Orange County Motorcycle Accident Lawyer: Your Rights After a Crash
Riding a motorcycle in Orange County puts you on some of the most congested freeways in California, including the I-5 near Anaheim, the SR-91 through
Aspet Bianslaw
If you were struck by a vehicle while walking in Los Angeles, the moments immediately following the crash can feel overwhelming, with pain, confusion, traffic, and a driver who may be hostile or trying to minimize what happened. But what you do in the first 24 to 72 hours after a pedestrian accident in LA directly shapes your ability to recover compensation. This guide covers your rights under California law, the most dangerous pedestrian corridors in Los Angeles, what compensation you can pursue, and exactly how a skilled Los Angeles pedestrian accident lawyer can protect your claim from the first phone call.
California Vehicle Code § 21950 requires all drivers to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in marked and unmarked crosswalks. This applies whether you are crossing at a four-way signal, a mid-block crosswalk, or a parking lot entrance. Even outside a designated crosswalk, California law imposes a duty on every driver to exercise reasonable care to avoid hitting a person on foot. Violating that duty is negligence, and negligence is the foundation of your personal injury claim.
California also operates under a “pure comparative fault” system, which is one of the most plaintiff-friendly legal standards in the country. Under this system, even if you contributed to the accident—perhaps you were looking at your phone, crossing against the light, or walking outside the crosswalk—you can still recover compensation proportional to the other party’s share of fault. Insurance companies routinely and aggressively overstate a pedestrian’s comparative fault to reduce their payout. Without a Los Angeles pedestrian accident lawyer reviewing their assessment, you may accept a fault percentage that is far higher than what the evidence actually supports.
In cases where the at-fault driver was operating a government vehicle, a city utility truck, an LADOT vehicle, or even a postal service van, different rules apply. California’s Government Claims Act (Government Code § 910) shortens your filing deadline to six months for government defendants, regardless of the two-year personal injury statute of limitations. Identifying all applicable defendants and deadlines early is critical.
Los Angeles consistently ranks as one of the most dangerous major cities in California for pedestrians, and the danger is not evenly distributed. The Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s High Injury Network identifies specific corridors where the overwhelming majority of serious pedestrian crashes are concentrated:
If your crash occurred on one of these corridors, the city of Los Angeles itself may carry a share of liability alongside the driver. Municipalities can be held responsible for dangerous road design, missing crosswalks, malfunctioning traffic signals, and inadequate lighting. A pedestrian accident lawyer in Los Angeles will investigate whether a public entity’s failure to maintain safe infrastructure contributed to your injuries and if so, file the required government claim before the six-month deadline.
The evidence that determines the value of your case begins disappearing almost immediately. Traffic camera footage is typically overwritten within 48 to 72 hours. Tire skid marks wash away with the next rain. Witnesses scatter. Here is exactly what to do:
Once you have received medical attention, call Babaians Law Firm immediately. We will send a preservation letter to the transit authority or private driver’s insurer, subpoena traffic camera footage, and begin building your case while the evidence is still intact.
Pedestrians struck by motor vehicles regularly suffer some of the most serious injuries in the personal injury system; their bodies have no structural protection against an impacting vehicle. California law allows victims to pursue full economic and non-economic damages:
Serious pedestrian accidents involving significant medical treatment, permanent injury, or long-term disability regularly produce six- and seven-figure settlements in Los Angeles. The strength of the medical documentation and the speed of the evidence collection are the two factors that most determine the outcome.
California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1 sets the personal injury statute of limitations at two years from the date of the accident. For wrongful death claims, the two-year period runs from the date of death rather than the date of the accident. These deadlines are firm; courts rarely grant exceptions, and missing them means losing the right to sue permanently.
Critical exception: if the at-fault driver was a government employee operating an official vehicle, a city bus driver, a sanitation truck operator, or a parks department vehicle, the California Government Claims Act requires you to file an administrative claim with the responsible government agency within SIX MONTHS of the accident. This shorter window catches many unrepresented victims off guard. Contact Babaians Law Firm the moment you are medically able so we can identify all applicable deadlines.
At Babaians Law Firm, our personal injury team handles the entire case process so you can focus on healing. We pull traffic and business surveillance camera footage before it is overwritten, obtain the complete police report, coordinate with accident reconstruction specialists when fault is disputed, subpoena the at-fault driver’s phone records and vehicle black box data, and manage all communications with insurance adjusters and defense attorneys. We handle pedestrian accident cases on a contingency fee basis. There is no upfront cost and no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you. Every consultation is free and confidential.
Ready to Fight for Your Recovery? Schedule a Free Consultation Today.
If you or a loved one was injured as a pedestrian in Los Angeles, do not wait. Evidence disappears within days and filing deadlines are strict. Our Personal Injury Lawyer in Los Angeles at Babaians Law Firm are available now, ready to investigate your case, and prepared to fight for every dollar you deserve. There is no upfront cost and no fee unless we win. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation.
Call 911 and request police and medical services even if your injuries seem minor. Adrenaline masks pain, and injuries like traumatic brain injury and internal bleeding often do not present symptoms immediately. Document the scene with photographs, collect the driver’s information and witness contacts, go to the emergency room or urgent care the same day, and decline to give any recorded statement to the driver’s insurer. Then contact a Los Angeles pedestrian accident lawyer as soon as possible; traffic and business surveillance footage is typically overwritten within 48 to 72 hours, making fast action essential.
Settlement values depend heavily on the severity of your injuries, your total medical costs, your income losses, and how clearly liability can be established. Minor pedestrian accident cases with soft-tissue injuries and short treatment periods may settle in the $50,000 to $150,000 range. Cases involving fractures, surgeries, traumatic brain injury, spinal damage, or permanent disability regularly produce settlements between $500,000 and several million dollars. Cases against government entities with high insurance coverage can reach even higher. An attorney evaluation of your specific facts will give you the most accurate picture.
Yes. California’s pure comparative fault system means you can recover compensation even if you were partly responsible for the accident. Your total damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, not eliminated. If a jury finds you 25% at fault and awards $300,000 in total damages, you still recover $225,000. Insurance companies will push for the highest possible fault percentage on your part to minimize their payout; this is exactly why having an attorney to challenge those calculations is so important.
The timeline depends on the complexity of your case and the severity of your injuries. Minor injury cases with clear liability often settle within four to eight months of retaining an attorney. Moderate cases involving surgery or ongoing physical therapy typically take eight to eighteen months. Serious or disputed cases, including those with permanent injuries, multiple defendants, or government agency involvement, can take one to three years or more. Your attorney should advise you not to settle until you have reached maximum medical improvement so that all future medical costs are accurately accounted for in the settlement.
You are legally permitted to handle your own claim, but the data strongly favors representation. Studies by the Insurance Research Council found that injury victims with legal representation received settlements 3.5 times higher on average than unrepresented claimants even after deducting attorney fees. Insurance adjusters are professional negotiators whose job is to settle claims as cheaply as possible. They know the law, the tactics, and the value range of your case far better than most unrepresented individuals. A contingency fee arrangement means you pay nothing unless your attorney recovers for you, eliminating the financial risk of seeking help.
Riding a motorcycle in Orange County puts you on some of the most congested freeways in California, including the I-5 near Anaheim, the SR-91 through
Los Angeles operates one of the largest public transit systems in the United States, and bus accidents happen far more often than most people realize.
Getting this wrong can mean pursuing compensation from the wrong party, settling for far less than your claim is worth, or missing a liable party
If you are on the other side of that equation without legal representation, you are at a significant disadvantage from the very start. Knowing how
We take on fewer cases to give every client the focus they deserve. Unlike high-volume firms where cases get lost in the shuffle, we prioritize quality over quantity, delivering the attention and results your case deserves. Experience the difference with our dedicated team.
Great female led personal injury firm with good results and settlements. I highly recommend this law firm for personal injury related matters in Los Angeles and California in general.