Pedestrian Accidents matters in Los Angeles
Los Angeles is far more walkable than its reputation suggests, and that puts people on foot in constant contact with heavy traffic. Pedestrians cross busy corridors like Wilshire, Vermont, Western, and Figueroa, move through dense DTLA, Koreatown, and Hollywood blocks, and navigate Metro rail crossings where rail, cars, and walkers meet. When a driver is distracted, speeding, or fails to yield, the person in the crosswalk pays the price.
MMG Law Firm represents injured pedestrians and the families of those killed in these crashes. We investigate quickly, identify every responsible party, and press for full accountability.
Where & Why LA Pedestrians Get Hit
The most dangerous moments share common threads:
- Drivers turning across crosswalks on wide surface streets without looking for people on foot
- Speeding and red-light running on arterials like Vermont and Western
- Distracted driving near schools, transit stops, and Metro crossings
- Poor lighting and long blocks that push people to cross mid-corridor
Your Right of Way in the Crosswalk
California law protects pedestrians. Under Vehicle Code section 21950, drivers must yield the right of way to a pedestrian crossing within a marked crosswalk or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. Pedestrians still must use reasonable care, and California's pure comparative negligence rule can reduce, but not eliminate, recovery if a walker shares some fault. Insurers often overstate a pedestrian's blame, which is why an independent investigation matters.
When a Public Entity May Be Involved
Sometimes a city, county, or transit agency contributes to a crash through a dangerous intersection, a broken signal, or a hazardous crossing. Claims against a public entity carry a much shorter deadline: under Government Code section 911.2, you generally must file a government claim within six months of the incident before you can sue. Missing that window can end an otherwise valid claim, so these cases demand fast action.
Injuries & Compensation
Pedestrian crashes frequently cause:
- Traumatic brain injuries and skull fractures
- Broken legs, hips, and pelvic injuries
- Internal injuries and long-term disability
A claim may seek economic damages like medical bills, future care, and lost earnings, and non-economic damages for pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. In a fatal crash, surviving family members may pursue a wrongful death claim. Every case turns on its own facts, and outcomes are never guaranteed.
Deadlines & Where Cases Are Heard
For claims against another driver, California Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1 generally allows two years to file suit, while the six-month government claim deadline under Government Code section 911.2 applies when a public entity is involved. Los Angeles pedestrian cases are typically heard in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, with many civil matters handled at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse downtown.
How MMG Law Firm Helps
From our Glendale office, a short drive up the I-5 from downtown's busy crossings, we move quickly to preserve evidence and meet tight deadlines. We offer free consultations in English, Armenian, and Russian and handle cases on contingency (no fee unless we win). Call today so we can protect your claim before any deadline runs.
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.
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