Who Is Liable for a Pedestrian Accident in Agoura Hills?

Curt Brown, Esq. — Founding Partner

Local Agoura Hills Injury Attorney · UCLA Law

Curt Brown is a founding partner at L&F Brown. He grew up in Thousand Oaks, just east of Agoura Hills along the 101, attended Thousand Oaks High School, graduated from UCLA Law School, and has spent his career representing injured residents throughout the Conejo Valley.

When a pedestrian is hit by a vehicle in Agoura Hills, determining who is legally liable depends on the specific circumstances of the incident. In most cases, the driver who struck the pedestrian bears primary or full liability. But in some situations, other parties, including government agencies and property owners, may share responsibility.

The Driver's Duty of Care to Pedestrians

California Vehicle Code imposes a duty on all drivers to exercise reasonable care for the safety of pedestrians. Specific duties include yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks, both marked and unmarked, exercising heightened care near schools, parks, and pedestrian zones, and reducing speed and vigilance when pedestrians are visible near the roadway.

In Agoura Hills, drivers on Agoura Road near Whizin's Market Square and other commercial areas, in the Old Agoura neighborhood, and along the Cornell Road corridor are expected to watch for pedestrian activity. A driver who fails to yield, is distracted by a phone, runs a red light, or otherwise fails to exercise care and strikes a pedestrian is liable for resulting injuries.

Government Entities and Road Design

If dangerous road or crosswalk design contributed to the pedestrian accident, a government agency may share liability. Examples include inadequate lighting at a crosswalk on Agoura Road, missing or faded crosswalk markings, failure to install pedestrian signals at a high-traffic intersection, or poor sight lines at a dangerous intersection. Claims against LA County, the City of Agoura Hills, or Caltrans must follow the Government Claims Act, which requires filing a tort claim within six months of the accident.

Property Owners

If a pedestrian was hit in a private parking lot or on private property near a business on the Agoura Road corridor, the property owner may share liability if they created or allowed dangerous conditions that contributed to the incident, such as insufficient lighting or inadequate pedestrian pathways that forced pedestrians into vehicle traffic lanes.

Employers

If the driver who struck the pedestrian was operating a vehicle in the course of their employment at the time of the crash, their employer can be held vicariously liable under respondeat superior. This is particularly relevant for delivery drivers, commercial truck drivers, and employees using company vehicles on Agoura Road or other Agoura Hills streets.

Comparative Fault and the Pedestrian's Role

California's comparative fault system can reduce a pedestrian victim's recovery if they were partially at fault, for example, by jaywalking or crossing against a signal. However, drivers frequently bear the greater share of fault even when a pedestrian made an error, because drivers have a duty to be alert and can often avoid striking a pedestrian with reasonable care.

Evidence to establish liability includes the LASD Lost Hills Station or CHP accident report, surveillance footage from businesses near the crash site, witness statements, and accident reconstruction if necessary.

Work with an experienced Agoura Hills pedestrian accident lawyer to identify all liable parties and pursue full compensation. Cases are handled in LA County through the Chatsworth Courthouse. If you were treated at Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, those records will be central to your damages case.

Visit our Agoura Hills personal injury page to contact L&F Brown for a free consultation.