Fresno Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Fresno is a city built around wide, fast arterials, and that design puts people on foot at real risk. Downtown foot traffic, the lively Tower District, and the crowds around Fresno State all bring pedestrians into close contact with cars, while heavily traveled streets like Blackstone Avenue, Shaw Avenue, and Kings Canyon Road combine high speeds, long blocks, and busy intersections. When a driver runs a red, turns without looking, or speeds through a crosswalk, the person walking has almost no margin for error.

These cases often hinge on right-of-way — and on California law that strongly protects pedestrians in crosswalks. Sorting out exactly where a person was crossing and who had the green can make or break a claim.

Why pedestrian crashes happen in Fresno

• Drivers failing to yield at marked and unmarked crosswalks
• Right-turn and left-turn drivers watching for cars but not people
• Speeding on wide arterials like Blackstone, Shaw, and Kings Canyon
• Distracted driving near campus and entertainment districts
• Poor lighting and long distances between safe crossing points

California crosswalk right-of-way

Vehicle Code section 21950 requires drivers to yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. The statute also directs drivers to exercise due care for the safety of any pedestrian and to reduce speed or take other action as needed. Pedestrians, for their part, must not suddenly leave a curb into the path of a vehicle so close that it is a hazard, so insurers frequently argue the walker was careless. But California's pure comparative negligence rule means that even a pedestrian found partly at fault can still recover damages, reduced only by their share of responsibility. A careful look at signal timing, vehicle speed, and where the pedestrian was crossing often reshapes how fault is divided.

When a public entity may be involved

If a dangerous crosswalk, a broken or poorly timed signal, missing lighting, or another hazardous road condition contributed to the crash, a city, county, or the state may share responsibility for what happened. Claims against a public entity carry a special, much shorter deadline: under Government Code section 911.2, a government claim generally must be presented within six months of the incident before any lawsuit can proceed. Missing that early deadline can forfeit your right to sue the public entity entirely, so these cases need prompt attention from a lawyer who can identify every potentially responsible party early.

Injuries and what compensation may cover

• Traumatic brain injuries and skull fractures
• Pelvic, leg, and hip fractures from direct impact
• Internal injuries and spinal damage
• Wrongful death when a pedestrian is killed

A claim may seek economic damages such as hospital care, surgery, rehabilitation, future treatment, and lost earnings, along with non-economic damages for pain, suffering, disfigurement, and diminished quality of life. No amount is ever promised and no outcome is guaranteed; value depends on the facts and the coverage available.

Deadlines, courthouse, and how we help

For most pedestrian claims, Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1 gives you two years from the date of injury to file suit — but remember the six-month government-claim deadline if a public entity is involved. Fresno pedestrian lawsuits are handled by the Fresno County Superior Court, with civil matters heard at the B.F. Sisk Courthouse downtown. MMG Law Firm works from its Glendale base, about 220 miles south, and represents injured pedestrians statewide. We have no Fresno office; we handle your case remotely and travel for required court appearances. Consultations are free in English, Armenian, and Russian, and we work on contingency — no fee unless we win.