As a Los Angeles pedestrian accident attorney and former in-house counsel at Safeco Insurance, I represent people hit by vehicles while walking, and I know exactly how insurers try to shift fault onto the pedestrian to reduce what they pay.

Los Angeles Is One of the Most Dangerous Cities for Pedestrians

More than 150 pedestrians were killed in traffic collisions in the city of Los Angeles in 2025, according to LAPD data, accounting for over half of all traffic deaths citywide that year. The number has stayed well above pre-pandemic levels for years, and the San Fernando Valley sees its own share of these accidents along its busiest corridors.



If you were hit by a car while walking, you're not dealing with a rare or unusual event. You're dealing with one of the most common and most aggressively contested types of injury claim in this city.

What to Do If You're Hit by a Car in Los Angeles

Step 1:

Get medical care

Get medical care immediately, even if you feel capable of walking away. Some injuries, especially head and spinal injuries, don't show their full severity right away.

Step 2:

Call law enforcement

Call law enforcement and get a police report number. The report is a starting point, not the final word on fault, but it documents the basic facts while they're fresh.

Step 3:

Document the scene

Photograph the vehicle, the driver's license plate, the location, and your injuries if you're able to. Get contact information from any witnesses before they leave.

Step 4:

Avoid recorded statements

Avoid giving a recorded statement to the driver's insurer before talking to me. Adjusters often use early statements to build an argument that you contributed to the accident.

Step 5:

Get a free case review

Call my office for a free case review before accepting any settlement offer. Early offers in pedestrian cases are designed to close your claim before you know the full value of your injuries.

Your Rights as a Pedestrian Under California Law

California Vehicle Code 21950 requires drivers to yield to pedestrians in both marked and unmarked crosswalks at intersections, and it places an independent duty on drivers to exercise due care around pedestrians regardless of crosswalk markings. Outside of a crosswalk, drivers still owe pedestrians a duty of reasonable care, even though the right-of-way analysis shifts.



Insurance companies often lean on the idea of jaywalking to shift blame onto you, but California's Freedom to Walk Act changed that calculation. Since 2023, pedestrians can no longer be cited simply for crossing outside a crosswalk, as long as it's done safely with no oncoming traffic. That doesn't eliminate comparative fault arguments, but it removes one of the easiest blame tactics insurers used to rely on.

California follows a pure comparative fault rule, meaning you can still recover compensation even if you're found partially at fault, with your award reduced by your percentage of fault. That's exactly why insurers fight so hard to assign you even a small percentage of blame.

How Insurers Try to Blame the Pedestrian

Assigning fault to the pedestrian is one of the most common tactics in these cases, and as former in-house counsel at Safeco Insurance, I know it from the inside because I used to help build these arguments.

• Claiming you stepped out suddenly or without warning, even when you had the right-of-way
• Arguing you were jaywalking, even in cases where the crossing was done safely and legally
• Using your own statement from right after the accident to suggest you weren't paying attention
• Disputing the severity of your injuries when the vehicle's speed seemed low

I document the crosswalk signal timing, vehicle speed, sightlines, and witness accounts that insurers count on you not having, because I know exactly which details they're hoping go unchallenged.

Rideshare and Other High-Risk Pedestrian Accidents

Rideshare vehicles are a significant source of pedestrian accidents in Los Angeles, particularly around pickup and drop-off zones where drivers are often distracted by their app or double-parked illegally. These cases can involve more than one insurance policy depending on whether the driver was logged into the app, en route to a passenger, or carrying one, which affects how much coverage is actually available.



I also regularly handle pedestrian cases involving delivery vehicles, commercial trucks making turns in congested areas, and accidents in parking lots and structures where visibility is limited.

Where Pedestrian Accidents Happen in the Valley

A handful of corridors and locations account for a large share of the pedestrian accidents I see across the San Fernando Valley.

• The Ventura Boulevard corridor, with heavy pedestrian and retail foot traffic throughout the day
• Van Nuys Boulevard, a documented high-risk corridor for pedestrian collisions
• Sherman Way, where multiple lanes and high traffic volume increase crossing risk
• School zones throughout the Valley, where children crossing at drop-off and pickup times face elevated risk
• Access roads near the 405/101 interchange, where merging traffic and pedestrian crossings frequently conflict
  

Low Speed Doesn't Mean Low Impact

A vehicle barely tapping a pedestrian can still cause serious spinal and orthopedic injuries, and insurers know this. They often use a low estimated impact speed to argue that your injuries must be exaggerated, even when the medical reality says otherwise.



I build a thorough medical record connecting the mechanism of impact to your specific injuries, and I bring in expert analysis when needed to establish that connection clearly enough that an insurer can't wave it away.

One Phone Call. One Attorney. Everything Handled. 

When you call my office, you speak with me directly, not a receptionist or a case manager. I handle evidence preservation, medical coordination, and insurer communications myself, on every pedestrian case I take.

For other types of cases, visit my personal injury page or my car accident page. I also represent clients throughout the San Fernando Valley and in Van Nuys specifically.

Pedestrian Accident Questions, Answered