Santa Monica, California
Drivers must yield to pedestrians crossing in a marked or unmarked crosswalk at an intersection and must exercise due care toward every pedestrian on the roadway (Vehicle Code § 21950). Santa Monica is among the most walkable cities in Los Angeles County — the Third Street Promenade is a pedestrian mall, the beach and pier draw crowds year-round — and it absorbs regional traffic from the end of the I-10.
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The highest-risk points are where heavy pedestrian volume meets drivers arriving from or heading to the freeway. Lincoln and Pico, the Colorado corridor at the E Line terminus, and the Ocean Avenue crossings to the beach all put people on foot in front of turning traffic.
Parking structures and alleys are a second category. Downtown Santa Monica's structures discharge vehicles across sidewalks, and a driver focused on the gap in the street is not watching the person walking past the exit. In those cases the design and sight lines of the exit can matter as much as the driver's attention.
We start with the physical scene: crosswalk markings, signal timing, sight lines and the point of impact, photographed and measured before anything changes. Where the signal phase is in dispute we ask the city for timing records.
Downtown Santa Monica is densely covered by cameras — retail, hotels, city structures — but the recordings roll over quickly. Preservation letters go out in the first days, not the first month.
Pedestrian injuries are frequently orthopedic or head injuries with a long tail. We make sure the follow-up treatment is documented rather than letting the file stop at the emergency room discharge.
Yes. A driver crossing a sidewalk owes pedestrians due care, and Vehicle Code § 21950 requires drivers to exercise due care toward pedestrians generally. Where the exit's design or sight lines contributed, the property owner may also be involved.
An unmarked crosswalk still exists at most intersections under California law, and Vehicle Code § 21950 requires a driver to yield to a pedestrian crossing in a marked or unmarked crosswalk. The absence of paint does not by itself defeat the claim.
Most California injury lawsuits must be filed within two years of the injury (Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1). If a city, county, or state agency is a defendant — a municipal vehicle, a dangerous roadway condition, a public sidewalk — you generally have six months to present a written government claim first (Government Code § 911.2). Talk to a lawyer early so a deadline never decides the case for you.
Nothing up front. We work on a contingency fee, so there is no attorney's fee unless we win your case, and the first consultation is free and confidential.
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Hollywood Injury Law Center — Bash & Polyachenko P.C.
6253 Hollywood Blvd #205, Los Angeles, CA 90028
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Call (323) 850-0101Disclaimer: This page is general information only and is not legal advice. Reading it or contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Hollywood Injury Law Center — Bash & Polyachenko P.C. is licensed to practice law in California.
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