Beverly Hills Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

A large share of Beverly Hills pedestrian collisions are not intersection crashes at all. They happen where a vehicle crosses a sidewalk — leaving a parking structure on Beverly Drive, pulling out of a valet stand on Canon, or backing into an alley behind Rodeo. A driver entering or exiting a driveway must yield to anyone already on the sidewalk under Vehicle Code § 21804 and § 21952.

These cases often involve a business as well as a driver: the garage operator whose exit has no mirror or warning, the valet company whose employee was at the wheel, the restaurant whose stand pushes pedestrians into the roadway. Each is separately insured.

Wilshire is the most dangerous street in the city for people on foot simply because of its width and speed. Crossings take longer than they appear to, and drivers turning left across the crosswalk on a permissive green are a recurring cause of serious injuries.

Subway construction has repeatedly narrowed sidewalks and rerouted crossings along the corridor. Where a temporary pedestrian route was poorly signed, unlit, or funneled walkers into a live traffic lane, the contractor responsible for the traffic control plan may share liability — a fact that has to be investigated before the configuration changes again.

If the City of Beverly Hills, Los Angeles County, Metro, or a public contractor is potentially responsible for a dangerous condition, a written government claim generally must be presented within six months (Government Code § 911.2) — long before the ordinary two-year limit under Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1. Missing it can end an otherwise strong case.