Los Angeles Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Wilshire Law Firm is an award-winning, nationally recognized team headquartered in Los Angeles, with a $36 million recovery for a pedestrian who suffered a traumatic brain injury after being struck by a vehicle (past results do not guarantee a similar outcome). LA pedestrian cases are won on local evidence: LAPD collision reports from the Central, West, Valley and South Traffic Divisions, LADOT signal-timing and camera data, Metro onboard video when a bus is involved, and footage from the businesses that line the corridor. We handle every conversation with the insurance companies so you can focus on your recovery.

In 2023, 1,432 pedestrians were killed or injured in Los Angeles, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety, and the most serious crashes are not spread evenly. LADOT's Vision Zero program maps a High-Injury Network, a small share of the city's streets, mostly wide, fast arterials, where most deaths and severe injuries happen. That matters legally because a public entity can share responsibility when a crossing, streetlight or signal was in a dangerous condition that it created, or knew about in time to fix (Gov. Code §835). The claim against the City is due within six months (Gov. Code §911.2).

Most Los Angeles pedestrian accidents trace back to preventable driver negligence: failing to yield at crosswalks (Veh. Code §21950), turning left or right without checking the crosswalk, speeding on arterials where the basic speed law is routinely ignored (§22350), distracted or impaired driving, and running red lights (§21453). LA-specific factors add to the risk: long blocks with widely spaced marked crossings, six-lane arterials with 35 to 45 mph limits, freeway on- and off-ramps that meet surface streets, and heavy nighttime traffic on poorly lit stretches. Because pedestrians have no protection in a collision, these crashes often cause fractures, head trauma and spinal damage. Establishing which driver, and sometimes which agency, was negligent is central to your claim, and our attorneys handle that investigation for you.

Take five steps to protect your health and your claim. Get medical attention immediately, even if you feel fine; LA's trauma centers, including Los Angeles General Medical Center, Harbor-UCLA, Cedars-Sinai and Ronald Reagan UCLA, see pedestrian injuries that were not obvious at the scene. Call the police and make sure an LAPD or CHP report is created, which also preserves your uninsured motorist rights if the driver fled. Photograph the scene, the vehicle, the crosswalk and signals, and your injuries. Exchange information and gather witness contacts. Then speak with a pedestrian accident lawyer before giving a recorded statement to any insurer.

Since October 10, 2022, Los Angeles pedestrian injury cases are filed in the Superior Court district where the crash happened (General Order 2024-GEN-003-00); Central District cases are heard at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 N. Hill St. Depending on where the crash happened, the responsible public agency may be the City of Los Angeles (LADOT and the Bureau of Street Lighting for signals, crossings and lighting), the County of Los Angeles for unincorporated areas, Caltrans for state highways and freeway ramps, or LA Metro for a bus or train. Each is a public entity, so a written claim must be presented to it within six months of the crash (Gov. Code §911.2) before any lawsuit. City claims go only to the Office of the City Clerk (200 N. Spring St., Room 395, or online), County claims to the Executive Officer–Clerk of the Board, Metro claims to Metro's Legal Services office in person or by mail, and Caltrans claims of $12,500 or less to its District 7 claims office, with larger claims going to the state's Government Claims Program. We identify the right agency from the collision report and file the claim on time.

In most cases, two years from the date of the collision to file a personal injury lawsuit (Code Civ. Proc. §335.1). Claims against a government entity, such as a dangerous LA crosswalk or a city vehicle, must be presented within six months under the Government Claims Act (Gov. Code §911.2). If the driver fled, report the crash to police within 24 hours to protect uninsured motorist coverage (Ins. Code §11580.2). Because missing a deadline can end your case, it is best to speak with a legal professional early.

A selection of our pedestrian settlements from Los Angeles County:

• $9.1 million (2025, Pasadena): a company work truck turning left struck a pedestrian in a crosswalk at high speed, and the pedestrian died.
• $8 million (2026, Santa Monica): a city tractor hit a person walking on the beach at night, causing serious head injuries.
• $5.8 million (2026, Los Angeles): a truck struck a person crossing a city street.
• $650,000 (2025, Pasadena): a car backing up pushed into a parked truck's open rear door, striking the person standing there.
• $267,000 (2026, Los Angeles County): a pedestrian died after being struck by a vehicle, in a case against a public entity.

See more on our settlements and verdicts page.

Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different.