Santa Monica Crosswalk Accident Lawyer

Were you injured in a crosswalk accident in Santa Monica, CA?

At Cohen Injury Law Group, we represent injured pedestrians who need to understand their rights after a crosswalk accident in Santa Monica, CA.

If you were injured in a crosswalk accident in Santa Monica, our Santa Monica, CA crosswalk accident lawyer can prove the driver failed to yield. Cohen Injury Law Group represents pedestrians on contingency and answers the fault arguments insurers raise in these claims. Request a no-obligation case review today.

Crosswalk Accident Lawyer Santa Monica, CA

A crosswalk accident is a type of pedestrian accident in which a vehicle strikes a person crossing at an intersection or a marked crossing. Many involve drivers turning across the crosswalk. Others involve drivers who pass a vehicle stopped for a pedestrian and strike the person it was waiting for.

In 2023, OTS crash rankings recorded 62 pedestrians killed or injured in Santa Monica. That placed the city third among 103 California cities of comparable size. Santa Monica also ranked third in that group for injuries to pedestrians age 65 and older.

Types of Crosswalk Accident Cases We Handle in Santa Monica

Crosswalk collisions follow several patterns. These patterns affect which records prove fault and who may share responsibility. Our Santa Monica crosswalk accident lawyer handles the following claims.

• Hit-and-run pedestrian accidents. A driver who leaves the scene leaves the pedestrian without the driver’s insurance information. We search for video and witnesses to identify the vehicle and review your own policy for coverage.
• Drunk driving pedestrian accidents. Impaired drivers react slowly to a walk signal and to people already in the crosswalk. The arrest report and test results become part of the civil claim.
• Intersection crashes. A collision between two vehicles can push one of them into pedestrians waiting at the corner or crossing the street. We identify each driver whose conduct contributed.
• Bus and public transit accidents. Buses make wide turns through crosswalks near stops and transit centers. Claims involving a public agency carry shorter filing deadlines.
• Distracted driving. A driver looking at a phone may not see a pedestrian stepping off the curb on a walk signal. Phone records can establish what the driver was doing at the time of impact.
• Speeding. Higher speed shortens the distance a driver needs to stop and increases the force of impact. Vehicle data and video help establish how fast the driver approached the crossing.
• Brain injuries. Pedestrians often strike the hood, windshield, or pavement. We coordinate with your treating physicians to document concussions and traumatic brain injuries.
• Wrongful death. When a crosswalk collision is fatal, surviving family members may pursue a claim for their losses. We handle these claims with attention to the family’s circumstances.

Why Choose Cohen Injury Law Group as My Crosswalk Accident Lawyer in Santa Monica, CA?

Legal Technology Applied to Pedestrian Claims

Managing Partner Nicholas E. Cohen brings a legal and business background that includes legal technology. He held a merit scholarship at Loyola Law School, where he placed fourth in his first-year class. He is a graduate of USC and comes from a family of trial lawyers. Our firm’s technology and data-driven approach helps assemble signal timing records, video, and phone data in crosswalk cases.

Contingency Representation for Injured Pedestrians

Insurers often argue that a pedestrian stepped out too quickly or was not paying attention. We respond with the signal phase, the driver’s line of sight, and the video record. Our clients retain a personal injury lawyer in Santa Monica, CA whose pedestrian practice addresses the fault arguments drivers raise after crosswalk collisions. We take these cases on contingency, with no upfront cost to you.

What Is Important to Understand About a Crosswalk Accident Case?

What Is the Crosswalk Accident Case Timeline?

A crosswalk claim begins with medical care and preserving evidence. Video from nearby businesses and city systems is often recorded over within weeks. We request it early and obtain the police report and witness statements.

Once your treatment stabilizes, we present the claim to the driver’s insurer with your medical records and bills. Negotiation follows. Many claims resolve at this stage.

If the claim does not resolve, we file suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court. CCP 335.1 generally allows two years from the date of injury. A signal malfunction or crosswalk design problem may involve the City of Santa Monica. Claims against a public entity carry a much shorter deadline.

What Are Important Aspects of a Crosswalk Accident Case?

Three issues appear in most crosswalk claims:

1. The signal phase at the moment of impact. Signal timing records show whether the pedestrian had a walk signal and how long it lasted. Many downtown intersections also give pedestrians a head start before vehicles receive a green light.
2. The pedestrian’s conduct. Under California’s comparative fault rule, a pedestrian found partly responsible can still recover. The recovery is reduced by that percentage. Insurers raise phone use, dark clothing, or crossing late in the signal to increase it.
3. The available insurance. The driver’s liability policy is the primary source of compensation. Your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage may also apply when you are struck as a pedestrian.

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Crosswalk Accident Cases

Civil Code 1714 requires drivers, like everyone else, to use ordinary care. A driver who fails to do so is responsible for the resulting injuries. Civil Code 3333 allows recovery for all harm that failure caused. For an injured pedestrian, that recovery can include:

• Medical expenses. Emergency care, surgery for fractures, rehabilitation, and treatment for head injuries.
• Lost income. Wages lost while you heal, and lower earning capacity after a permanent injury.
• Non-economic damages. Physical pain, emotional distress, and lost ability to walk, work, or live as before.

What Should You Bring to Your Crosswalk Accident Consultation?

The following items help our attorneys evaluate fault and coverage at the first meeting:

• The Santa Monica Police Department report number, if an officer responded.
• Photographs of the crosswalk, the signal, and your injuries.
• The names of witnesses and of businesses facing the intersection.
• Medical records and bills from every provider you have seen.
• Your auto insurance policy, including uninsured motorist coverage.

We review how the crossing occurred and what evidence remains available. You receive our view of the claim at the end of the meeting.

Most Dangerous Locations for Crosswalk Accidents in Santa Monica, CA

The City of Santa Monica has identified dangerous intersections and corridors through its Local Roadway Safety Plan. Pedestrian risk is highest where heavy foot traffic meets turning vehicles.

Streets:

• Santa Monica Boulevard. The City identified this corridor as a high-priority corridor after severe injuries and a fatality over ten years. Planned improvements include new crosswalk markings and curb extensions.
• Wilshire Boulevard. The City conducted a dedicated safety study of this corridor. Left-turning vehicles cross busy crosswalks at many of its intersections.
• Ocean Avenue and Colorado Avenue. These downtown streets carry tourist traffic near the Pier and the Third Street Promenade. Pedestrians cross in large groups at all-way scramble signals.
• Lincoln Boulevard. This north-south route carries heavy commuter and commercial traffic. Turning vehicles meet pedestrians at its cross streets.

Highways:

• Pacific Coast Highway. Beach visitors cross near parking areas and the McClure Tunnel. Vehicles on PCH travel faster than on surrounding city streets.
• Interstate 10 (Santa Monica Freeway). Off-ramps end at surface streets near downtown. Drivers leaving the freeway meet pedestrians in crosswalks within a short distance.

Reach Out to Cohen Injury Law Group to Schedule a Consultation

Cohen Injury Law Group represents pedestrians injured throughout Santa Monica. We only get paid if you recover. The case review covers the crossing, the signal, and available insurance. To arrange a complimentary case review with our Santa Monica crosswalk accident lawyer, please contact us.