Pedestrian Accidents

Los Angeles Pedestrian Accident Attorney

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California Pedestrian Injury Attorneys

Hit by a car while walking? Here is what to know.

Yaghmai Law Firm represents pedestrians struck by cars, trucks, buses, and other vehicles across Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks, and the San Fernando Valley.
We handle crashes at marked and unmarked crosswalks, mid-block crossings, controlled intersections, parking lots, driveways, hit-and-run scenes, and anywhere else a pedestrian was hurt by a vehicle.
California gives you 2 years from the date of injury to file a personal injury claim under CCP Section 335.1. Wrongful death claims also run on a 2-year clock.
California is a pure comparative fault state under Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804. Even if you crossed outside a crosswalk, you can still recover. Your award is reduced by your percentage of fault.
No fees unless we recover compensation. Free case review. Call or text (888) 800-6731 or submit your case online.

A pedestrian accident lawyer Los Angeles juries respect knows the at-fault driver insurer will try to blame the pedestrian first under California comparative fault. A pedestrian crash is one of the most lopsided collisions on the road. A passenger car weighs roughly 4,000 pounds. A pickup or SUV often weighs 5,000 to 6,000 pounds. A person on foot has no airbags, no crumple zone, and no seat belt. When a driver fails to yield at a crosswalk, runs a red light, makes a left turn across a walk signal, or reverses out of a driveway without looking, the pedestrian absorbs the entire force of the impact. The result is often broken bones, a traumatic brain injury, internal organ damage, or death.

Yaghmai Law Firm represents pedestrians and their families across Los Angeles County. We handle crashes in downtown crosswalks, in the San Fernando Valley, on Ventura Boulevard, in parking lots and shopping centers, on freeway shoulders, and in residential neighborhoods. We pursue the at-fault driver and that driver’s insurance carrier, and when the driver flees the scene we open an uninsured motorist (UM) claim under the pedestrian’s own auto policy. We work on contingency. You pay no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you.

If you or a loved one was hit by a car while walking, we are ready to help.

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No Win, No Fee

Our pedestrian cases are handled on a contingency-fee basis. You owe no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you. There is no retainer, no hourly billing, and no surprise invoice in the mail. We front the cost of medical records, accident reconstruction, expert witnesses, and court filings. If we do not win, you do not owe us a fee or those case costs.

Our consultation is also free. Call or text (888) 800-6731 or submit your case online and we will tell you whether you have a claim worth pursuing before you commit to anything.

Types of Pedestrian Accident Cases We Handle

Pedestrian cases come in many forms. The legal analysis often turns on where in the roadway the crash happened and which traffic-control device, if any, was in effect. We handle:

Marked crosswalk crashes — the painted lines at an intersection or mid-block crossing.
Unmarked crosswalk crashes — the unpainted but legally protected crossing at any intersection where sidewalks meet the roadway.
Mid-block and outside-crosswalk crossings — commonly (and inaccurately) called “jaywalking” cases.
Controlled-intersection crashes — pedestrians struck while crossing on a walk signal or while a driver was turning across the crosswalk.
Left-turn and right-turn crashes — drivers turning across a marked or unmarked crosswalk and failing to yield.
Parking lot and driveway crashes — backovers, frontovers, and pedestrians struck while loading or walking between cars.
Hit-and-run pedestrian crashes — where the driver fled the scene.
Bus, truck, and rideshare-vs-pedestrian crashes — including Metro buses, school buses, big-rigs, and Uber or Lyft vehicles.
Fatal pedestrian crashes — wrongful death claims brought by surviving family members.

Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents

Most pedestrian crashes are caused by driver inattention or a violation of a specific California Vehicle Code section that exists to protect people on foot. Common causes we see include:

Failure to yield at a crosswalk — the most common cause. Drivers are legally required to yield to pedestrians in marked and unmarked crosswalks.
Distracted driving — texting, scrolling, using GPS, or eating while driving. A driver looking at a phone for two seconds at 35 mph travels more than 100 feet blind.
Speeding — the higher the speed, the longer the stopping distance and the more force transferred to the pedestrian. Pedestrian survival rates fall sharply above 25-30 mph.
Drunk or drugged driving — both impair reaction time and judgment. See our car accident lawyer page for related DUI-driver issues.
Left-turn negligence — drivers looking only for oncoming cars and missing the pedestrian in the crosswalk to their left.
Right-on-red turns — drivers rolling through a red while focused on traffic from the left, never seeing the pedestrian crossing from the right.
Backing up — especially in parking lots, driveways, and alleys. Children and elderly pedestrians are especially vulnerable.
Drivers running red lights or stop signs — pedestrians lawfully in the crosswalk are struck at speed.
Poor visibility — nighttime, rain, glare, or obstructed sightlines around parked cars. Drivers are still required to exercise due care for pedestrians.
Commercial-driver fatigue and inattention — on cases involving a truck, bus, or other commercial vehicle, we also look at the employer’s policies, hours-of-service compliance, and route history.
Motorcycle-vs-pedestrian crashes — less common, but the dynamics overlap with motorcycle negligence analysis.

Common Injuries in Pedestrian Accidents

Because a pedestrian has none of the structural protection of a vehicle occupant, the injuries we see in pedestrian crashes are often catastrophic. The most common include:

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and concussions — from impact with the vehicle, the windshield, or the roadway. TBIs are common because the pedestrian’s head is unprotected. See our brain injury lawyer page for a full discussion.
Skull and facial fractures.
Spinal cord injuries and paralysis — including paraplegia and quadriplegia.
Broken bones — pelvis, femur, tibia, fibula, hip, ribs, arms. Lower-extremity fractures are extremely common because the bumper strikes a standing pedestrian at leg height.
Internal organ damage and internal bleeding.
Soft tissue, ligament, and joint injuries — especially knees and shoulders.
Lacerations, road rash, and scarring.
Amputations — either traumatic or surgical.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression — California allows recovery of non-economic damages for emotional and psychological harm tied to the injury.
Death — pedestrian crashes have the highest fatality rate per impact of any roadway collision type. Surviving family members may bring a wrongful death claim. See our wrongful death attorney page.

What Your Pedestrian Accident Case May Be Worth

There is no fixed formula and we do not promise a number. The value of a pedestrian case depends on the severity of the injuries, the medical treatment required, the impact on the client’s work and daily life, the strength of the liability evidence, and the available insurance coverage. We typically pursue:

Past and future medical expenses — ER, hospitalization, surgery, rehab, physical therapy, mental health treatment, future surgeries, durable medical equipment, and home care.
Past and future lost wages and lost earning capacity — including time out of work for medical appointments and any reduction in your ability to do your job going forward.
Pain and suffering — the physical pain and the emotional and psychological impact of the injury.
Disfigurement and disability — including permanent scarring and any long-term loss of function.
Loss of enjoyment of life.
Out-of-pocket costs — medications, mileage to appointments, household help, assistive devices.
Property damage — clothing, phone, eyeglasses, and any items destroyed in the crash.
Wrongful death damages on fatal cases — for surviving spouses, children, and other statutory heirs.

Recovery depends on the at-fault driver’s liability insurance, any commercial-coverage layers (employer policy on a delivery driver, rideshare coverage, dealer plates, etc.), and the pedestrian’s own UM/UIM coverage under Insurance Code Section 11580.2. A pedestrian’s own auto policy UM coverage typically applies even though the client was on foot at the time of the crash — this is critical in hit-and-run and underinsured-driver cases.

California Pedestrian Law

California pedestrian law is governed primarily by Chapter 5 of Division 11 of the Vehicle Code (Pedestrians’ Rights and Duties), CCP Section 335.1 for the statute of limitations, and the comparative-fault rule from Li v. Yellow Cab Co.

Driver duty to yield in crosswalks — CVC Section 21950. Subdivision (a) requires the driver of a vehicle to yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked or unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. Subdivision (b) confirms that pedestrians still have a duty to use due care for their safety — a pedestrian may not suddenly leave a curb and walk or run into the path of a vehicle that is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard, and may not unnecessarily stop or delay traffic in a crosswalk. Subdivision (c) requires the driver approaching a pedestrian in a crosswalk to exercise all due care and reduce speed or take any other action necessary to safeguard the pedestrian. Subdivision (d) makes clear that subdivision (b) does not relieve a driver of the duty of due care.

Crossings outside a crosswalk — CVC Section 21954. Subdivision (a) requires a pedestrian crossing the roadway at any point other than a marked or unmarked crosswalk to yield the right-of-way to vehicles so near as to constitute an immediate hazard. Subdivision (b) confirms that the driver still owes a duty of due care for the safety of any pedestrian on the roadway. In other words, a pedestrian outside a crosswalk does not lose all protection — the driver still has to drive carefully.

Controlled-intersection crosswalk rule — CVC Section 21955. Subdivision (a) provides that between adjacent intersections controlled by traffic-control signal devices or by police officers, pedestrians may not cross the roadway except in a crosswalk.

AB 2147 — the Freedom to Walk Act, effective January 1, 2023. AB 2147 did not create a new code section. It amended CVC Sections 21950, 21954, and 21955 by adding peace-officer enforcement limitations. Under CVC 21950(e)(1), 21954(c)(1), and 21955(b)(1), a peace officer may not stop a pedestrian for a violation of those sections unless a reasonably careful person would realize there is an immediate danger of a collision with a moving vehicle or other device moving exclusively by human power. The Freedom to Walk Act does not change civil liability rules — it limits criminal/infraction enforcement. The driver still has a due-care duty, and the pedestrian still has a due-care duty.

Pure comparative fault — Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804. A pedestrian who was partly at fault — for example, crossing outside a crosswalk, looking at a phone, or stepping out from between parked cars — can still recover. The jury allocates a percentage of fault to each party, and the pedestrian’s recovery is reduced by his or her percentage. A jaywalking pedestrian who is found 30 percent at fault on a $300,000 verdict still recovers $210,000.

Statute of limitations — CCP Section 335.1. A pedestrian injury claim must be filed within 2 years from the date of injury. A wrongful death claim arising from a fatal pedestrian crash also runs on a 2-year clock. Claims against a government entity (for example, Metro, a city, or a school district) require a written government claim within 6 months under Government Code Section 911.2, with a much shorter overall litigation window.

Hit-and-run drivers — CVC Section 20001 and CVC Section 20002. A driver involved in any crash resulting in injury or death must immediately stop and render aid (CVC 20001). A driver involved in a property-damage-only crash must also stop and exchange information (CVC 20002). When the driver flees the scene, the pedestrian victim can typically open an uninsured motorist (UM) claim under his or her own auto policy. Insurance Code Section 11580.2 requires UM coverage be offered on every California auto policy, and pedestrian-victim UM claims are a routine recovery path when the at-fault driver is never identified or has no liability insurance.

Driver SR-1 reporting — CVC Section 16000. The driver of a motor vehicle involved in an accident that results in bodily injury, death, or property damage in excess of $1,000 must file an SR-1 report with the DMV within 10 days of the crash. The SR-1 creates an independent paper record that can corroborate the pedestrian’s account.

Common carriers and government defendants. If the vehicle that struck the pedestrian was a Metro bus, school bus, or other common-carrier vehicle, the carrier owes the “utmost care and diligence” standard. If the defendant is a public entity (city, county, transit district), the 6-month government-claim deadline applies. See our bus accident lawyer page for details.

Talk to a Los Angeles pedestrian accident attorney today. No fees unless we win.

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Why Yaghmai Law Firm for Your Pedestrian Accident Case

Pedestrian cases look simple from the outside — a person was walking, a car hit them, the driver was at fault — but they are usually anything but simple in practice. Defense carriers routinely argue that the pedestrian was outside the crosswalk, that the pedestrian was on a phone, that the pedestrian “darted out,” that the pedestrian was wearing dark clothing at night, or that the pedestrian was partly to blame in some other way. Comparative fault arguments are the rule, not the exception. Yaghmai Law Firm works each case as a contested liability case from day one.

“The single most important thing we do on a pedestrian case is preserve the scene and the evidence quickly. Video from a nearby business, a Ring doorbell, or a Metro bus camera disappears in days, not weeks. Witness memories fade. The defense knows this and will run out the clock if we let them. We move fast, we send preservation letters within the first 48 hours, and we work the comparative-fault questions head-on instead of pretending they will go away.”

— Houtan Yaghmai, Esq., President & Managing Attorney

We speak English, French, and Persian (Farsi) in-house, and we work with a Spanish-language interpreter when needed. Most pedestrian clients hire us by phone, text, or online intake — you do not need to come to an office to work with us. We handle pedestrian cases on a contingency-fee basis. No fee unless we win.

Frequently Asked Questions

I was hit by a car while walking. Do I have a case?

Probably yes, but it depends on the facts. In California, the driver of a vehicle has a legal duty to yield to a pedestrian in a marked or unmarked crosswalk (CVC 21950) and to exercise due care for any pedestrian on the roadway, even outside a crosswalk (CVC 21954). If you were hurt because a driver violated one of those duties, you likely have a personal injury claim. Call or text (888) 800-6731 for a free case review and we will tell you what we think.

How long do I have to file a pedestrian accident claim in California?

Two years from the date of the injury under CCP Section 335.1. Wrongful death claims also run on a 2-year clock. If the at-fault party is a government entity (for example, a Metro bus, a city vehicle, or a public school district), you have only 6 months to file a written government claim under Government Code Section 911.2 before you can sue. Missing either deadline almost always ends the case, so move quickly.

What if I was crossing outside a crosswalk?

You can still recover. California is a pure comparative fault state under Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804. If you were partly at fault for crossing outside a crosswalk, your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault, but it is not eliminated. Even a pedestrian who is found 50, 60, or 70 percent at fault can recover something. We see these cases regularly.

I heard jaywalking is legal now. Is that right?

Not exactly. The Freedom to Walk Act (AB 2147), effective January 1, 2023, amended CVC Sections 21950, 21954, and 21955 to limit when a peace officer may stop a pedestrian for a jaywalking-type infraction — officers may only stop a pedestrian when a reasonably careful person would realize there is an immediate danger of collision. The Act does not change civil liability. A driver still has a duty of due care to pedestrians, and a pedestrian still has a duty of due care for his or her own safety.

The driver fled the scene. Can I still recover?

Often yes. If the at-fault driver is never identified or has no liability insurance, you can typically open an uninsured motorist (UM) claim under your own auto policy. Insurance Code Section 11580.2 requires that California auto policies offer UM coverage, and pedestrian-victim UM claims are a standard recovery path even though the client was on foot at the time of the crash. The driver who fled also faces criminal exposure under CVC Sections 20001 and 20002.

What kinds of injuries do pedestrian crashes typically cause?

The most common include traumatic brain injuries, skull and facial fractures, spinal cord injuries, lower-extremity fractures (especially pelvis, femur, and tibia from bumper impact), internal organ damage, and lacerations and road rash. Pedestrian crashes have a much higher fatality rate per impact than vehicle-occupant crashes because the pedestrian has no structural protection. We work closely with treating physicians, neurologists, orthopedists, and life-care planners to document the full scope of the injury.

How much does it cost to hire Yaghmai Law Firm for a pedestrian case?

Nothing upfront. We work on a contingency-fee basis. You pay no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you. We front the costs of medical records, accident reconstruction, expert witnesses, and court filings, and we recover those costs only if we win. The initial consultation is free.

Do I need to come into your office to work on my pedestrian case?

No. We run a fully remote intake and case-management practice. Most clients hire us by phone, text, or our online intake form. We coordinate medical providers, communicate with insurance carriers, and handle settlement negotiations without ever requiring an in-person office visit. Call or text (888) 800-6731 or submit your case online to get started.

Related Practice Areas

Pedestrian cases often overlap with other personal injury matters. The same crash may involve a car, truck, bus, or rideshare driver as the at-fault party, and pedestrian crashes frequently produce traumatic brain injuries or wrongful death claims. Related pages from our practice:

Reviewed by Houtan Yaghmai, Esq., President & Managing Attorney. Admitted to practice law in California (State Bar No. 298487). He represents personal injury and immigration clients statewide.

Last updated: May 30, 2026.