A Pasadena pedestrian accident lawyer can protect your rights when a driver, dangerous road conditions, or another party causes serious harm.
The Law Offices of Pius Joseph represents pedestrians hurt in Pasadena and across the San Gabriel Valley in car accidents. We help injured people and their families understand a pedestrian accident claim, gather evidence, deal with insurance companies, and pursue compensation allowed by California law. Whether you were hit in a marked crosswalk, an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, a parking lot, or along a busy corridor such as Colorado Boulevard or Lake Avenue, early legal guidance can help preserve important evidence.
Our Pasadena pedestrian accident attorney team offers a free consultation in English or Spanish. You pay no attorney fee upfront, and our fee is collected only if we secure compensation for you.
Who Is Liable in a Pasadena Pedestrian Accident
Liability depends on who failed to use reasonable care and how that conduct caused the pedestrian accident. A driver is often the primary liable party, but a complete investigation may identify more than one responsible person or entity.
- A negligent driver. A motorist may be responsible for failing to yield, distracted driving, speeding, an unsafe turn, running a red light or stop sign, driving while impaired, or leaving the accident scene.
- A vehicle owner or employer. Depending on the facts, a separate person or business may share responsibility for a driver’s conduct or for placing an unsafe vehicle on the road.
- A public entity. California Government Code section 835 may apply when a dangerous condition of public property contributed to the injury, but these cases have special requirements and defenses. Examples may involve a hazardous crossing design, malfunctioning signal, or visibility condition; the absence of a sign or signal alone does not automatically establish liability.
- Another third party. A contractor, property owner, rideshare company, delivery company, or other party may be involved when its conduct contributed to the collision.
Insurance representatives may focus quickly on the pedestrian’s actions or seek a recorded statement before all evidence is available. A pedestrian accident attorney can investigate all potentially liable parties and handle your claim based on the full record rather than an early assumption.
California Pedestrian Right-of-Way Laws
California Vehicle Code section 21950 is central to understanding pedestrian laws in Pasadena. It requires drivers to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians crossing within a marked crosswalk or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. A driver approaching a pedestrian in either type of crosswalk must exercise due care, reduce speed, and take any other action reasonably necessary to protect the pedestrian.
The law also requires pedestrians to exercise reasonable care for their own safety. A pedestrian should not suddenly leave a curb or another place of safety and enter the path of a vehicle that is close enough to create an immediate hazard. Pedestrians also should not unnecessarily stop or delay traffic while in a crosswalk. However, these responsibilities do not eliminate a driver’s continuing duty to use due care.
Questions involving crosswalks and the right-of-way are often fact-specific. Relevant considerations may include signal timing, sight distance, lighting conditions, vehicle speed, direction of travel, and the location of each person before and during the incident.
California follows pure comparative negligence. This means a pedestrian who was partly at fault is not automatically barred from recovering damages. Instead, an award may be reduced according to the percentage of fault assigned to that person.
