Pedestrian Accidents matters in San Mateo
Where San Mateo Pedestrians Get Hit
San Mateo is a walkable Peninsula city, with a dense downtown grid, the Caltrain station, schools, and shopping that put people on foot every day. Downtown San Mateo around B Street, Third and Fourth Avenue, and Central Park is full of crossings where drivers turning across a crosswalk or rushing a yellow light strike pedestrians who had the right of way. El Camino Real (SR-82) is a high-speed multi-lane arterial that pedestrians must cross to reach bus stops and businesses, and its long signal cycles and turning traffic make it one of the most dangerous corridors on the Peninsula. Hillsdale Boulevard and Delaware Street near the Caltrain station and transit connections add commuter foot traffic to busy vehicle lanes, especially during rush hour.
The injuries from these collisions are severe because there is nothing between the victim and the vehicle: broken bones, internal injuries, spinal damage, and traumatic brain injuries are common, and recovery can take months or years.
Crosswalk Right-of-Way and Driver Duty
California Vehicle Code requires drivers to yield to pedestrians in marked and unmarked crosswalks at intersections, and drivers must exercise due care for everyone on foot regardless of whether a crosswalk is present. When a driver fails to yield, turns without looking, speeds through a downtown intersection, or is distracted by a phone, that negligence is the cause of the crash. Insurers often try to flip the blame onto the pedestrian, claiming the person darted out or crossed against the signal. California's pure comparative negligence rule means that even if a pedestrian shares some fault, recovery is reduced only by that percentage and is never eliminated, so a strong account of what happened, supported by the police report, intersection cameras, and witnesses, is essential.
When a poorly designed intersection, a malfunctioning signal, or an obscured crosswalk on public property contributed, a separate claim against the responsible public entity may also apply, and that path has its own short deadline.
Deadlines and the San Mateo County Court
Under California Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1, you generally have two years from the date you were struck to file a personal injury lawsuit. If a public entity such as the City of San Mateo, the county, or Caltrans is responsible because of a dangerous crossing or a faulty signal, Government Code section 911.2 requires a written claim within six months, a much shorter window. Pedestrian injury lawsuits in San Mateo are filed in the San Mateo County Superior Court, with civil matters heard at the Hall of Justice in Redwood City. Seriously injured pedestrians are often treated at Mills-Peninsula Medical Center in Burlingame, with major trauma transferred to Stanford. We work on contingency, so there is no upfront cost and no fee unless we recover.
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.