Pedestrian Accident Attorneys Los Angeles California

Drivers end up hitting pedestrians for a number of reasons, which include but is not limited to:

• Talking on Cell Phones
• Running Red Lights
• Running Stop Signs
• Speeding
• Fatigue
• Drunk Driving

1. Failure to Come to a Complete Stop When Turning Right on a Red Traffic Signal: California Vehicle Code 21453 mandates that, " If there is no sign prohibiting a turn, the driver must come to a complete stop before turning right on a red light or left from a one-way street onto a one-way street." Often, drivers don't come to a complete stop, however, and often don't look both ways prior to making the right hand turn.
2. Vehicles Backing Over People on Foot: This happens on roads, parking lots and many other places. This is especially true for children who might happen to be playing on a sidewalk or in the street in front of a residence or building. This is prohibited by California Vehicle Code 22106.
3. Entering a Roadway Without Looking: This can happen when cars attempt to exit commercial building that abut sidewalks or pull out into traffic across a sidewalk. California Vehicle Code 21804 mandates: "The driver of any vehicle about to enter or cross a highway from any public or private property, or from an alley, shall yield the right-of-way to all traffic, as defined in Section 620, approaching on the highway close enough to constitute an immediate hazard, and shall continue to yield the right-of-way to that traffic until he or she can proceed with reasonable safety."
4. Nighttime Pedestrian Mishaps: Visibility can be a major factor in causing auto v. pedestrian collisions. This is especially true in the winter months when daylight is shorter.

In almost all situations, pedestrians have the right-of-way, according to California state law. In fact, California Vehicle Code 21950(a) requires that cars yield to persons walking in designated crosswalks and at unmarked walkways within intersections. Getting hit by a car can result in serious injury such as bone fractures, disability, and disfigurement. Other times, a pedestrian accident can be fatal. If the driver that hit you or your loved one in California was uninsured, you may still be eligible to receive compensation through your own insurance provider.

For frontal collisions, the dynamic is that the lower body is hit around the knees or thighs, knocking the person up onto the hood or sometimes to the ground. Most injuries arising from these vehicle and ground impacts in adults are trauma to the head, legs and pelvis. These can include tibial plateau fractures and torn knee ligaments, as well as traumatic brain injuries.

There are many aspects of presenting an auto accident claim of this type. Determinations must be made as to the identity of drivers, registered owners, business owners with operators who may be in the course and scope of their employment at the time of the incident such as company drivers. Evaluations must be made as to whether there was negligence and on the part of whom. Insurance carriers must be identified and claims presented quickly. All of this requires the skill of an experienced personal injury attorney who is adept at handling petitions for money damages between persons sauntering by foot and motor vehicles. Our Los Angeles accident attorneys have prosecuted hundreds of these claims in the last 25 years throughout California and have a tremendous success rate in obtaining money for the victims of these types of mishaps.

If the at fault person is a private party (e.g. driver of a non-commercial or commercial vehicle), the normal deadline to file a lawsuit in court is two years from the date of the incident. If the party is a government entity, however, (e.g. City or Municipality accused of negligent roadway defect), you would have only six months to file a "Government Tort Claim." These deadlines can vary depending upon a variety of factors. This is yet another reason to seek prompt legal advice following a pedestrian accident in California.