Do I Need a Lawyer After a Pedestrian Accident in Granada Hills?

Arya Firoozmand, Esq.

Local Granada Hills Injury Attorney · UCLA Law

Arya Firoozmand is the founding partner at L&F Brown. He attended nearby El Camino Real High School, graduated from UCLA Law School, and has spent his career representing injured clients across the north Valley communities including Granada Hills.

Being hit by a car as a pedestrian in Granada Hills is one of the most traumatic experiences you can endure. Unlike a car accident where you have a vehicle protecting you, a pedestrian accident puts your body directly against a multi-thousand-pound machine moving at speed. The injuries are almost always serious, the medical bills are substantial, and the insurance process is adversarial. If you were struck by a vehicle while walking in Granada Hills, you need a lawyer.

Pedestrian Injuries Are Severe and Expensive

The human body has no protection against a vehicle impact. Pedestrians struck by cars on Granada Hills streets like Balboa Blvd, Chatsworth St, and Zelzah Ave commonly suffer broken bones, including leg, hip, pelvis, and arm fractures. Traumatic brain injuries occur when the pedestrian's head strikes the vehicle or the ground. Internal organ damage from the force of impact can be life-threatening. Spinal cord injuries can result in paralysis. Severe lacerations, contusions, and soft tissue damage are common even in lower-speed impacts.

These injuries require extensive medical treatment, often beginning with emergency transport to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills. Hospitalization, surgery, intensive care, and months of rehabilitation follow. The medical bills alone can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. An attorney ensures that every dollar of your medical expenses, both current and future, is included in your claim.

Insurance Companies Blame Pedestrians

One of the most important reasons you need a lawyer is the insurance company's predictable strategy of blaming the pedestrian. The driver's insurer will investigate whether you were in a crosswalk, whether you had the walk signal, whether you were distracted by your phone, and whether you were wearing visible clothing. The insurer will use any of these factors to assign partial fault to you and reduce your compensation.

California is a comparative negligence state, meaning your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. But many of the arguments insurers use to blame pedestrians are unfair or exaggerated. An attorney counters these arguments with evidence from the police report filed by LAPD, surveillance footage, witness statements, and accident reconstruction analysis.

Even if you were partially at fault, such as crossing mid-block rather than at a crosswalk, you can still recover compensation in California. Your attorney minimizes the fault assigned to you and maximizes the compensation you receive.

The Driver Is Usually At Fault

California Vehicle Code Section 21950 requires drivers to yield the right of way to pedestrians in crosswalks, both marked and unmarked. Drivers must also exercise due care to avoid striking a pedestrian on any roadway. In practice, this means that drivers who hit pedestrians bear the burden of proving they were not negligent.

Common driver negligence in Granada Hills pedestrian accidents includes failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk on Chatsworth St, running a red light and striking a pedestrian crossing with the walk signal at Zelzah Ave, making a right turn without checking for pedestrians in the crosswalk on Balboa Blvd, speeding through residential areas, distracted driving, and backing out of a driveway or parking spot without checking for pedestrians.

What a Pedestrian Accident Attorney Does

Your attorney handles every aspect of your claim while you focus on recovery. The attorney investigates the crash scene, obtaining surveillance footage from businesses near the intersection or stretch of road where you were hit. The police report from LAPD is obtained and reviewed. Witnesses are interviewed. Medical records are gathered and analyzed to document the full extent of your injuries.

Your attorney calculates the total value of your claim, including medical bills, future medical costs, lost wages, diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. This comprehensive damage calculation is presented to the driver's insurer in a demand for compensation.

If the insurer refuses to offer fair compensation, your attorney files a lawsuit at the Chatsworth Courthouse and prepares for trial. Pedestrian cases often produce strong results at trial because juries are sympathetic to pedestrians struck by negligent drivers.

Time Is Critical

Evidence in pedestrian accidents degrades quickly. Surveillance footage is overwritten. Witnesses forget details or move away. Physical evidence at the crash scene is cleaned up. The sooner you contact an attorney, the better your chances of building a strong case.

California's statute of limitations gives you two years to file a lawsuit, but waiting works against you. Contact a Granada Hills pedestrian accident attorney at L&F Brown as soon as possible. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we win. Contact our Granada Hills office for a free consultation.

Pedestrian Rights and Driver Duties in Granada Hills

California Vehicle Code Section 21950 requires drivers to yield the right of way to pedestrians in crosswalks, whether marked or unmarked. Drivers approaching a crosswalk must exercise due care and reduce speed or stop to allow pedestrians to cross safely. This duty applies at every intersection in Granada Hills, including along Balboa Blvd, Chatsworth St, Zelzah Ave, and Rinaldi St.

Even outside of crosswalks, drivers have a duty to exercise due care to avoid hitting pedestrians. If a driver was speeding, distracted by a phone, or failed to keep a proper lookout, they can be held liable for hitting a pedestrian regardless of where the pedestrian was crossing.

Pedestrian accident injuries are almost always severe because there is no barrier between the pedestrian and the vehicle. Fractures, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, internal organ injuries, and fatal injuries are common. Treatment at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills is typically just the beginning. Long-term rehabilitation, assistive devices, home modifications, and ongoing medical care can generate costs that extend years into the future.

California's comparative fault rules apply to pedestrian cases. If the pedestrian was crossing against a signal or outside a crosswalk, the driver's insurance company will argue that the pedestrian was partially at fault. Even with partial fault, the pedestrian can still recover damages, just reduced by their percentage of fault. An attorney experienced in pedestrian cases can minimize unfair fault assignments and maximize your recovery through negotiation or litigation at Chatsworth Courthouse.

Reach out to a Granada Hills injury lawyer at L&F Brown today. We offer free consultations for pedestrian accident victims and work on contingency, meaning you owe nothing unless we secure compensation on your behalf.