Pasadena Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Few cities in the area invite walking the way Pasadena does, and that is part of the danger. Old Pasadena and the Colorado Boulevard corridor draw dense foot traffic; Caltech and Pasadena City College fill nearby crosswalks with students; and event days, above all the Rose Parade route, bring enormous crowds into close contact with vehicles. When drivers roll through crosswalks, turn without looking, or speed through busy intersections, people on foot have no protection at all.

Pedestrian injuries tend to be severe, and these cases carry a few wrinkles unique to walkers. Here is how they work in Pasadena and how we handle them from nearby Glendale.

Why pedestrian crashes happen here

• Heavy foot traffic in Old Pasadena and along Colorado Boulevard
• Student crossings near Caltech and Pasadena City College
• Large crowds during the Rose Parade and other events
• Drivers turning across marked crosswalks without yielding
• Distracted and speeding driving on busy surface streets

The California law that controls your case

Under Vehicle Code section 21950, drivers must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians within marked crosswalks and at unmarked crosswalks at intersections. Pedestrians also have duties, such as not suddenly leaving a curb into the path of a close vehicle, but the law places a clear obligation on drivers to use due care for people on foot. California's pure comparative negligence rule means that even if a pedestrian is found partly responsible, recovery is reduced by that share rather than barred entirely. We work to establish exactly how the crash happened so fault is fairly allocated.

Injuries and case types we handle

With nothing to absorb the impact, struck pedestrians often suffer traumatic brain injuries, spinal damage, multiple fractures, internal injuries, and long-term disability. We handle crosswalk collisions, backing and turning crashes in lots and driveways, and incidents in high-traffic event areas.

What you may be able to recover

No outcome is guaranteed, but California law allows recovery for both economic and non-economic harm, which may include:

• Past and future medical care
• Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
• Pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life
• Other out-of-pocket losses tied to the injury

Deadlines and where Pasadena cases are heard

Most California pedestrian injury claims carry a two-year filing deadline under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. If a public entity may share responsibility, for example because of a dangerous intersection or a city or transit vehicle, a government claim must usually be presented within six months under Government Code section 911.2, a much shorter window that makes early legal advice critical. Pasadena is in Los Angeles County, so cases proceed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court; with the historic Pasadena courthouse closed, area civil matters are typically heard at the Alhambra Courthouse or the Stanley Mosk Courthouse downtown. From Glendale, about ten miles away, we know Pasadena's crosswalks and courts. We offer free consultations in English, Armenian, and Russian and work on contingency, so there is no fee unless we win.