How long do I have to file a San Jose pedestrian accident claim?

Claims against a private driver generally must be filed within two years under CCP §335.1. If a public entity is involved, a government claim usually must be presented within six months under Gov Code §911.2. The shorter deadline makes early legal advice important.

What if a city vehicle or dangerous crossing caused my injury?

When a public entity may be responsible, a government claim generally must be filed within six months under Gov Code §911.2 before a lawsuit can proceed. These cases have strict rules and short deadlines, so it is important to act quickly.

How much is my San Jose pedestrian accident case worth?

Value depends on the severity of your injuries, your medical costs, lost income, and available insurance. Pedestrian injuries are often serious, but no lawyer can promise an amount. We work to document every loss in full.

Do pedestrians always have the right of way in California?

Vehicle Code §21950 requires drivers to yield to pedestrians in marked and unmarked crosswalks at intersections. Pedestrians also have duties, but a driver who fails to yield can be held liable. Comparative negligence still allows recovery even with partial fault.

How much does it cost to hire a San Jose pedestrian accident lawyer?

MMG Law Firm works on contingency, with no upfront cost and no fee unless we recover for you. The consultation is free, and our fee is a written percentage of any recovery.

San Jose Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

A pedestrian struck by a vehicle rarely walks away unhurt, and the medical and financial fallout can be overwhelming. MMG Law Firm holds careless drivers accountable and pursues full compensation for people hit while walking in San Jose. The consultation is free, and you owe no fee unless we win.

Pedestrian Accidents matters in San Jose

San Jose's busiest pedestrian areas are also its most dangerous. Downtown around SJSU draws constant foot traffic, and the VTA light-rail crossings, the shops along Santana Row, and the wide, fast arterials like Story Road and King Road put people on foot close to heavy vehicle movement. Capitol Expressway and First Street add long crossings where drivers turn across walk signals, and many serious injuries happen in marked crosswalks where pedestrians had the right of way.

Drivers frequently blame the pedestrian, but California law strongly protects people on foot. MMG Law Firm handles San Jose pedestrian accident claims remotely from Glendale, gathering the evidence that shows what really happened.

Where San Jose Pedestrian Crashes Happen

Downtown and the SJSU campus area
VTA light-rail crossings
Santana Row and Westfield Valley Fair
Story Road and King Road arterials
First Street and Capitol Expressway crossings

The Right-of-Way Law That Protects You

Under Vehicle Code §21950, drivers must yield the right of way to pedestrians crossing within a marked crosswalk or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. A driver who fails to yield, speeds, or is distracted can be held liable. California's pure comparative negligence rule means a pedestrian can still recover even if found partly at fault, with damages reduced by their share.

When a Public Entity May Be Involved

Some pedestrian crashes involve a city or transit vehicle, a dangerous roadway condition, or a poorly designed crossing. When a public entity is potentially responsible, a special and much shorter deadline applies: under Gov Code §911.2, a government claim generally must be presented within six months of the incident. Missing it can bar the case, so these claims demand immediate attention.

Compensation You May Recover

California allows both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages cover medical bills, future treatment, lost wages, and lost earning capacity. Non-economic damages address pain, suffering, disfigurement, and the loss of activities you valued. We never guarantee a result, but we work to document every loss and counter attempts to shift blame onto the injured person.

Deadlines, Venue, and How MMG Law Firm Helps

Most pedestrian claims against private drivers must be filed within two years under CCP §335.1, while claims against a public entity require a six-month government claim under Gov Code §911.2. San Jose cases are venued in the Santa Clara County Superior Court, with civil matters at the Downtown Superior Court on North First Street.

MMG Law Firm represents injured pedestrians across California from Glendale. We handle your case by phone, email, and secure portal, and appear in Santa Clara County court when needed. Consultations are free in English, Armenian, and Russian, and we work on contingency — no fee unless we win.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.