Long Beach Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

If you or someone you love was hit by a car in Long Beach, you’re in the right place. You may be in pain, buried in medical bills, and unsure what to do next — or afraid no one will believe you. A Long Beach pedestrian accident lawyer at J&Y Law can take over the legal side of your case so you can focus on recovering. The consultation is free, and you pay nothing unless we win. 

What Happens to Your Body When a Car Hits You

A pedestrian hit by a car has no airbag, no seatbelt, and no steel frame absorbing the impact. The human body takes the full force.

A car traveling at 30 mph strikes a pedestrian with the force of roughly 2.5 tons concentrated on a few square feet of the body. At 40 mph, the odds of a fatal injury climb sharply.

Common injuries after a pedestrian accident in Long Beach include:

• Traumatic brain injury (TBI): The head often strikes the hood, windshield, or pavement. Even a “mild” TBI can cause lasting memory problems, chronic headaches, and emotional changes that affect your job and relationships for years.
• Spinal cord injuries: A blow to the spine can cause partial or complete paralysis. Many victims who initially feel numbness discover permanent nerve damage days or weeks later.
• Broken bones: Femur, pelvis, tibia, and wrist fractures are common. These are slow heals — sometimes requiring surgery, rods, and months of physical therapy.
• Internal bleeding: Organ damage from blunt trauma is not always visible and can become life-threatening within hours of the collision.
• Soft tissue damage: Torn ligaments and muscle damage can be dismissed early but often cause chronic pain that lingers long after the accident.

One reality check for anyone who thinks they “feel fine” at the scene: adrenaline suppresses pain. Many pedestrian accident victims do not feel the full extent of their injuries until the next morning. Get evaluated by a doctor the same day, even if you walked away from the scene.

Long Beach Is One of California’s Most Dangerous Cities for Pedestrians

Long Beach’s streets are genuinely dangerous for people on foot. The data is unambiguous.

In 2025, Long Beach recorded 53 fatal traffic collisions, the most in over a decade. Of the people killed on Long Beach streets that year, 32 were pedestrians, cyclists, or e-scooter riders. That number exceeded the total homicide count in the city for the same year. Long Beach has been publicly working toward a “Vision Zero” goal of eliminating traffic deaths since 2016. Nine years later, the numbers are moving in the wrong direction.

Between July 2024 and July 2025 alone, there were 215 pedestrian-involved crashes citywide, according to Long Beach city data. Pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists together make up only about 14% of traffic collisions in Long Beach — but account for 65% of all traffic deaths and serious injuries, according to the City of Long Beach’s own Safe Streets data.

Specific corridors in the city stand out for pedestrian danger. Pacific Coast Highway has been the site of multiple fatal pedestrian crashes. Seventh Street to East Anaheim Street near downtown Long Beach has seen repeated pedestrian injuries and deaths. These are not random locations — they are wide, high-speed arterials where drivers often fail to adjust for the presence of people on foot.

California recognized Long Beach’s risk by including it in the AB 645 automated speed camera pilot program, which authorizes speed enforcement cameras in select cities. Long Beach is one of six cities statewide included in this program, alongside Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, and Glendale.

Statewide, the picture mirrors Long Beach’s problem at scale. California recorded 1,106 pedestrian fatalities in 2023, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety. Pedestrians make up roughly 26% of all traffic deaths in California — more than double the national average share — despite being among the least protected road users.

Who Is Legally Responsible After a Pedestrian Accident in Long Beach

Liability in a pedestrian accident is not always simple. The driver who hit you may be the most obvious responsible party — but they are often not the only one.

The driver is usually the starting point. Under California law, every driver has a duty of care to operate their vehicle safely and watch for pedestrians, particularly near crosswalks, at intersections, and in areas with heavy foot traffic. A driver who was speeding, distracted, impaired, or who ran a red light or stop sign likely breached that duty.

A government entity may also bear responsibility if a dangerous road condition contributed to your injury. Poorly timed crosswalk signals, missing or faded crosswalk markings, broken sidewalks that force pedestrians into the street, and inadequate lighting at known pedestrian crossings can all make a city or county legally liable. Claims against government entities in California are governed by the Government Claims Act, and they carry a separate, shorter deadline: you must file a government claim within six months of the date of your injury. Missing that deadline can permanently bar your recovery against a public entity, even if the two-year statute of limitations has not yet passed.

A vehicle manufacturer or maintenance company can be liable if a defective component — failed brakes, a malfunctioning warning system, a defective rideshare vehicle — contributed to the crash.

A rideshare company (Uber, Lyft, or a delivery service) may be liable under California’s insurance rules for app-based drivers if the driver was active on the platform at the time of the collision.

Building the right case means identifying all responsible parties early, while evidence still exists. Security camera footage, traffic camera records, and witness accounts can disappear within days. A driver’s cell phone records, dashcam data, or a vehicle’s event data recorder — the “black box” — often contain the clearest proof of what actually happened. Getting to that evidence requires legal action.

What California Law Says About Your Claim

California uses a system called pure comparative negligence, established by the California Supreme Court in Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) and codified in California Civil Code Section 1714. In plain terms, this means that even if you were partially at fault for the accident — you were crossing against a red light, for example, or not in a crosswalk — you can still recover compensation. Your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, not eliminated.

If you are found 20% responsible and your total damages are $200,000, you recover $160,000.

Insurance companies understand this law very well. They use it to argue that pedestrians share fault in order to reduce what they have to pay. Common arguments adjusters raise include: the pedestrian was jaywalking, wearing dark clothing at night, looking at a phone, or crossed outside a marked crosswalk. None of these arguments eliminates your claim — they can only reduce it. A lawyer’s job is to keep that reduction as small as possible.

Know your filing deadline. Under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1, you have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. If the at-fault party is a government entity — the City of Long Beach, Los Angeles County, or a state agency — you must file a government tort claim within six months. Two years sounds like a long time. In practice, the opposing insurance company begins building its defense from day one. Evidence erodes and witnesses become harder to reach. The sooner you have legal representation, the stronger your position.

What Insurance Companies Do After a Pedestrian Accident

After a serious pedestrian accident, the at-fault driver’s insurance company will contact you quickly. They may sound helpful and offer a fast settlement. They will almost certainly ask you to give a recorded statement.

Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company without speaking to an attorney first. That recording will be used against you. Adjusters are trained to ask questions that elicit answers that can later be used to argue you share fault or that your injuries are less severe than claimed. A phrase like “I’m doing okay” — the kind of thing most people say reflexively — can be used to contest the seriousness of your injuries.

Early settlement offers are almost always too low. An adjuster who calls you within days of the accident does not yet know the full extent of your medical needs, whether you will need surgery, how long you will be out of work, or whether your injuries will leave lasting complications. Accepting that offer closes your case permanently.

What you can recover in a pedestrian accident claim in California includes:

• Past and future medical expenses, including surgery, rehabilitation, and long-term care
• Lost wages from time missed at work
• Loss of future earning capacity, if your injuries affect your ability to work long-term
• Pain and suffering, including emotional distress and reduced quality of life
• Property damage
• Wrongful death damages, if a family member was killed

There is no cap on compensatory damages in California for personal injury or wrongful death cases arising from negligence. (The only cap that applies in California personal injury law is on non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases under MICRA, which is not applicable here.)

What If You Weren’t in a Crosswalk?

This is one of the most common fears pedestrian accident victims bring to us.

Many people assume that if they were not in a marked crosswalk — or if they crossed against the light — they have no case. That assumption is wrong.

California law requires drivers to exercise reasonable care for the safety of pedestrians even when those pedestrians are not in crosswalks and even when they are crossing against a signal. The legal question is not whether you were technically in the right place. The question is whether the driver could have avoided hitting you and failed to take reasonable steps to do so.

When a pedestrian was visible, the driver had distance to slow down, and the driver was distracted, speeding, or impaired, their failure to act reasonably is what caused the collision — not the pedestrian’s location on the street.

As J&Y Law’s Senior Trial Attorney Parham Nikfarjam has noted, insurance companies aggressively argue pedestrian fault because it reduces payouts. “People assume the pedestrian is always right, just because they were the one injured,” he has observed. “But cases are always about who had the last clear chance to prevent the impact — and that’s a question of evidence, not assumptions.”

If you were hit outside a crosswalk, your case requires a careful investigation of the driver’s speed, the road conditions, visibility, and the distance between you and the vehicle at the moment the driver should have reacted. That investigation starts with the accident report, surveillance footage, and witness accounts — and it needs to start before that evidence disappears.

What to Do After a Pedestrian Accident in Long Beach

1. Call 911 and get medical attention immediately. A police report creates an official record. Medical records from the day of the accident are your strongest evidence. Do not leave the scene without both a report filed and your injuries documented by emergency personnel.
2. Document everything you can. If you are physically able, photograph your injuries, the vehicle that hit you, and the license plate. Then document the road: crosswalk markings, traffic signals, lighting, and the surrounding area. Get names and contact information for any witnesses.
3. Do not apologize or admit fault. Even saying “I’m sorry” can be recorded and used against you in litigation. Let the investigation determine what happened.
4. See a doctor, even if you walked away. Pedestrian trauma is not always immediately apparent. TBIs, spinal injuries, and internal bleeding can worsen rapidly. A same-day or next-day medical evaluation protects your health and your legal claim.
5. Do not speak with the other driver’s insurance company before consulting a lawyer. Once you have legal representation, all communications go through your attorney. That protects you from the recorded statement trap and from premature settlement offers.
6. Contact J&Y Law for a free consultation. We review your case at no charge, explain your options, and take your case on contingency — meaning we don’t get paid unless you do.

Why Long Beach Pedestrian Cases Are Particularly Complex

Long Beach sits at the intersection of several legal and jurisdictional complexities that many other California cities do not share.

The Port of Long Beach generates heavy commercial truck traffic on surface streets throughout the city. Truck accident liability involves federal regulations — specifically, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rules governing driver hours, vehicle maintenance, and load securing — in addition to California state law. If a commercial vehicle hit you, the case may involve the trucking company, the freight shipper, and the truck’s maintenance contractor as separate liable parties.

Pacific Coast Highway — the site of repeated fatal pedestrian crashes in Long Beach — is a state highway. Claims involving a dangerous condition of a state highway may be brought against Caltrans (the California Department of Transportation) rather than the City of Long Beach. These government entity claims have the six-month filing deadline described above, and they require compliance with the Government Claims Act before a lawsuit can be filed in court.

Long Beach also sees significant rideshare and delivery vehicle traffic near its downtown and beach areas. Liability in those crashes depends on whether the driver was actively on the app at the time — a factual question that requires obtaining platform data quickly.

These complications don’t eliminate your claim. They make it more important to work with attorneys who are familiar with California’s specific legal landscape for pedestrian cases.

What J&Y Law Does for Long Beach Pedestrian Accident Victims

Our attorneys begin working immediately after you contact us. In pedestrian accident cases, evidence can disappear within the first few days — and recovering it requires acting before it is gone.

Here is what we do:

• Obtain the traffic collision report and any available police or body camera records
• Send legal preservation letters to businesses and traffic systems to prevent surveillance footage from being deleted
• Document crosswalk conditions, signal timing, road markings, and lighting at the accident site
• Work with accident reconstruction experts when liability is disputed
• Gather your medical records to build a complete picture of your injuries, treatment, and future needs
• Handle all communication with the insurance company, so you are protected from the recorded statement trap
• File government tort claims within the six-month deadline if a public entity is involved
• Negotiate for full and fair compensation — and take your case to trial if the insurance company refuses to offer what you deserve

You do not pay any fees unless we recover compensation for you. There is no risk in calling.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have to file a claim after a pedestrian accident in Long Beach?

In most cases, California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1 gives you two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. If your accident involved a government-owned vehicle or a dangerous road condition caused by a government agency, a separate six-month deadline applies under Government Code Section 911.2. Missing either deadline can permanently bar your claim. Contact a lawyer as soon as possible to determine which deadline applies to your situation.

What if the driver who hit me doesn’t have insurance?

California requires drivers to carry minimum liability insurance — $30,000 per person for bodily injury as of January 1, 2025 — but many drivers carry minimum coverage or none at all. If the driver is uninsured or underinsured, your own auto insurance policy may include uninsured motorist (UM) or underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage that can compensate you. We also look for other liable parties — vehicle owners, employers, government entities — who may have additional coverage.

What if I was partially at fault for the accident?

You can still recover compensation. California’s pure comparative negligence rule allows recovery regardless of your percentage of fault. Your damages are reduced by your share of responsibility, not eliminated. Insurance companies argue pedestrian fault aggressively to reduce their liability. Our job is to minimize that attribution and maximize what you recover.

I was hit by a car but walked away. Do I still need a lawyer?

Yes — for two reasons. First, many serious pedestrian injuries are not immediately apparent. Traumatic brain injuries, spinal damage, and soft tissue injuries often worsen over the first 24 to 72 hours. Get a medical evaluation and let your doctor determine whether you are injured. Second, if you later discover injuries and the other driver’s insurance has already closed your file or you have already given a recorded statement, your options will be severely limited.

Can I file a claim if a loved one was killed in a pedestrian accident in Long Beach?

Yes. California law allows surviving spouses, children, and certain other family members to file a wrongful death claim under Code of Civil Procedure Section 377.60. The claim can recover funeral and burial costs, loss of financial support, loss of companionship, and in some cases, damages for the deceased person’s pre-death pain and suffering. The two-year statute of limitations applies from the date of death. We handle wrongful death cases alongside pedestrian injury claims.

Contact J&Y Law for a Free Consultation

You do not need to know whether you have a case before you call. That is what the consultation is for.

If you were hit by a car in Long Beach — whether you were in a crosswalk or not, whether the driver stayed or fled, whether you are unsure who is at fault — call J&Y Law. We will review the facts, explain what your options are, and let you decide how to proceed. There is no fee unless we recover compensation for you.

Call or text J&Y Law at (877) 735-7035 or complete a free case evaluation online.