Pedestrian Accidents matters in Hollister
Where Walkers Are at Risk in Hollister
Downtown Hollister is built around San Benito Street, a walkable district lined with shops, restaurants, and county offices, including buildings near the San Benito County Superior Court. Foot traffic is heavy at the closely spaced intersections, where drivers turning across crosswalks, hunting for on-street parking, or rolling through stop signs put pedestrians in danger. The same downtown energy that draws people to events and the annual motorcycle gatherings also brings more vehicles and more distraction.
Outside the core, the risk changes character. Where SR-25 and SR-156 pass through and around town, fast commuter traffic meets stretches with limited lighting, incomplete sidewalks, and few marked crossings. People walking to bus stops, schools, or shopping along these corridors can be hard for drivers to see, especially at dawn and dusk when many residents are heading to or from Silicon Valley commutes. A pedestrian struck at highway speeds often suffers catastrophic harm.
Right of Way and Shared Fault
California law generally requires drivers to yield to pedestrians in marked and unmarked crosswalks, and to exercise due care for anyone on the road. But pedestrians also have duties, and insurers routinely argue that a person crossing outside a crosswalk or against a signal caused their own injuries. Under California's pure comparative negligence rule, you can still recover even if you were partly at fault, with your award reduced by your share. Adjusters often overstate a pedestrian's fault to cut their payout, which is why independent evidence matters.
The firm gathers the police report, locates witnesses, examines lighting and crosswalk conditions, and works with medical providers at Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital to document the full extent of the injuries.
What a Pedestrian Claim May Be Worth
No honest attorney can promise a result. The value of a Hollister pedestrian accident claim depends on the severity and permanence of the injuries, medical and rehabilitation costs, lost income and earning capacity, and the impact on daily life. California does not cap most injury damages. If the driver who hit you had minimum coverage or none, your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage may provide a source of recovery.
Acting Within the Deadlines
Under California Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1, you generally have two years from the date of the incident to file a personal injury lawsuit. When a public entity may share responsibility, for example over a dangerous crossing or poor lighting, Government Code section 911.2 usually requires a written claim within six months. Cases proceed in the San Benito County Superior Court in Hollister, and prompt action preserves the evidence your case needs.
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.