Do I Need a Lawyer After a Pedestrian Accident in Van Nuys?
If you were hit by a car, truck, or SUV while walking in Van Nuys, the short answer is yes, you almost certainly need a lawyer. Pedestrian accidents are among the most serious personal injury cases we handle, and the insurance process that follows is stacked against you from the start.
Van Nuys is not a pedestrian-friendly area. Despite the number of people who walk to work, to bus stops, to Brent's Deli, and through the Van Nuys Civic Center area, the streets here were designed for vehicle throughput, not pedestrian safety. Van Nuys Blvd carries heavy traffic through commercial zones where people cross between businesses. Sherman Way has wide lanes, fast-moving traffic, and crosswalks that drivers routinely ignore. The 405 Freeway on-ramps and off-ramps create dangerous crossing points where drivers are accelerating or decelerating and focused on merging, not on pedestrians.
The result is that pedestrian accidents in Van Nuys tend to produce catastrophic injuries. When a 4,000-pound vehicle strikes a human body at 35 or 40 mph, the human body loses. Every time.
Why Pedestrian Injuries Are So Severe
A pedestrian has no protection. No seatbelt, no airbag, no metal frame absorbing energy. The initial vehicle impact typically strikes the lower body, breaking the legs, knees, or pelvis. The pedestrian's upper body then strikes the hood or windshield, causing head injuries, spinal injuries, and broken arms. If the pedestrian is thrown to the ground, secondary impacts cause additional fractures, road rash, and traumatic brain injuries.
Emergency treatment at Valley Presbyterian Hospital on Vanowen Street is often just the beginning. Pedestrian accident victims frequently require multiple surgeries, extended hospitalization, and months or years of rehabilitation. Traumatic brain injuries can cause permanent cognitive deficits. Spinal cord injuries can result in partial or complete paralysis. Pelvic fractures can require surgical hardware and leave the victim with a permanent limp. The medical bills for serious pedestrian accidents routinely reach six figures, and the long-term costs can be far higher.
The Insurance Company Will Not Look Out for You
After a pedestrian accident, the at-fault driver's insurance company will contact you. Their adjuster will sound concerned and helpful. They will ask about your injuries, your treatment, and how you are feeling. Everything they say and ask is designed to gather information that can be used to minimize your claim.
If you tell them you are feeling better, that goes in your file. If you agree to a recorded statement before your doctors have finished evaluating you, the insurer uses your own words to argue your injuries are less severe than claimed. If they offer a quick settlement while you are still in the hospital or early in your recovery, that offer will be a fraction of what your case is actually worth. They know you are in pain, stressed, and worried about bills. They are counting on that pressure to make you accept less than you deserve.
With a lawyer, this changes. All communication goes through your attorney. No more direct contact from the adjuster. No more recorded statements. No more pressure to settle before you understand the full scope of your injuries.
California Law Protects Pedestrians
California Vehicle Code Section 21950 requires drivers to yield the right of way to pedestrians in marked and unmarked crosswalks. Drivers approaching a pedestrian in a crosswalk must slow down and, if necessary, stop to allow the pedestrian to cross safely. Violations of this law constitute negligence per se, meaning the driver is automatically considered negligent for purposes of your injury claim.
Even if you were crossing outside of a crosswalk, you may still have a strong case. California's comparative fault system means you can recover damages even if you were partially at fault. If a jury finds you 20% responsible and the driver 80% responsible, you recover 80% of your total damages. The insurance company will always try to push your fault percentage higher. An attorney's job is to push it lower.
What You Should Do Immediately
Get medical treatment. If you have not been fully evaluated, go to Valley Presbyterian Hospital or have someone take you. Do not wait. Delayed medical treatment creates gaps that the insurance company will exploit.
File a police report. Pedestrian accidents on Van Nuys Blvd, Sherman Way, and other city streets are handled by the LAPD. Make sure a report is filed. If you were hit near the 405 on-ramps or off-ramps, CHP may also be involved. The police report is a critical piece of evidence.
Document your injuries and the scene. Take photographs of your injuries, the location where you were hit, traffic signals, crosswalk markings, and any damage to the vehicle that struck you. If there are witnesses, get their contact information.
Do not give a recorded statement to the driver's insurance company. You are under no obligation to do so, and it will almost certainly be used against you. Tell them your attorney will be in contact.
Contact an attorney as soon as possible. Traffic camera footage from Van Nuys Blvd intersections and the Van Nuys Civic Center area is overwritten regularly. Witness memories fade quickly. Physical evidence at the scene, such as skid marks, is removed by traffic and weather. The sooner your attorney begins preserving evidence, the stronger your case will be.
Compensation for Pedestrian Accident Victims
Pedestrian accident victims in Van Nuys can recover compensation for all medical expenses including emergency care, surgery, hospitalization, and rehabilitation. Lost wages for time missed from work during recovery. Future medical costs if your injuries require ongoing treatment. Diminished earning capacity if your injuries permanently affect your ability to work. Pain and suffering, which encompasses physical pain, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and the impact on your relationships and daily activities.
Because pedestrian injuries are typically severe, the compensation in these cases tends to be substantial when the case is properly built and presented. Cases involving traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, or permanent disability have produced recoveries well into six and seven figures at the Van Nuys Courthouse on Sylmar Ave.
Why You Cannot Afford to Wait
The statute of limitations for personal injury cases in California is two years from the date of the accident. But the practical deadline is much sooner. Evidence disappears daily. Medical records need to be preserved and organized. Expert witnesses need to be retained. The insurance company is building its case against you right now. You should be building yours.
A Van Nuys pedestrian accident lawyer can take the burden of the legal process off your shoulders while you focus on healing. The consultation is free, and we work on contingency, meaning you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
If you or a family member was hit by a vehicle while walking in Van Nuys, contact our Van Nuys personal injury team today. We are ready to listen to what happened and explain your options.
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