Pedestrian Accidents matters in Hanford
Foot Traffic Around Courthouse Square
Historic downtown Hanford draws steady foot traffic, especially around the Courthouse Square and the old Kings County courthouse where residents, shoppers, and visitors cross busy streets throughout the day. Walkable downtown blocks bring pedestrians into close contact with turning and parking vehicles, and a driver distracted for an instant can cause a serious injury. Crosswalks near the square and along nearby downtown streets are frequent crash sites. Knowing exactly where and how a pedestrian was struck is essential to establishing who had the right of way and who is responsible.
California Crosswalk Right-of-Way
Under the California Vehicle Code, drivers must yield to pedestrians in marked and unmarked crosswalks at intersections, and they must exercise due care for everyone on foot. Many Hanford pedestrian crashes happen precisely because a driver failed to yield while turning or rolled through a crosswalk without looking. Even where a pedestrian was outside a crosswalk, drivers still owe a duty of care and cannot simply run someone down. We examine the crossing location, signal timing, and driver conduct to show how the law applies to your specific collision.
Dangerous Roads Beyond Downtown
Outside the walkable core, Hanford's wider arterials such as Lacey Boulevard, 10th Avenue, and Grangeville Boulevard mix fast traffic with limited crossing points, and some rural stretches around town have little or no sidewalk at all. Pedestrians walking along Hanford-Armona Road or crossing near SR-198 face drivers moving at high speeds with little expectation of foot traffic. These conditions make nighttime and low-visibility crashes particularly severe. We investigate lighting, sight lines, and road design as part of building a complete picture of fault.
Serious Injuries to the Unprotected
A pedestrian has no protection against a moving vehicle, so even a low-speed strike can cause fractures, head injuries, and internal harm, while highway-speed impacts are often catastrophic. Injured pedestrians in the area are commonly taken to Adventist Health Hanford for emergency care, and those records are central to documenting the harm. We work to capture the full medical picture, including future care and lasting limitations, so any recovery accounts for the true and lasting impact of the collision rather than only the immediate bills.
Pursuing Justice in Kings County
When an insurer denies a valid claim or blames the victim, a pedestrian injury lawsuit may be filed in the Kings County Superior Court in Hanford. Drivers and insurers often argue that the pedestrian darted out or was not paying attention, and we counter those claims with scene evidence, witness statements, and the right-of-way rules that actually govern. MMG Law Firm represents injured pedestrians on a contingency basis, with no fee unless we recover, and we work to hold careless drivers accountable for the harm they cause.
Our attorney
How Mihran M. Ghazaryan helps with pedestrian accidents
Pedestrian injuries are usually severe, and the right-of-way analysis is everything. Mihran M. Ghazaryan investigates the crosswalk, signal timing, and roadway conditions, and where a city vehicle or dangerous public road is involved he protects the short six-month government-claim deadline that can otherwise end a case before it starts. He coordinates your care and documents the full extent of your losses.
Types of pedestrian accidents we handle
Crosswalk strikes
Marked or unmarked, California pedestrians retain right-of-way. We identify the sight-line failures and signal timing that tell the real story.
Parking-lot and back-over collisions
Often involve fleet vehicles, rideshare drivers, or delivery contractors. Surveillance footage matters and disappears fast.
Hit-and-run pedestrian claims
Your own UM/UIM policy may reach. Even when the driver is unidentified, recovery is often possible.
Damages
What compensation can cover
Every pedestrian accident claim is different, but California law allows injured plaintiffs to seek several categories of damages. We build each one with documentation — medical records, wage statements, expert opinions — so nothing is left on the table.
Medical expenses
Emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, and the future treatment your providers say you'll need.
Lost wages
Income you lost while recovering — and, where the injury affects your ability to work, diminished future earning capacity.
Pain and suffering
Compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, and the ways the injury has changed how you live day to day.
Property damage
Repair or replacement of your vehicle and other property damaged in the incident.
Out-of-pocket costs
Transportation to appointments, medical equipment, household help, and the other expenses an injury forces on you.
How we work
- 1
Free, no-pressure consultation
We listen first. We answer your questions. There is no fee for the initial conversation — and you decide whether to engage us at the end of it.
- 2
Investigation and evidence preservation
Police reports, scene photos, witness statements, vehicle data, surveillance video, medical records. The earlier we collect, the harder it is for the other side to reshape the story later.
- 3
Treatment, demand, and negotiation
We coordinate with your providers, document the full extent of damages — medical, lost income, pain — and present a demand backed by evidence. We push back firmly when an insurer lowballs.
- 4
Litigation when necessary
Most matters settle. When an insurer refuses to be reasonable, we file. Preparing every case as if it will be tried is what makes the settlement number move.
What to do right away
- Accept emergency medical evaluation on scene, even if you can walk.
- Take photos of the location — crosswalk, signs, signals — and the vehicle's resting position.
- Get witness names; pedestrian witnesses are common but rarely contacted by police.
- Save the clothing you were wearing — it may be evidence.
- Call us before giving any statement.
The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.
Deadlines that matter
Most California personal-injury claims must be filed within two years of the injury (Code of Civil Procedure §335.1). Miss the window and the court will almost always dismiss the case, no matter how strong it is.
Claims against government entities are much shorter — generally a written claim within six months (Government Code §911.2). Crashes involving city vehicles, public buses, or dangerous public-road conditions can fall under this rule.
Exceptions exist in both directions — discovery rules, minors, continuing violations, out-of-state defendants — so don't assume your deadline has passed or that you have time to spare. Call (818) 539-7969 and we'll tell you exactly where you stand.