Best Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Santa Monica

Santa Monica city officials are constantly looking for ways to make pedestrians safer and have the ultimate goal for it one of the most pedestrian-friendly cities in Southern California. However, despite these valiant efforts, pedestrian accidents are all too common. In the event individuals are involved in an accident, working with a Santa Monica pedestrian accident lawyer would greatly work in their favor.

Santa Monica is an incredible place to visit, work and live, with perfect year-round weather and a plethora of things to see and do. Thanks to this, many residents and tourists alike prefer to spend their time walking instead of driving and looking for parking.

According to a report from the California Office of Traffic Safety, the City of Santa Monica ranked first for pedestrian accidents out of 102 California cities of similar size. We see pedestrian accidents that involve DoorDash drivers, tow trucks, UPS Trucks, and even instances where motorcycles hit a person walking.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a Santa Monica pedestrian accident, contact the best personal injury lawyers in Santa Monica here at the Law Offices of Daniel Kim today.

Why Contact a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Santa Monica?

Daniel Kim is a Santa Monica personal injury attorney with a proven track record of taking care of clients and winning cases. When you hire the Law Offices of Daniel Kim to represent you, you will not pay any fees unless we win your case. That’s how confident we are in our abilities.

Insurance companies do not like to pay out big money for injury settlements when their customers are at fault.

The good thing is Daniel Kim is very aware of how the insurance companies work (and the games they play to deny or minimize any claim they can) and he is not intimidated by these big corporations. You always have to be cautious when talking to an insurance adjuster because they can easily twist your words and later use them against you.

Insurance companies do have processes they follow to determine who is at fault for an accident, and many times an injury settlement can take some time to settle if you don’t hire a top Santa Monica pedestrian accident lawyer like Daniel Kim.

Our law firm has well over 1,000 positive reviews from satisfied clients on Facebook, Google, and Yelp, and will negotiate with the insurance companies aggressively to get you the maximum compensation possible.

We really hope we never need the help of a Santa Monica pedestrian accident lawyer, but if you do, you can get the help you need by calling Daniel Kim. We give each case the attention it deserves and are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to answer any questions or concerns you might have.

Practice Areas We Specialize In

At The Law Offices of Daniel Kim, our pedestrian accident lawyers in Santa Monica exclusively handle motor vehicle accident cases. This sets us apart from other law firms that take any case just to make a quick dollar. Our outstanding attorneys focus on motor vehicle accidents. This allows us to offer the best service to our clients who want real experience and knowledge.

Car Accidents – This can involve any type of crash from an Uber wreck, to maybe a teenage driver hitting you, or maybe an old lady ran a red light and rear-ended your car. Call us for any automotive-related accident. 

Motorcycle Accidents – As we all know, riding a motorcycle is very dangerous, and almost all motorcycle accidents lead to severe injuries.

Truck Accidents – there are actually quite a few semi-truck accidents in the area, but our law firm knows what needs to be done to protect your legal rights.

Bike Accidents – Bike accidents always lead to a serious injury, even if you are wearing a helmet. Broken bones and road rash are common in bike accidents.

Uber Accidents – Uber and Lyft have become so popular that sometimes it seems like every other car on the road is an Uber or Lyft driver.  Uber has a unique commercial insurance policy. Uber passengers and other cars who were hit by an Uber driver can file a claim.

Car Accident Lawyer Daniel Kim – 다니엘김 교통사고 변호사
Address: 600 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 500, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Phone: (213) 839-3442

Common Types of Santa Monica Pedestrian Accidents

Any accident involving motor vehicles and pedestrians can be devastating, causing catastrophic injuries and in some cases, even death.

Situations that are common for pedestrian accidents include:

• Crosswalk accidents – Unfortunately, pedestrians can often be lulled into a false sense of safety when crossing at a pedestrian crossing.
• Hit and run – Quite often, when a driver is under the influence of alcohol, doesn’t have a licensed registration or insurance, and flees the accident scene. This is highly illegal and all get the driver in significantly more trouble when they are found and prosecuted.
• Speeding cars – Always the leading cause of all accidents, but can be especially harmful to pedestrians when struck at high speed.
• Back up accidents – Often when people are backing up out of a driveway or parking space they do not see pedestrians. Conversely, many pedestrians walk through parking lots and the like without paying attention to the motor vehicles around them.
• Intersection accidents – This commonly occurs when a vehicle is turning at an intersection or cross street and the driver does not notice people walking. This is especially common with trucks and large delivery vehicles whose line of vision is reduced.

Common Injuries From a Pedestrian Accident

When a car or truck collides with a pedestrian, there are bound to be injuries. Usually, the bigger the vehicle, the worse the trauma. Vehicle speed, age of the pedestrian, and their general health are also things that will play a role in the seriousness of injuries sustained.

Although each accident is unique, some injuries are more common than others, such as:

• Head trauma – Brain injuries such as TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) can take months or even years to overcome.
• Neck injuries – Whiplash, neck strain, and disc problems are some of the most common complaints after being in any motor vehicle involved in an accident.
• Lacerations – Pedestrians being struck by a car or truck often receive cuts that could require immediate medical attention and stitches.
• Broken bones – Possibly the most common injury reported after a pedestrian accident. Broken wrists, ankles, collarbones, and noses are especially prevalent.
• Soft tissue injuries – These types of injuries can take a long time to heal and have a profound effect on the victim for the rest of their lives.
• Back and spine injuries – Even the smallest back injury can be life-changing. Bugling discs, lumbar trauma, and cervical spine damage can even require surgery and take a very long time to fully recover from.

Pelvic injuries, loss of limbs, internal injuries, and death are also all widely reported when it comes to Santa Monica pedestrian accidents.

No matter how serious you think your injuries may or may not be, getting evaluated by a medical professional right after your accident is crucial and could be the difference between both a successful recovery and a winning case.

How Much Is My Pedestrian Accident Settlement Worth?

If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident involving an electric bike, car, truck, or other motor vehicles, you should be entitled to receive compensation for injuries you have suffered, as well as current and future medical bills.

Loss of wages, loss of future earnings, and pain and suffering are also things we could pursue in your case.

It is vitally important that you choose an expert personal injury attorney like Daniel Kim who has years of experience in pedestrian accident cases and knows how to effectively work with the complex legal system and insurance companies.

We will attempt to determine the percentage that the other driver or drivers were at fault and start to formulate a plan.

Every case is different and unique, and monetary numbers will likely change as we progress depending on escalating medical bills, recommendations for future care, and time of work.

No matter what, when you hire Santa Monica pedestrian accident lawyer, Daniel Kim, you can rest assured that they will be fighting all the way to make sure you get the maximum compensation possible.

California Pedestrian Laws and “The Right of Way”

A pedestrian is defined as someone that is on foot but can also mean a person on a skateboard, roller skates, but not a bicycle. It can also be a person using a wheelchair for transportation.

According to CVC 21950, drivers “shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection.”

We all know that there are certain laws one must follow when operating a motor vehicle, but as a pedestrian, you also have laws you need to follow. For example, pedestrians are not legally allowed to walk out into the street without a crosswalk, also known as “Jay Walking.”

California Vehicle Code 21954(a) clearly states that “Every pedestrian upon a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway so near as to constitute an immediate hazard.”

Pedestrians should not stop or delay traffic, and should never leave the relative safety of the curb and run the risk of a vehicle hitting them. Never run into traffic, and always use common sense. Pedestrians, including those who have handicaps, have a responsibility to act safely when they want to cross a road, street, or at any intersection.

The California Vehicle Code does give any blind pedestrian with a white car or service dog the right of way. The CVC also forbids anyone other than the blind from carrying a white cane.

Santa Monica Pedestrian Accident Statistics

A report released by the Santa Monica Police Department in 2017 says that there were 9 pedestrian deaths reported in the city and that pedestrian and bicycle accidents account for approximately two-thirds of all severe injuries and deaths sustained in Santa Monica traffic accidents.

In California, pedestrians make up a quarter of all roadway deaths, although the total fell slightly last year. In the first half of 2018, there were 432 pedestrians killed on California roads.

The NHTSA reported that in 2017, there were 5,977 pedestrians killed in traffic accidents in the United States, which is a 1.7% decrease from the previous year.

Various factors are cited for pedestrian-involved accidents, including the rising use of smartphones, and dense population growth.

Staying alert while you are walking will help you stay out of harm’s way. If you really need to text, call an Uber or check your social media accounts, stop for a moment and find a safe spot away from the road.

And keep an eye out for Lime, Bird, and Jump scooters on the ground. They are everywhere in Santa Monica.

Most Dangerous Roads and Intersections in Santa Monica

According to reports from the Santa Monica Police Department, the most dangerous streets and intersections in the city include:

• 4th St and Wilshire Blvd
• 2nd St and Colorado Ave
• 4th St and Broadway
• 11th St and Pearl St
• Main St and Pier Ave
• Colorado Blvd and Ocean Ave
• Main St and Ocean Park Blvd
• 4th St and Santa Monica Blvd
• Lincoln Blvd and Pico Blvd
• Pacific Coast Hwy and California Incline
• 28th St and Pico Blvd
• 17th St and Pico Blvd

If you have any questions regarding a pedestrian accident in Santa Monica, contact The Law Offices of Daniel Kim today for a free consultation.

We also serve the following Los Angeles County cities from our Los Angeles office: Agoura Hills, Alhambra, Bell, Bell Gardens, Beverly Hills, Bradbury, Burbank, Calabasas, Commerce, Cudahy, Culver City, El Segundo, Glendale, Hidden Hills, Huntington Park, Inglewood, La Cañada Flintridge, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Maywood, Monrovia, Montebello, Monterey Park, Pasadena, Rosemead, San Fernando, San Gabriel, San Marino, Santa Clarita, Santa Monica, Sierra Madre, South Gate, South Pasadena, Temple City, Vernon, West Hollywood, Westlake Village.