When a driver hits someone on foot, the driver’s insurer almost always says the pedestrian “came out of nowhere” or “wasn’t in a crosswalk.” California law gives injured pedestrians more protection than those excuses suggest. An Orange County pedestrian accident lawyer from Glotzer & Leib LLP fights to hold drivers accountable and pursue the compensation you need to recover.
We serve injured pedestrians and families across the county from our Anaheim office. Call 747-241-8288 for a free consultation, any time of day or night.
Yes. California’s pure comparative negligence rule, adopted by the California Supreme Court in Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975), lets an injured pedestrian recover even if a jury finds the pedestrian shared the blame. Your compensation is reduced by your share of fault, but it isn’t eliminated.
So if a jury values your damages at $200,000 and assigns you 40% of the fault, you could still recover $120,000. Don’t let an adjuster convince you that crossing mid-block or stepping off the curb early means you have no case.
Since January 1, 2023, California’s Freedom To Walk Act has limited when police can cite pedestrians for crossing outside a crosswalk. Under Vehicle Code Section 21955, an officer generally can’t stop a pedestrian for that unless a reasonably careful person would realize there was an immediate danger of a collision.
Pedestrians still have a duty to use reasonable care. But the law no longer treats every mid-block crossing as a violation, and that weakens a defense insurers have relied on for years.
Pedestrian injuries are often severe, and the insurance fight starts before you’re out of the hospital. You need a firm that moves quickly and doesn’t back down.
Every case turns on its own facts, and we’ll tell you honestly where yours stands. Call 747-241-8288 to talk with us today.
Many people think a crosswalk only exists where there’s paint on the road. That’s not how California law works.
Under Vehicle Code Section 21950, drivers must yield to pedestrians crossing within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. In general, an unmarked crosswalk exists where sidewalk lines extend across the street at an intersection, whether or not stripes are painted there.
The same statute also asks pedestrians not to step suddenly into the path of a vehicle so close it can’t stop. We look at speed, sight lines, lighting, and timing to show whether the driver had a fair chance to see you and yield.
Pedestrian crashes tend to follow familiar patterns. Identifying the pattern often shows which traffic rule the driver broke.
When we can match a crash to one of these patterns, the insurer’s “came out of nowhere” story becomes much harder to sell.
Orange County combines dense city centers, wide arterial roads, and one of the busiest tourist districts in the country. Each creates its own pedestrian dangers.
Around Disneyland and the Anaheim Convention Center, heavy foot traffic meets drivers who don’t know the area. Rental cars, hotel shuttles, and rideshare drivers hunt for entrances and drop-off points while visitors cross with strollers, luggage, and kids.
Roads like Harbor Boulevard and Katella Avenue carry fast, multi-lane traffic past shops, bus stops, and apartments. Long distances between signals tempt people to cross mid-block, and drivers turning on green often fail to check the crosswalk.
Many pedestrian injuries happen off the street entirely. Drivers backing out of spaces or cutting across lots at malls and plazas hit people who assumed they were safe.
Some pedestrians face greater risk because of their age. These cases call for close attention to both liability and long-term damages.
Children are smaller, harder to see, and less able to judge traffic. Drivers must slow down in school zones and watch for children near schools, parks, and neighborhoods.
For most claims against private parties, the filing deadline for a child is paused until the child turns 18. Acting sooner still matters, because evidence and witnesses don’t wait.
Older adults often need more time to cross and can suffer more severe fractures and complications from a fall or impact. Signal timing, crosswalk visibility, and driver impatience at turns all play a role in these crashes.
Sometimes a dangerous road shares the blame. Crosswalks with poor visibility, signals that don’t give enough crossing time, broken streetlights, and missing sidewalks can all contribute to a pedestrian crash.
Claims against a city, the County of Orange, or another public entity follow a much tighter timeline. Under Government Code Section 911.2, a personal injury claim must be presented to the public entity within six months after the injury.
That’s far shorter than the usual two-year deadline for suing a private driver. If you think the road itself played any part, call us right away.
You may still have options through uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. Your own auto policy, or a policy held by a relative you live with, can often cover you as a pedestrian even though you weren’t in a car.
California’s minimum liability coverage is $30,000 per person, which can quickly exceed for serious pedestrian injuries. We review every policy that could apply, and in hit-and-run cases, we look for traffic cameras, business video, and witnesses who may help identify the driver.
Pedestrian cases often come down to seconds and feet: how fast the car was going, where you were, and whether the driver could have stopped. Evidence that answers those questions can fade quickly.
Many businesses record over their video within days or weeks. The sooner we start, the better our chances of getting footage that shows what really happened.
A pedestrian takes the full force of a vehicle with no protection. The injuries we see are life-altering:
When a pedestrian crash takes a life, surviving family members may have a wrongful death claim. We help families seek accountability and the resources they need to move forward.
Pedestrian injury lawsuits in Orange County are generally filed in Orange County Superior Court. Its Central Justice Center in Santa Ana handles unlimited civil cases for every city in the county, from Fullerton to San Clemente.
Most claims against private drivers must be filed within two years under Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1. Most cases settle, but we prepare every claim as though it could go to trial.
These are questions we often hear from people hit by a car in Orange County.
Get medical care first, even if you feel okay. If you can, get the driver’s information, take photos, and collect witness names. Then talk with a lawyer before giving a recorded statement to the driver’s insurer.
Not automatically. Fault depends on the facts, including right-of-way, speed, visibility, and what each person did. Even when a pedestrian shares some fault, California law still allows a partial recovery.
Yes. Drivers must use reasonable care in parking lots, too. The driver’s auto insurance usually applies, and the property owner may share responsibility if poor lighting or layout contributed.
Yes. If the crash happened in Orange County, the claim can proceed here even after you return home. Much of the work can be done by phone and video.
Your consultation with Glotzer & Leib LLP is free. We’ll explain how our fees work before you commit to anything.
There’s no standard amount. The value of a pedestrian claim depends on your medical costs, lost income, pain and suffering, any lasting disability, your share of fault, and the insurance available. Because pedestrian injuries are often severe, identifying every policy, including your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, can make a major difference.
Usually, yes. Your health insurance can pay for treatment while your injury claim is pending, and medical payments coverage on an auto policy may also help. Your health plan may ask to be repaid from a settlement, and we can often negotiate that repayment down so more of the recovery stays with you.
A pedestrian crash can upend your health, your work, and your family’s plans. Glotzer & Leib LLP will investigate what happened, protect your deadlines, and fight for the full compensation available under California law.
We’re available 24/7, and your consultation is free. Call 747-241-8288 to talk with an Orange County pedestrian accident lawyer.
GLOTZER & LEIB, LLP 1020 S Anaheim Blvd Ste 208, Anaheim, CA 92805
“Mr. Glotzer represented me after I was involved in a car accident. I was badly injured,but the insurance company refused to offer me a reasonable settlement. I decided to find an attorney and decided to hire Josh.
His law firm did a great job on my case. They were very responsive to all my questions and obtained a great resolution for me. I received way more money than was originally offered. I would recommend their firm to friends and family.”
“Mr. Josh Glotzer is a great attorney. Over the last 15 years he has helped me on a number of cases with professionalism, and more importantly a positive outcome in my favor. I have referred him to a number of friends and colleagues, all of which have been equally as happy with his legal representation. I trust him and confident in legal ability. I highly recommend his law firm.”
“Don’t try to deal with insurance companies on your own. They strung me along for almost two years before I gave the case to Glotzer & Leib. Josh and his team quickly obtained a settlement that netted me many times what the insurance company was offering. Thank You!”
“My wife was in a car accident last year and Josh did an amazing job representing her. It’s very refreshing to see someone in his profession that actually cares and puts his clients first. He’s the best in the business and I feel so fortunate that I was referred to him. Keep up the great work and thanks for everything you did for my family!”
“I was in a rear end car accident last year and hired Mr. Glotzer’s office. It wasn’t a big case but their office helped me with my property damage claim and did a good job resolving the injury portion of the case as well.”
