witnesses, photographs, vehicle damage, police information, roadway evidence, and other records may help reconstruct what happened.

Families affected by a fatal pedestrian collision can learn more about California wrongful death claims.

Pedestrian accident claims are subject to filing deadlines.

California personal injury lawsuits are generally subject to a two-year filing deadline from the date of injury, although exceptions and different rules can apply depending on the circumstances.

Much shorter requirements can apply when a government entity may be responsible.

Government-related issues may arise when a collision involves a public transit vehicle, government employee, dangerous public roadway condition, traffic-control issue, public property, or another public entity.

In some California personal injury matters involving a government entity, an administrative claim generally must be presented within six months.

Different rules may also apply to claims involving minors, wrongful death, insurance issues, and other circumstances.

These are general timeframes and should not be relied upon to calculate the deadline for a particular pedestrian accident claim.

Evidence may also disappear long before the legal deadline arrives. Surveillance footage may be overwritten, witnesses may become harder to locate, vehicles may be repaired, and roadway conditions may change.

Learn more about how long you may have to file a California pedestrian accident claim.

DAG Law Firm, APC represents pedestrians injured in serious accidents throughout California.

Our statewide pedestrian accident practice is supported by local resources addressing issues that may arise in individual communities.

Learn more about pedestrian accident claims in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Riverside, San Bernardino, Anaheim, Bakersfield, Pasadena, Glendale, Santa Clarita, and Oxnard.

These local resources provide additional information concerning streets, crosswalks, traffic conditions, accident issues, evidence, and other considerations that may arise after pedestrian accidents in those communities.

This California Pedestrian Accident Lawyer page serves as DAG Law Firm’s primary statewide resource for broader questions involving pedestrian collisions, crosswalks, right-of-way, injuries, insurance, evidence, damages, and filing deadlines.

No single rule gives a pedestrian unlimited right-of-way in every situation.

California provides important protections to pedestrians, including people using marked and qualifying unmarked crosswalks, but pedestrians also have safety responsibilities.

Responsibility after a collision depends on the particular circumstances, including traffic signals, crossing location, vehicle movements, visibility, speed, and the actions of both the driver and pedestrian.

Learn more about California pedestrian right-of-way laws.

Not necessarily.

California recognizes qualifying unmarked crosswalks at intersections in addition to marked crosswalks.

The fact that there are no painted lines does not automatically mean that the pedestrian was outside a crosswalk.

The intersection layout and pedestrian’s path should be evaluated.

Learn more about California crosswalk accident claims.

Potentially.

Crossing location can affect how responsibility is evaluated, but it does not automatically resolve the claim.

The driver’s attention, speed, opportunity to react, visibility, traffic conditions, and the pedestrian’s actions may all become relevant.

A driver’s statement that the pedestrian was not seen does not automatically determine responsibility.

Visibility conditions, lighting, vehicle speed, driver attention, sight lines, roadway design, and how long the pedestrian was present may need to be evaluated.

Video, photographs, witnesses, and other evidence may help explain what could reasonably have been seen before impact.

Potentially.

California permits responsibility to be divided when more than one person contributed to an accident.

The effect of partial responsibility depends on the evidence and percentage of responsibility attributed to each person.

Hit-and-run pedestrian accidents may require efforts to identify the vehicle through witnesses, surveillance footage, dash cameras, vehicle descriptions, license-plate information, debris, and police investigation.

Insurance issues may also need to be evaluated.

Learn more about hit-and-run pedestrian accidents in California.

Child pedestrian accidents can involve serious injuries and additional procedural issues.

Medical needs, future treatment, schooling, scarring, developmental effects, and different timing considerations may all become relevant.

Learn more about pedestrian accidents involving children in California.

Potentially useful evidence includes photographs, video, witnesses, traffic signals, crosswalk markings, vehicle damage, collision reports, medical records, employment documentation, and insurance information.

The most useful evidence depends on how the particular collision occurred.

Many California personal injury lawsuits generally have a two-year filing deadline, but different rules and exceptions can apply.

Government-related claims can have substantially shorter requirements.

Learn more about California pedestrian accident claim deadlines.

For more detailed information about issues that frequently arise after serious pedestrian collisions, explore DAG Law Firm’s California pedestrian accident resources:

What to Do After a Pedestrian Accident in California

California Pedestrian Right-of-Way Laws Explained

Who Is Liable in a California Pedestrian Accident?

Common Injuries in California Pedestrian Accident Cases

How Much Is a California Pedestrian Accident Case Worth?

Hit-and-Run Pedestrian Accidents in California

California Crosswalk Accident Claims

Pedestrian Accidents Involving Children in California

How Long Do You Have to File a California Pedestrian Accident Claim?

Pedestrian accident cases can involve serious injuries, disputed right-of-way, visibility questions, hit-and-run drivers, commercial vehicles, multiple insurance policies, and evidence that can disappear quickly.

DAG Law Firm, APC represents pedestrians injured in serious accidents throughout California.

Depending on the circumstances, our attorneys may review how the collision occurred, the crossing location, traffic signals, photographs and video, witness information, vehicle damage, roadway conditions, medical injuries and treatment, insurance coverage, lost income, and the people or businesses who may potentially be responsible.

Whether the accident involved a marked or unmarked crosswalk, turning vehicle, distracted driver, hit-and-run motorist, rideshare vehicle, commercial driver, child pedestrian, nighttime collision, or disputed responsibility, the specific facts and available evidence matter.

Every pedestrian accident should be evaluated individually.

You do not pay attorney fees unless we win your case. There are no upfront attorney fees for qualifying pedestrian accident matters handled on a contingency fee basis.

If you or a loved one was injured in a California pedestrian accident, call (323) 930-2020 or contact DAG Law Firm today to discuss your situation.