Pedestrian Accidents

Glendale Pedestrian Accident Attorney

In California, pedestrians have the right-of-way.  This does not mean that a pedestrian is always legally in the right, but if a person on the street is acting safely and lawfully, then any driver who causes them injury is liable.  Auto drivers have a responsibility to drive carefully and attentively, making sure to slow, stop, and otherwise make adjustments for the possible or actual presence of pedestrians on the road.  When drivers fail to drive responsibly and carefully, pedestrians are likely to suffer a catastrophic injury.  Pedestrians do not have the benefit of a helmet, a seatbelt, or a metal shell like a car exterior surrounding them; instead, they are directly exposed to any impact.  Accidents involving pedestrians are much more likely to involve serious injury or worse.  In Los Angeles alone, 134 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in 2017.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident in Glendale or Los Angeles, the dedicated and talented pedestrian collision attorneys at McReynolds Vardanyan are ready to help you seek compensation for your harm.  We will fight to ensure that you get the maximum recovery available for the injury you and your family have suffered.

What Leads to Pedestrian Accidents?

Pedestrian accidents can be caused by a variety of factors.  Some pedestrian injuries might be caused when the pedestrian acts negligently, but many are caused by negligent drivers and other parties.  At the Kohn Law Firm, we will pursue your personal injury claim regardless of cause.  So long as someone else’s negligence led to your injury, we will build your case and fight for your recovery.

Some of the more common causes of pedestrian accidents include the following:

  • Food truck and other vendor accidents. Drivers who approach food trucks, buses, or other vendors likely to cause a lot of foot traffic must be extra careful to watch out for passing and meandering pedestrians.
  • Dart-outs. Pedestrians who try to run across the street without a crosswalk or against a stoplight are apt to get hit by cars traveling with the right-of-way.  Dart-out accidents can also occur where a pedestrian appropriately enters a crosswalk, but a driver’s vision was obstructed by other vehicles or objects in the road, such that they do not notice the pedestrian until it is too late.  Drivers must always approach crosswalks cautiously to avoid this result.
  • Drunk, drowsy, or distracted drivers. Drivers who get behind the wheel on inadequate sleep or while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or who engage in negligent behavior such as texting while driving, are likely to hit a pedestrian just as they are likely to cause a crash with another vehicle.
  • Back-up accidents. Pedestrians are commonly injured in garages, sidewalks, parking lots, and other locations where drivers are backing up without adequately checking their surroundings.
  • Passing accidents. Drivers who are in a rush are inclined to pass a bus, taxi, or other stopped vehicle without first checking to ensure that no passengers are exiting and crossing the road.

Hit-and-Run Accidents

California law requires drivers involved in a traffic accident to stop, exchange information with the other driver, and report the accident.  If someone was injured in the accident and the driver flees the scene, the driver can face felony criminal penalties in addition to civil liability.  If a driver hits a pedestrian at nearly any rate of speed, there is almost certainly some injury involved.  If the pedestrian is seriously injured, failing to stop and call emergency services can lead to the damage becoming more severe, if not deadly.  Civil liability might be compounded if the driver’s failure to stop caused the injured victim to receive delayed medical care.

California has more hit-and-run accidents than any other state in the country.  In 2016, 337 people were killed in hit-and-run crashes in California.  According to AAA, nearly two-thirds of all hit-and-run victims were pedestrians or bicyclists.  If you were hit by a driver who then fled the scene, you deserve compensation, and you deserve justice.  Our pedestrian accident lawyers will help you investigate your injury in order to locate the person at fault, and we will fight for your right to total compensation, whether or not that driver also faces criminal charges.

Get Help from Our Southern California Pedestrian Accident Lawyers

If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident in Los Angeles or Southern California, we want to hear from you.  Call our Glendale office at 818-855-2115 for a free consultation.  We will investigate your claims and work to make sure that you get the recovery you are owed.  Our passionate, effective, and trial-ready pedestrian accident attorneys are ready to meet you and meet your needs.

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