If you are hurt in a pedestrian accident caused by a careless driver, you should get help as you recover. At-fault drivers must assist with medical bills and the time you lose at work, but car insurance providers like to deny claims for any reason they can find.
Maison Law of Chico offers a free, no-obligation case consultation to all Butte County accident victims. It’s a no-risk way to find out how to protect your case. You should find out how much your case is worth and also how to hold an insurer fully responsible.
How Do I Know If I Need a Lawyer for My Pedestrian Accident Case?
If you were seriously hurt in a pedestrian accident, it’s a good idea to go over your options with a skilled Chico pedestrian accident attorney. You may need protection when a car insurance company questions who is to blame and disputes how badly you are hurt, just to save some money.
You may also want legal representation to help determine when you’re getting the most possible for your claim and when an insurance adjuster is withholding support.
A skilled Chico Pedestrian Accident Lawyer investigates your accident and the driver at fault. The evidence is used to file a strong claim that insurers can’t reject. Maison Law can often earn victims much more than they could earn for themselves.
Pedestrian Accident Dangers in Chico
Pedestrians can take to the sidewalks to walk to work or school. They might be out for exercise. Some may be tourists enjoying local sites. And we must remember that we all become pedestrians when we park and get out of our cars.
Those on foot must be extremely careful when they must cross the road in front of distracted and speeding drivers. It’s a real concern at intersections that are several lanes wide, like Forest Avenue and 20th Street. It’s a risk around schools where children often cross busy intersections like East Avenue and Marigold Avenue.
Pedestrians have the right-of-way in most cases, but that means little when drivers aren’t slowing down and taking care around each crosswalk.
Unfortunately, the statistics from the past few years show a growing problem for pedestrians in Chico. According to TIMS (California’s Transportation Injury Mapping System), the rate of pedestrian accidents leaped from 2023 to 2024.
2024: 33 pedestrian accidents involving injury, with two tragic fatalities.
2023: 25 serious pedestrian accidents with two tragic deaths.
Maison Law is an advocate for pedestrian safety. We want safe walks for all Chico residents and visitors. And when reckless drivers hurt those on foot, we want to fight to get victims the support they need to get back on their feet physically and financially.
Who Is at At-Fault If I’m Struck While Walking on a Chico Street
Drivers are at fault when they strike a pedestrian in a crosswalk intersection while the pedestrian has a walk signal. Drivers are also generally at fault when they strike someone at an intersection without traffic lights, where crosswalks may be either marked or unmarked.
Pedestrians are allowed to cross the street anywhere, but can face some blame if they step out in front of traffic without leaving time for drivers to react and slow down.
However, drivers could be found at fault for a pedestrian collision in any location. It’s because drivers are held to a higher standard when traveling around people on foot.
Drivers are expected to take extra care, even if a pedestrian is crossing in the middle of the street. According to California Vehicle Code CVC 21950., pedestrians are owed “due care” from drivers. That applies to every street and in spots where there are no crosswalks.
Can I Ask for Support If I’m Struck While Crossing the Street Outside of a Crosswalk?
Yes. Pedestrians could still seek help with their medical bills and other damages, even if they were crossing in the middle of the street when struck. Victims may be assigned some blame for crossing when it wasn’t safe to do so, but a driver might also bear some of the blame and could be held partially or fully accountable.
Motorists are responsible for monitoring for pedestrians at all times, in crosswalks and outside of them. Drivers must slow down when they see a pedestrian entering any roadway. They must brake enough to prevent any chance of a collision. If they fail in this duty, a driver may be assigned partial blame or 100% of the blame, no matter where the collision happened.
This special accountability is placed on drivers due to the defenseless nature of pedestrians when in accidents involving any heavy, fast-moving vehicle.
Under the legal comparative negligence, drivers and pedestrians can share the blame for what happened. For example, a judge might assign a driver 50% of the blame for not slowing down for a pedestrian. A pedestrian might be assigned 50% of the blame for not crossing when it was safe to do so.
Under this example ruling, the pedestrian could still be awarded a judgment to cover damages, but it would be reduced by 50% due to the pedestrian had to accept.
However, a Maison Law attorney would strive to get any client’s percentage of blame as low as possible for down to zero ideally. Pedestrian victims should never have to bear some of the blame for an accident that was completely the fault of a motorist.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of things are compensated in a pedestrian accident settlement?
Victims should demand help with all medical bills and their lost income while they can’t work. Their physical pain and emotional trauma must also factor into a settlement check. Families who lose a loved one to a tragic fatal pedestrian accident can also file a wrongful death claim and seek support. They would seek help with funeral expenses and any remaining medical bills left behind. Close relatives must receive help in replacing the income that the victim may have provided to the family every month. They should also receive support for the intense grief and loss of love and companionship they’ll have to cope with for years to come.
How long do I have to file a pedestrian accident claim?
Two years. Pedestrian accident victims have a two-year statute of limitations to file an injury claim. They should act quickly. A lawyer can use the head start to collect fresh evidence and to track down witnesses.
What if I can’t afford to hire a pedestrian accident lawyer?
You won’t need any upfront money to hire a skilled lawyer to handle your case while you focus on healing. Maison Law doesn’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the settlement that a car insurance company must pay you.
Contact a Chico Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
Contact Maison Law to schedule a free, confidential consultation with a real Chico Pedestrian Accident Lawyer. We want to hear what happened to you. We’re going to answer your questions and make sure you are prepared for the insurance tactics you’ll face so you don’t forfeit valuable support. You’ll know what your injury is worth before an insurance adjuster tries to convince you it’s worth nothing at all.
Additional Resources:
Can I Get Support If I Was Jaywalking When I Was Struck by a Car?
