Los Angeles Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

If a driver hit you while you were walking in L.A., our Los Angeles pedestrian accident lawyers know you are not in a routine insurance situation. Pedestrian crashes frequently cause broken bones, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, and internal bleeding that take months or years to recover from — if full recovery is possible at all. The physical trauma is only part of it. You may be out of work, unable to drive yourself to appointments, and dealing with an insurance adjuster who called before you even left the hospital.

At J&Y Law, we represent injured pedestrians across Los Angeles. We act quickly, preserve evidence, identify every party that shares fault, and push back when the insurer tries to blame the person who was struck. If you were hurt while walking — at a crosswalk, a mid-block crossing, a parking lot, or anywhere else — call us for a free consultation.

Hire a Los Angeles Pedestrian Accident Attorney Early

The first hours and days after a pedestrian crash are the most important for building your case. Surveillance video from nearby businesses is typically overwritten in 30 to 72 hours, skid marks on asphalt disappear within days, and witnesses who gave their names at the scene stop answering unknown callers within weeks. The at-fault driver’s insurer may already be gathering statements and preparing a liability defense before you have left the emergency room.

An attorney who gets involved early can send preservation letters to businesses with cameras, retain an accident reconstructionist before physical evidence disappears, obtain the police report and identify gaps or errors, and instruct you on what not to say to the other side’s adjuster. Many pedestrian accident victims tell us they spoke with the insurance company before they understood the full extent of their injuries — and those early statements were later used to minimize the claim.

Early involvement builds the strongest possible evidentiary record while that record still exists — not a path toward a faster settlement.

Understand Why Pedestrian Crashes in Los Angeles Are So Severe

Pedestrians have no protection when a vehicle strikes them. There is no crumple zone, no seatbelt, no airbag. A vehicle traveling at 30 mph can kill someone on foot. At 40 mph, the fatality rate exceeds 80 percent, according to federal crash data analyzed by NHTSA. The injury patterns in these cases are unlike those in most vehicle-to-vehicle collisions — lower extremity fractures from the initial impact, traumatic brain injury from striking the pavement, and internal organ damage from the force of the strike.

In 2024, 170 pedestrians were killed in traffic collisions within Los Angeles city limits — representing more than half of all Los Angeles traffic fatalities for the year, according to LAPD and Crosstown data. Just 6 percent of Los Angeles street miles account for 65 percent of all pedestrian and cyclist deaths and serious injuries, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s analysis of LADOT’s High Injury Network data. Those streets tend to be wide, high-speed arterials — Sepulveda, Vermont, Figueroa, Western, Florence — where drivers carry freeway-entry speeds into surface streets and pedestrian signals are spaced far apart.

South Los Angeles carries a disproportionate share of these crashes. The LAPD’s 77th Street and Southeast divisions each recorded 31 traffic deaths in 2024 alone. Residents in these neighborhoods walk and use public transit at higher rates, crossing streets designed primarily around vehicle movement.

The injuries that result from these collisions often require months of inpatient rehabilitation, surgery, and ongoing specialist care. They frequently create traumatic brain injuries requiring neurological workups and long-term cognitive therapy, as well as orthopedic injuries that affect a person’s ability to work for years.

Know Your Rights as a Pedestrian Under California Law

California Vehicle Code § 21950(a) requires drivers to yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing within any marked crosswalk or any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. An unmarked crosswalk exists by operation of law at virtually every intersection where two roads meet at a right angle — even without painted lines. Drivers are legally obligated to yield at these crossings whether or not any markings are visible.

California Vehicle Code § 21950(c) goes further: a driver approaching a pedestrian in any marked or unmarked crosswalk must exercise all due care and reduce speed or take any other action necessary to protect the pedestrian’s safety.

For mid-block crossings outside of intersections, California Vehicle Code § 21954 places the duty on the pedestrian to yield to oncoming vehicles. However, even at a mid-block location, if a driver is speeding, distracted, or impaired and strikes a pedestrian, that driver can still be found liable under California’s comparative fault rules. The pedestrian’s crossing location affects the fault allocation — it does not eliminate the driver’s duty to exercise due care.

California Vehicle Code § 21963 requires drivers to yield to visually impaired pedestrians using a white cane or guide dog at any location, not only at crosswalks.

One of the most consequential rules for injured pedestrians is California’s pure comparative fault doctrine, codified in Civil Code § 1431.2 and established by the California Supreme Court in Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975). Under this doctrine, you can recover compensation even if you were partially at fault for the crash. If a jury finds you 20 percent responsible, your award is reduced by 20 percent — but you still recover the other 80 percent. Insurance adjusters know this and will often try to assign you as much fault as possible to reduce the payout. An attorney can investigate the full picture and counter those arguments with evidence.

Identify Every Party That Can Be Held Liable

The driver who hit you is the most obvious defendant. But in Los Angeles pedestrian accidents, fault frequently extends beyond the driver.

The driver’s employer — if the driver was working at the time (delivering goods, operating a company vehicle, driving for hire), their employer may be liable under respondeat superior, the legal principle that holds employers accountable for employees’ negligence during the scope of employment.

A rideshare company — if an Uber or Lyft driver struck you, the driver’s insurance coverage depends on what phase of the ride they were in. At minimum, California requires rideshare drivers to carry $1,000,000 in liability coverage while a passenger is in the vehicle. An attorney can quickly establish which coverage tier applies.

A trucking company — commercial truck drivers who fail to yield while making wide turns strike pedestrians at intersections across Los Angeles regularly. Trucking companies can be liable for negligent hiring, inadequate training, or unsafe maintenance practices. Our Los Angeles truck accident lawyers handle these cases alongside our pedestrian injury practice.

A government entity — if the crosswalk was poorly marked, a signal was malfunctioning, lighting was inadequate, or the intersection was designed in a way that creates foreseeable danger, the City of Los Angeles or Caltrans may share liability. Government entity claims in California carry a strict deadline: you must file an administrative tort claim within six months of the incident under Government Code § 911.2 before you can file a lawsuit. Miss that window and you generally lose the right to sue the government defendant entirely, regardless of how clear the negligence was.

A vehicle manufacturer — if a brake defect, steering failure, or sensor malfunction contributed to the crash, the manufacturer may face a product liability claim alongside the driver.

Identifying all responsible parties requires investigation that begins immediately. Evidence linking a trucking company’s maintenance records, a city’s prior knowledge of a dangerous intersection, or an employer’s work logs to a crash can disappear quickly.

Prove Fault Without Letting the Insurer Rewrite the Facts

Insurance adjusters assigned to pedestrian accident claims are trained to move quickly. They may contact you within 24 hours, offer sympathy, and ask for a recorded statement. That statement is not neutral documentation — it is an opportunity for the insurer to establish facts in their client’s favor before you understand the full picture.

Common strategies insurers use in pedestrian cases:

Comparative fault inflation — the insurer argues you were jaywalking, distracted by a phone, wearing dark clothing at night, or outside a designated crosswalk. Even if some of this is true, it does not eliminate the driver’s liability. An attorney can gather evidence to establish the driver’s speed, distraction, intoxication, or signal violations and ensure the fault allocation reflects the actual facts rather than the insurer’s preferred narrative.

Early settlement pressure — the insurer may offer a check within days of the crash, before the full extent of your injuries is known. Spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injury symptoms, and the long-term orthopedic consequences of a serious pedestrian strike often do not fully manifest for weeks. Accepting an early settlement typically waives your right to further compensation, even if your injuries worsen.

Medical record scrutiny — the insurer will request your full medical history looking for prior conditions to argue your injuries are pre-existing. California law allows recovery for aggravation of a pre-existing condition, but the insurer may still use prior treatment records to devalue your claim.

Delay tactics — adjusters may request repeated documentation, dispute liability for months, or suggest that the claim is being “reviewed.” Meanwhile, the statute of limitations continues to run.

The evidence that defeats these tactics — traffic camera footage, store surveillance, black box data from the vehicle, cell phone records showing the driver was texting, and eyewitness accounts — disappears within days. Attorneys who handle pedestrian cases in Los Angeles know which preservation steps to take, and when.

Know What Compensation a Pedestrian Injury Claim Can Cover

California law allows injured pedestrians to seek compensation for the full value of their losses, both economic and non-economic. In cases involving egregious conduct — a drunk driver who had prior DUI convictions, a trucking company that falsified maintenance records — punitive damages may also be available.

Economic damages are objectively verifiable losses:

• Emergency room and hospital care
• Surgery and follow-up procedures
• Orthopedic devices, wheelchairs, and mobility aids
• Rehabilitation, physical therapy, and occupational therapy
• Future medical care, including anticipated surgeries or long-term specialist visits
• Lost wages from missed work during recovery
• Reduced earning capacity if the injury permanently limits your ability to work in your occupation
• In-home care and assistance with daily tasks if you cannot perform them independently

Non-economic damages compensate for harms that are real but not captured by bills or pay stubs:

• Physical pain during treatment and recovery
• Emotional distress, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder
• Loss of enjoyment of activities you previously participated in
• Disfigurement or permanent scarring
• Loss of consortium, if the injury substantially affects your relationship with a spouse

If a pedestrian is killed, surviving family members may pursue a wrongful death claim under California Code of Civil Procedure § 377.60. Eligible claimants include spouses, domestic partners, and children. Damages can include funeral and burial costs, loss of financial support the deceased provided, and loss of the love, companionship, and guidance they would have given.

Catastrophic injuries — spinal cord damage resulting in paralysis, traumatic brain injury with permanent cognitive effects, limb amputation — require a damages analysis that accounts for decades of future care.

Act Quickly After a Los Angeles Pedestrian Accident

Under California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1, the statute of limitations for a personal injury claim against a private party is two years from the date of the accident. Two years can seem like a long time while you are focused on treatment and recovery. But evidence disappears in days, and the investigation that supports a strong claim takes time to conduct properly.

The six-month deadline for government entity claims is far less forgiving. If the City of Los Angeles, a municipal transit agency, or any other public entity shares liability for your crash, you must file a government tort claim within six months under Government Code § 911.2. Missing that deadline forecloses your right to pursue the government defendant — even if the private driver’s claim remains viable.

Minors injured in pedestrian crashes are protected by a tolling rule: the statute of limitations for a minor’s claim generally does not begin to run until they turn 18. However, the six-month government claim deadline is not tolled for minors’ claims against government entities in the same way, so prompt legal advice is still warranted.

The actions you take in the first weeks after a pedestrian crash determine what evidence is available and which claims can be pursued.

Frequently Asked Questions About Los Angeles Pedestrian Accidents

Can I still recover compensation if I was not in a crosswalk when I was hit? Yes. California’s pure comparative fault rule allows recovery even when the pedestrian shares some responsibility. If you were crossing mid-block and the driver was speeding or distracted, both facts go into the fault analysis. You may recover reduced compensation proportional to the driver’s share of fault.

What if the driver who hit me fled the scene? Hit-and-run pedestrian crashes are disturbingly common in Los Angeles. If the driver is not identified, your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage may cover your losses if you have that coverage on a vehicle you own. California also allows UM claims when the at-fault vehicle makes contact and then flees. An attorney can quickly identify your available insurance sources and file the appropriate claims.

The insurance company called me the day after the crash. Should I give a statement? No. You have no legal obligation to give a recorded statement to the at-fault driver’s insurer. Anything you say can be used to minimize your claim. Contact an attorney before providing any statement to any insurance representative other than your own.

How long will my case take? Most pedestrian accident claims in Los Angeles resolve through settlement without trial. Cases with clear liability and well-documented injuries often settle within six to twelve months. Cases involving disputed liability, catastrophic injuries with ongoing medical treatment, or government entity defendants take longer because the damages picture must be complete before settlement is appropriate.

Do I owe J&Y Law any money upfront? No. We handle pedestrian accident cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.

Dangerous Intersections and Corridors Where Los Angeles Pedestrian Crashes Concentrate

Los Angeles pedestrian accidents cluster on specific streets and at specific intersections, and understanding where they occur helps explain why cases arising from these locations often involve evidence of long-standing dangerous conditions the city knew about.

As of mid-2026, LAPD has reported 750 traffic crashes citywide resulting in serious injury or death — a 5 percent increase over the same period the prior year, according to ABC7’s investigation published June 15, 2026. To concentrate resources where crashes are highest, LAPD is directing enforcement to the four intersections with the most collisions recorded so far this year:

• Figueroa Street and 7th Street, Downtown Los Angeles — 11 crashes in 2026
• Highland Avenue and Pat Moore Way, near the Hollywood Bowl — 6 crashes in 2026
• Century Boulevard and Main Street, South Los Angeles — 5 crashes in 2026
• Sherman Way at the 170 Freeway entrance, San Fernando Valley — 5 crashes in 2026

These locations span four different parts of the city, which reflects a broader pattern: dangerous conditions in Los Angeles are not confined to one neighborhood or corridor. Downtown, Hollywood, South LA, and the Valley all contribute to the city’s most dangerous intersections.

The LADOT High Injury Network (HIN), confirmed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, establishes that just 6 percent of Los Angeles street miles account for 65 percent of all pedestrian and cyclist deaths and serious injuries. Wide arterials including Vermont Avenue, Western Avenue, Figueroa Street, and Sepulveda Boulevard consistently appear on this network.

When a crash occurs on a High Injury Network corridor or at an intersection with a documented history of collisions, the city’s own data can support an argument that the dangerous condition was a known, documented risk. Prior collision records, traffic engineering studies, and Vision Zero documentation can all become evidence in a premises liability claim against the City of Los Angeles where the roadway design contributed to the crash.

Why J&Y Law for Your Los Angeles Pedestrian Accident Case

J&Y Law was founded by Jason Javaheri and Yosi Yahoudai with a focus on representing seriously injured people throughout California. Our Los Angeles personal injury practice handles pedestrian accident claims across the city — from hit-and-run crashes in Hollywood and Van Nuys to intersection collisions in Koreatown, Downtown, South Los Angeles, and the San Fernando Valley.

Pedestrian cases require a different investigation than vehicle-to-vehicle accidents. We work with accident reconstructionists who can analyze skid marks, vehicle crush damage, and surveillance footage to establish speed and point of impact. We send immediate preservation notices to businesses along the crash corridor. We obtain the full driver record, vehicle inspection history, and — when a commercial vehicle is involved — the trucking or rideshare company’s compliance documents.

We do not charge any fee unless we win. Your free consultation is confidential, and you can reach us by phone or text