Pasadena Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

If you were struck by a vehicle while walking in Pasadena, you are in the right place. Our Pasadena pedestrian accident lawyers help victims who are facing medical bills, time away from work, and pressure from insurance companies — often starting within days of the accident. 

At J&Y Law, we represent injured pedestrians throughout Pasadena and Los Angeles County. Our consultations are free, and you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. 

Damages You Can Recover in a Pasadena Pedestrian Accident Claim

California law allows injured pedestrians to seek compensation for all losses that result from the accident. What that means in practice:

Medical expenses. This includes emergency room costs, hospitalization, surgery, imaging, physical therapy, medications, assistive devices, and projected future treatment. If your injuries require ongoing care, future medical costs must be calculated and included in your claim from the start.

Lost income. Time away from work while you recover is a recoverable loss. If your injuries permanently limit your ability to work, the difference between what you would have earned and what you can now earn is also recoverable as diminished earning capacity.

Pain and suffering. California law allows injured people to seek compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, and the reduction in quality of life caused by the accident. There is no statutory cap on pain and suffering damages in pedestrian accident cases in California.

Property damage. Personal belongings damaged in the crash — a phone, bicycle, or other items — are recoverable.

Wrongful death damages. If a family member was killed in a pedestrian accident, surviving spouses, domestic partners, children, and certain other dependents may bring a wrongful death claim under California Code of Civil Procedure § 377.60. Recoverable losses include funeral costs, the economic support the deceased would have provided, and the loss of love and companionship.

Government Entity Exception: When a City May Be Liable

Not every Pasadena pedestrian accident involves only a private driver. If the accident happened at an intersection with a malfunctioning traffic signal, a crosswalk with inadequate markings, poor street lighting, or a road design that created an unreasonable hazard, the City of Pasadena or another public entity may share liability.

Claims against government entities in California follow different rules. Under Government Code § 911.2, a claim must be presented to the public entity within six months of the date of injury. Missing that deadline generally bars the claim, regardless of its merit.

If there is any reason to believe a road defect or government negligence contributed to your accident, contact an attorney as soon as possible. Six months passes faster than people expect, especially during recovery.

Pasadena Is a High-Risk City for Pedestrians

Pasadena ranks among California’s more dangerous cities for people on foot. A study analyzing National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data placed Pasadena eighth among U.S. cities for pedestrian fatality rate in 2021, with 7.45 deaths per 100,000 residents — a more than 230% increase over the prior year. That spike pushed Pasadena from outside the top 250 into the top 10 nationally.

The city’s layout helps explain the risk. Colorado Boulevard, Fair Oaks Avenue, and the intersections near the 210 Freeway interchanges carry heavy traffic while also serving a walkable downtown with restaurants, shops, and entertainment venues. Caltech and the Pasadena City College campuses generate consistent foot traffic along arterial roads. The Rose Bowl draws large crowds on an irregular schedule. The result is a city where drivers and pedestrians share busy roads in high volumes, and collisions happen.

According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, Los Angeles County recorded 305 pedestrian fatalities in 2022 — more than any other county in California. Pasadena sits within that county. Statewide, pedestrians represented 26% of all traffic fatalities in 2022, nearly double the national share, according to data from the UC Berkeley Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC).

If you or someone you love was hit by a car in Pasadena, those numbers are the backdrop — not the point. What happened to you is the point.

What California Law Requires of Drivers

California Vehicle Code § 21950 requires every driver to yield to pedestrians crossing within any marked or unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. The obligation does not end with a painted crosswalk. Unmarked crosswalks — the extensions of sidewalks at any intersection where two roads meet at roughly right angles — carry the same legal protection.

Under § 21950(c), a driver approaching a pedestrian in or near a crosswalk must reduce speed or take other action as necessary to protect that pedestrian’s safety. Stopping at the limit line is not enough if the pedestrian is still crossing. A driver who passes a vehicle that has already stopped for a pedestrian also violates the law.

The statute does place some responsibility on pedestrians. Under § 21950(b), a pedestrian cannot step suddenly off a curb into the path of a vehicle that is too close to stop. But that duty is narrow, and it does not excuse a driver who fails to see a pedestrian or who is traveling too fast to stop in time.

When a driver violates that obligation and someone is hurt, the injured person has the right to pursue compensation.

Why Insurance Companies Push Back on Pedestrian Claims

Insurance adjusters are not neutral parties. Their job is to settle claims for as little as possible. In pedestrian cases, the common strategy is to shift blame onto the person who got hit.

Adjusters often argue that the pedestrian crossed outside the crosswalk, entered the street against a signal, wore dark clothing at night, or was distracted. These arguments do not automatically defeat a claim under California law, but they can reduce the payout if they go unanswered.

California follows the doctrine of pure comparative fault, established by the California Supreme Court in Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975). Under that rule, a pedestrian who is found partially at fault can still recover damages — the award is simply reduced by the pedestrian’s percentage of responsibility. A pedestrian found 20% at fault and awarded $200,000 would receive $160,000.

That rule cuts both ways. It protects injured pedestrians from being denied all compensation when they made a minor mistake. But it also gives insurers an incentive to argue maximum fault against the pedestrian, because every percentage point they assign to you reduces their exposure.

A pedestrian accident attorney addresses those arguments with evidence gathered early. That means requesting surveillance footage from nearby businesses and traffic cameras before it is overwritten, securing the police report, obtaining witness statements, analyzing vehicle data, and retaining accident reconstruction experts when the collision mechanics are disputed. At J&Y Law, we begin building that evidence base as soon as we take a case — because physical evidence disappears and memories fade quickly.

Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents in Pasadena

Most pedestrian accidents in Pasadena trace back to driver negligence. These are the patterns we see most often:

Distracted driving. California’s hands-free law (California Vehicle Code § 23123) bans handheld phone use while driving. Despite the prohibition, phone use behind the wheel remains a leading factor in pedestrian crashes. A driver who glances down for two seconds at 30 mph travels 88 feet without looking at the road.

Failure to yield at crosswalks. Under CVC § 21950, every driver must yield at marked and unmarked crosswalks. Drivers accustomed to light foot traffic sometimes do not yield quickly enough when pedestrian traffic increases, as it does on Colorado Boulevard and Lake Avenue.

Speeding. Higher vehicle speeds dramatically increase both the likelihood of hitting a pedestrian and the severity of injury when contact occurs. Research consistently shows that a pedestrian struck at 40 mph is far less likely to survive than one struck at 20 mph — a fact that has shaped U.S. pedestrian safety policy for decades. Pasadena enforces 25 mph limits in residential neighborhoods and school zones, but compliance on major arterials is inconsistent.

Left-turn crashes. Drivers making left turns often watch for oncoming traffic while underestimating pedestrian crossing time, particularly at wide intersections. This is one of the most common mechanisms in urban pedestrian fatalities.

Driving under the influence. Alcohol is involved in nearly half of all fatal pedestrian crashes nationwide, affecting either the driver or the pedestrian, according to data from the Governors Highway Safety Association.

Poor lighting and nighttime conditions. More than three-quarters of pedestrian fatalities nationwide occur after dark. The GHSA reports that fatal pedestrian crashes at night rose 84% between 2010 and 2023. Pasadena’s downtown core is well lit, but side streets and residential zones have varying conditions.

Hit-and-run collisions. One in four pedestrian deaths nationally involves a hit-and-run driver, according to GHSA’s 2024 analysis. California law may allow injured pedestrians to seek compensation through their own uninsured motorist coverage when the at-fault driver flees and cannot be identified.

Injuries Pedestrians Sustain

A pedestrian hit by a vehicle absorbs the full force of the impact. There are no airbags, no seatbelt, no steel frame. The injuries that result are often severe.

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI). When a pedestrian is struck and falls, the head frequently impacts the pavement. TBIs range from concussions to diffuse axonal injuries that cause permanent cognitive impairment. Symptoms may not appear immediately.

Spinal cord injuries. Impact to the back or violent torquing of the spine can damage the spinal cord, causing partial or complete paralysis. The cost of lifetime care for a spinal cord injury can exceed $1 million depending on the level of injury and the person’s age.

Fractures. Pedestrians struck by the front of a vehicle often suffer fractures to the legs, pelvis, and arms. Complex fractures may require surgery, internal fixation hardware, and months of physical therapy.

Internal organ damage. Blunt force from a vehicle can rupture the spleen, liver, or kidneys. Internal bleeding may not be visible at the scene, which is why seeking emergency medical care after any pedestrian accident is urgent.

Soft tissue injuries. Torn ligaments, muscle damage, and nerve injuries may not show up on imaging immediately but can cause lasting pain and functional limitation.

Psychological trauma. PTSD, anxiety, and depression following a pedestrian accident are well-documented. These are compensable injuries in California personal injury claims, not incidental consequences.

If you have been hit by a car, see a doctor that day — even if you feel able to walk away from the scene. Many serious injuries are not apparent in the first hours. Delaying medical care also gives insurers an argument that your injuries are not as serious as you claim, or were caused by something else.

What to Do After a Pedestrian Accident in Pasadena

The steps you take in the hours and days after an accident shape your legal options:

Call 911. A police report creates an official record of where and how the accident happened, who was involved, and what witnesses said at the scene. Without it, the driver’s account becomes harder to challenge.

Get medical care immediately. Go to an emergency room or urgent care that day. Do not wait to see if injuries resolve on their own. Document every symptom, no matter how minor it seems.

Photograph everything. If you are physically able, photograph the intersection, the vehicle, the crosswalk, any skid marks, and your injuries. These photos are far more valuable than they appear at the time.

Get witness information. Names and phone numbers of anyone who saw the crash are worth collecting. Third-party witnesses carry significant weight in liability disputes.

Do not give a recorded statement to the at-fault driver’s insurance company. You are not required to do so, and anything you say will be used to minimize your claim. Speak with an attorney first.

Contact J&Y Law before the other side contacts you. The driver’s insurer may call within days of the accident. They are not calling to help you. Call us at (877) 735-7035 before you say anything.