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. 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. There are no fees unless you get paid.

Los Angeles has more pedestrian deaths than any other California city, and they cluster. LADOT's Vision Zero program identified a High-Injury Network, a small share of the city's streets, mostly wide, fast arterials, that accounts for most deaths and severe injuries. Corridors such as Figueroa Street, Western Avenue, Vermont Avenue, Sepulveda Boulevard, Van Nuys Boulevard, Roscoe Boulevard and Sherman Way appear on it year after year, and South Los Angeles divisions consistently record the most traffic deaths in the city. The pattern matters legally: when a crash happens at a location the City already knew was dangerous, the City's failure to fix the crossing, lighting or signal timing can be part of the claim, and the six-month government claim deadline applies.

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.

Los Angeles pedestrian injury cases are filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, most often at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse at 111 North Hill Street downtown. 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. 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.