You were on foot. You had the right of way, or you were simply crossing where thousands of people cross every day. Then, a driver who was not paying attention changed everything. Pedestrian accidents in Riverside produce some of the most serious injuries in personal injury law, and the financial pressure that follows, from emergency care to lost income to ongoing treatment, arrives fast. Pedram Law, PC represents injured pedestrians throughout Riverside County. There are no upfront fees. You pay nothing unless we win.
Pedestrian Accidents in Riverside Happen at Predictable Locations
A pedestrian accident occurs when a motor vehicle strikes a person on foot, and under California Vehicle Code Section 21950, drivers are required to yield the right of way to pedestrians in marked crosswalks and at intersections. According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, pedestrian fatalities accounted for more than 1,000 deaths statewide in 2023, and Riverside County consistently ranks among the most dangerous regions in California for people on foot. The intersections and corridors around Downtown Riverside, particularly along University Avenue and the heavily trafficked surface streets near the UC Riverside campus area, generate consistent pedestrian conflict with vehicle traffic. Drivers who are distracted, speeding, impaired, or simply inattentive bear legal responsibility when that failure results in a pedestrian being struck.
Common causes of pedestrian accidents in Riverside include failure to yield at crosswalks, right-turn-on-red violations, speeding through residential intersections, impaired driving, distracted driving, and drivers making left turns across pedestrian paths without checking. Road design failures, including missing crosswalk markings, inadequate lighting, and defective traffic signals, can also create liability against government entities when a public road condition contributed to the crash.
California Laws That Protect Injured Pedestrians
California Vehicle Code Section 21950 requires drivers to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians crossing in marked or unmarked crosswalks at intersections. Violation of this statute is direct evidence of negligence. Under the California Freedom to Walk Act, Assembly Bill 2147, which took effect January 1, 2023, pedestrians may legally cross outside of marked crosswalks when it is safe to do so and no immediate hazard is present. A pedestrian crossing mid-block is not automatically at fault for a collision. The driver’s failure to observe and yield to a person in the roadway remains a breach of duty regardless of where the crossing occurred.
California follows a pure comparative fault system. If you are found partially responsible for the accident, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault, not eliminated. If your case is worth $750,000 and you are found 20% at fault for crossing outside a marked crosswalk, you still recover $600,000. Insurance companies consistently overstate pedestrian fault to reduce payouts. Seriously injured pedestrians working through this process benefit most from connecting early with an experienced personal injury attorney who can document what the evidence actually shows before the insurer builds its narrative.
Under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1, you have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. If the accident involved a government vehicle, a public bus, a defective traffic signal, or a road condition on a public street, the California Government Claims Act imposes a six-month administrative claim deadline from the date of injury. Missing that deadline extinguishes your right to sue a government defendant entirely. If a Riverside Transit Agency vehicle or a city-maintained road defect played any role in your accident, call immediately.
Injuries Pedestrians Sustain Are Rarely Minor
When a vehicle traveling at even moderate urban speeds strikes a person on foot, the injuries are severe. Pedestrians have no structural protection. Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, pelvic fractures, internal organ injuries, and lower extremity crush injuries are among the most common outcomes in pedestrian-versus-vehicle collisions. Fatalities occur at a rate no other collision type approaches. Those who survive often face extended hospitalization, multiple surgeries, and rehabilitation measured in months or years.
The economic consequences compound quickly. Emergency room costs, specialist care, surgical fees, inpatient rehabilitation, physical and occupational therapy, medical equipment, and lost income during recovery can collectively reach hundreds of thousands of dollars in a serious case. Where injuries are permanent, future medical costs, reduced earning capacity, and long-term care needs add substantially to the total. The compensation available in a pedestrian accident claim covers all of it: current and future medical costs, lost wages and earning capacity, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and property damage where applicable.
Immigration status does not affect your right to file a personal injury claim in California. State law prohibits using immigration status against a claimant in civil litigation. Pedram Law serves injured pedestrians across Riverside regardless of documentation status.
What to Do After a Pedestrian Accident in Riverside
- Call 911 immediately. Do not move if you may have sustained a spinal or head injury. A police report documents the scene, the parties, and the officer’s initial observations about what happened.
- Seek emergency medical care the same day, even if your injuries feel manageable at the scene. Adrenaline suppresses pain. Spinal injuries, internal bleeding, and traumatic brain injuries frequently do not reach full symptom severity for 24 to 72 hours. The emergency room record from the day of the accident is your first and most important piece of medical evidence.
- Photograph the scene before anything is moved: the crosswalk or crossing location, traffic signals and signage, the vehicle, its position, skid marks, road conditions, and your visible injuries.
- Collect the driver’s name, license, insurance information, and plate number. Identify and collect contact information from any witnesses before they leave.
- Do not give a recorded statement to any insurance company before speaking with an attorney. Do not describe how you were crossing, your speed, or your awareness of the vehicle without counsel.
- Preserve your clothing and footwear from the day of the accident. Do not wash or discard them. They may contain physical evidence of impact and the vehicle’s involvement.
- Document every medical appointment, every day of missed work, and every out-of-pocket cost from the day of the accident forward.
- Contact Pedram Law before the driver’s insurer calls back.
Legal Tip from the attorneys at Pedram Law, PC: Surveillance footage from businesses, traffic cameras, and residential cameras near the collision site may capture exactly what happened. Most systems overwrite footage on a 30 to 90 day cycle. An attorney can send a preservation demand within days of the accident to prevent that footage from being deleted. If you wait weeks to contact an attorney, the best evidence in your case may already be gone.
What Insurance Companies Do to Pedestrian Accident Victims
The driver’s insurer will often make early contact after a serious pedestrian accident. That contact is a strategy, not a courtesy. They are attempting to obtain a recorded statement before you have completed medical treatment, spoken with an attorney, or understood the full extent of your injuries. Everything in that statement is documented and can be used to minimize what they pay you.
Specific phrases that create problems if used before your case is fully developed:
“I wasn’t paying attention to the signal,” said about your own awareness at the time of the crossing is treated as an admission of comparative fault. Let the physical evidence and traffic engineering establish what the signal showed.
“I’m doing okay” or “the injuries aren’t that serious,” said in the first days after a crash, before imaging results are back or specialist evaluations are complete, is cited throughout the life of the case to argue your injuries were minor or resolved quickly.
“I was jaywalking,” said without context, handing the insurer a comparative fault argument they will use aggressively. The Freedom to Walk Act changed what crossing mid-block means legally. Crossing outside a marked crosswalk is not the same as being at fault for the accident.
Do not accept any settlement offer before your medical treatment is complete and your prognosis is confirmed. An early offer is calculated to close the file cheaply before the full cost of your injuries is known. Once you sign a release, it is final. You cannot reopen the claim if surgery is later required or if your recovery takes longer than projected.
California law requires insurers to offer uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. If the driver who struck you had no insurance or carried a policy insufficient to cover your damages, your own UM/UIM policy may be the primary source of compensation. Hit-and-run pedestrian accidents are typically covered under UM policies. Even a claim against your own insurer can be disputed. Pedram Law handles pedestrian accident claims involving uninsured drivers and hit-and-run scenarios throughout Riverside County.
Frequently Asked Questions: Riverside Pedestrian Accident Claims
I was not in a crosswalk when I was hit. Can I still file a claim?
Yes. Under the California Freedom to Walk Act, AB 2147, pedestrians may legally cross outside marked crosswalks when it is safe to do so and no immediate hazard is present. A driver who strikes a pedestrian outside a crosswalk may still be fully or primarily at fault under California’s duty-of-care standards. California’s pure comparative fault rule means your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault, not eliminated. Do not assume that crossing outside a crosswalk ends your claim before speaking with an attorney.
How long do I have to file a pedestrian accident lawsuit in Riverside?
Under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1, you have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. If a government entity is involved, including a Riverside Transit Agency vehicle, a defective traffic signal, or a road condition on a public street, the California Government Claims Act imposes a six-month administrative claim deadline from the date of injury. The six-month window is easy to miss during recovery. Contact Pedram Law as soon as possible to confirm which deadline applies to your situation.
The driver who hit me left the scene. What are my options?
Hit-and-run pedestrian accidents are typically covered under uninsured motorist coverage in your own auto policy if you have one. Even as a pedestrian, your UM coverage may apply. If a household member has auto insurance with UM coverage, that policy may also apply to your injuries. Pedram Law reviews every available coverage source immediately and identifies the path to compensation even when the at-fault driver cannot be identified or located.
A city-maintained traffic signal was broken at the intersection where I was hit. Can I sue the city?
Potentially yes. When a defective traffic signal, inadequate crosswalk markings, poor street lighting, or another road condition on a public street contributed to a pedestrian accident, the government entity responsible for maintaining that infrastructure may bear liability. However, the California Government Claims Act requires you to file an administrative claim within six months of the injury before you can sue a government defendant. This deadline is strict. Contact Pedram Law immediately if a road or signal condition played any role in your accident.
How are my medical bills handled while the case is pending?
Many pedestrian accident clients are treated under medical liens or letters of protection, which allow providers to defer payment until the case resolves rather than requiring upfront payment. Health insurance may also apply and can be coordinated with the lien process. At settlement, outstanding medical liens are satisfied from the recovery before net proceeds are distributed to you. Your attorney should walk through the full distribution structure before you sign a retainer, so there are no surprises at resolution.
I was undocumented when the accident happened. Can I still file a claim?
Yes. California law prohibits using immigration status against a claimant in a civil personal injury case. Your status does not affect your right to pursue compensation for your injuries. Pedram Law serves injured pedestrians across Riverside regardless of documentation status. The free case evaluation is confidential, and your immigration status plays no role in how your case is evaluated or handled.
What is the free case evaluation, and what happens during it?
The evaluation is a direct conversation with an attorney. You describe the accident, your injuries, and what has happened since. The attorney assesses liability, identifies the applicable deadlines, evaluates available coverage sources, and gives you a clear picture of your options. There is no charge and no obligation to retain the firm. Most people leave the call with a significantly clearer understanding of their situation and what steps to take next.
Attorney Nima Pedram and Attorney Silvia Gonzalez have recovered significant results for seriously injured clients throughout California, including a $1,000,000 settlement in a slip and fall case and a $500,000 settlement in a wrongful death case. Every pedestrian accident case is handled with full trial preparation from the first consultation. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Get your free case evaluation online or call (844) 344-4444 today. There are no fees unless we win.
Pedram Law, PC
11801 Pierce St., Suite 200
Riverside, CA 92505
(844) 344-4444
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship.
