Written and reviewed by Adrianos Facchetti, Esq. (CA State Bar #243213) · Updated October 31, 2026
One moment you’re crossing Brand Boulevard or walking to your car, and the next you’re on the pavement. Pedestrians have no bumper, no airbag and no seatbelt, so even a low-speed crash can mean broken bones, a head injury or months away from work. Then the driver’s insurance company calls, usually before you know how badly you’re hurt.
I’m Adrianos Facchetti. As a Glendale pedestrian accident lawyer, I work from our Burbank office, a few minutes away on the 134, and I’ve represented injured people across Los Angeles County since 2006. We handle the insurance company, the evidence and the deadlines so you can focus on recovering. If we don’t recover compensation for you, you don’t owe us a fee.
Call (818) 405-8486 for a free, confidential consultation. Someone answers 24/7, in English, Spanish or Portuguese.
Pedestrian Accidents in Glendale: What the Numbers Show
Glendale is a busy place to walk. Downtown along Brand Boulevard, the Americana at Brand and the Glendale Galleria draw heavy foot traffic, and major roads like Glendale Avenue, Colorado Street, Central Avenue and Los Feliz Boulevard carry fast-moving cars right past them.
The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) compares cities of similar size each year. In its most recent rankings, for 2023, Glendale had:
72
Pedestrians killed or injured (ranked 14th)
2nd
Worst of 62 similar cities for pedestrians 65+
22
Pedestrians age 65+ killed or injured
| OTS 2023 ranking (62 similar-sized cities) | Victims killed or injured | Glendale’s rank |
|---|---|---|
| All pedestrians | 72 | 14th |
| Pedestrians age 65 and older | 22 | 2nd |
| Pedestrians under 15 | 6 | 24th |
Rank 1 means the most victims. Source: OTS Crash Rankings, Glendale 2023.
The number that stands out is seniors. Only one similar-sized city in California had more pedestrians aged 65 or older killed or injured in 2023. Older pedestrians cross more slowly and are more likely to be seriously hurt when they’re hit, which is why these cases often involve longer recoveries and higher medical costs.
Glendale’s numbers have improved from 2021, when it ranked 5th, but pedestrians are still hurt in Glendale almost every week.
Where Pedestrians Are Hit in Glendale
In our experience, Glendale pedestrian crashes cluster in a few kinds of places:
- !Downtown and the Brand Boulevard shopping district. The Americana, the Galleria and the restaurants along Brand mean constant crossings, cars turning into parking structures, and drivers looking for parking instead of at the crosswalk.
- !Wide, fast arterials. Glendale Avenue, Colorado Street, Central Avenue and Los Feliz Boulevard have multiple lanes, so a driver in one lane may stop for a pedestrian while a driver in the next lane doesn’t see them and keeps going.
- !Transit stops. People walking to and from Beeline and Metro bus stops and the Glendale Transportation Center often cross mid-block or in low light.
- !Parking lots and driveways. Drivers backing out or pulling out of driveways are a common cause of pedestrian injuries, even at low speeds.
Where your crash happened tells us which agency wrote the report (usually Glendale Police), which nearby businesses may have cameras, and whether a dangerous road design played a part.
Who Is at Fault When a Pedestrian Is Hit in California?
Most pedestrian cases come down to whether the driver used reasonable care. California law puts a heavy duty on drivers around people on foot:
Drivers Must Yield
Drivers must yield to pedestrians in any crosswalk, marked or unmarked, and must slow down or stop to keep them safe (Vehicle Code §21950).
Pedestrians Have Duties Too
They shouldn’t suddenly step into the path of a car that’s too close to stop (Vehicle Code §21950(b)), and outside a crosswalk they generally must yield to vehicles (Vehicle Code §21954).
Mid-Block Crossing Isn’t Automatically Illegal
Since January 1, 2023, the Freedom to Walk Act (AB 2147) limits jaywalking tickets to situations where a reasonably careful person would see an immediate danger of being hit. Insurers still try to blame pedestrians for crossing outside a crosswalk, but that alone doesn’t decide your case.
The driver isn’t always the only one responsible. Depending on the facts, a claim may also involve the driver’s employer (for example, a delivery or commercial driver), a rideshare company’s insurance, or a government agency if a broken signal, missing crosswalk or poor lighting contributed.
What If You Were Partly at Fault?
You can still recover. California follows pure comparative negligence, established in Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975). Your compensation is reduced by your share of fault, but it isn’t eliminated. If your damages are $100,000 and you’re found 20% at fault for crossing against the signal, you can still recover $80,000.
$100,000
Total damages
20%
Your share of fault
$80,000
What you still recover
Insurance adjusters know this, which is why they try to push as much blame as possible onto the pedestrian. Witness statements, video and the police report are how we push back.
What If It Was a Hit-and-Run?
Leaving the scene of a crash that injures someone is a crime in California (Vehicle Code §20001), but you still need a way to get paid. If the driver is never found, your own auto policy’s uninsured motorist coverage can usually cover you even though you were walking, not driving (Insurance Code §11580.2). Report the crash to police right away, because the policy requires it.
Insurance company blaming you, or the driver drove off? We’ll review your case for free.
What to Do After a Pedestrian Accident in Glendale
- 1Call 911 and get medical care. Adrenaline hides concussions, internal injuries and fractures. If paramedics offer transport, take it. Otherwise, see a doctor within 24 hours.
- 2Get a police report. In Glendale, that’s usually the Glendale Police Department. Ask for the report number before you leave.
- 3Document the scene if you can. Photos of the car and plate, the crosswalk, signals, lighting and your injuries. If you can’t, ask a bystander to help.
- 4Get witness names and phone numbers. Witnesses are often the difference between “the pedestrian ran out” and what really happened.
- 5Look for cameras. Stores, gas stations and homes near the crash may have video, but it’s often recorded over within days.
- 6Don’t give a recorded statement to the driver’s insurance company. Talk to a lawyer first.
- 7Keep everything. Medical bills, pay stubs, receipts, and a short daily note about your pain and what you can’t do.
Common Pedestrian Injuries
When a car hits a person, the body takes the full force of the impact and then hits the ground. The injuries we see most often are broken legs, hips, arms and ribs; head injuries, from concussions to traumatic brain injuries; spinal cord and back injuries; internal bleeding; and deep cuts, road rash and scarring.
Many of these don’t heal on a set schedule. A hip fracture in an older adult or a brain injury can mean surgery, months of therapy and a permanent change in what someone can do, which is why we don’t settle a case until we understand the long-term picture.
What Compensation Can You Recover?
Your claim should cover everything the crash cost you, including what it will keep costing you:
- ✓Medical costs: ambulance, ER, surgery, physical therapy, and future care your doctors expect you to need.
- ✓Lost income: wages you’ve missed, and reduced earning ability if your injuries limit future work.
- ✓Pain and suffering: physical pain, anxiety, sleep problems, and the activities you can no longer enjoy. California doesn’t cap these damages in pedestrian cases.
- ✓Property damage: your phone, glasses, clothing, or anything else damaged in the crash.
- ✓Punitive damages: in rare cases involving malice or a conscious disregard for safety, such as a drunk driver (Civil Code §3294).
If a loved one was killed, the family can bring a wrongful death claim for funeral costs, lost financial support and the loss of their love and companionship. Call us and we’ll talk it through with you.
What your case is worth depends on your injuries, how clear fault is, and how much insurance is available. The at-fault driver’s policy is often the limit, which is why we also look for other sources, such as an employer’s commercial policy or your own uninsured motorist coverage. Our settlement calculator gives a rough starting point; a conversation with us gives an honest one.
Deadlines for Pedestrian Accident Claims in California
| Type of Claim | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Injury claims | 2 years from the date of the crash (Code of Civil Procedure §335.1). |
| Claims against a city, county or state agency | 6 months to file a written government claim (Government Code §911.2). This applies if a government vehicle hit you or a dangerous public road contributed. |
| Injured children | The 2-year clock generally doesn’t start until they turn 18 (Code of Civil Procedure §352), but the 6-month government claim deadline still applies. |
The practical deadline is much shorter. Video gets recorded over, witnesses move, and skid marks fade within days.
Video and witnesses disappear fast. Talk to us before the evidence is gone.
About Your Glendale Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
Adrianos Facchetti has practiced law in California since 2006 (State Bar #243213) and has handled more than 1,000 personal injury cases across Los Angeles County. He holds an Avvo 10.0 rating and a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating, and the firm is BBB-accredited. Read Adrianos’s full bio.
Our office is at 4444 W Riverside Dr in Burbank, minutes from Glendale. When you call, you reach our office, not a call center. We work on contingency: our fee is a percentage of what we recover, agreed in writing before you sign, and you owe nothing if we don’t recover compensation for you. You can see outcomes from past cases on our case results page.
Glendale Pedestrian Accident FAQ
+How do I choose the right lawyer for a pedestrian injury case?
Look for a personal injury lawyer who handles pedestrian and car crash cases regularly, works on contingency, and will tell you plainly what your case is worth. Check their California State Bar record and their reviews, and ask who will actually handle your case day to day.
+What is the average payout for a pedestrian hit by a car in California?
There isn’t a reliable average, because pedestrian cases range from minor bruises to life-changing injuries. Value depends on your medical costs, lost income, how your life has changed, who was at fault, and how much insurance is available. Be cautious of anyone who quotes a number before reviewing your records.
+What percentage do most accident lawyers take?
Most California injury lawyers charge a contingency fee, commonly between 33% and 40% of the recovery. We’ll tell you our exact percentage at your free consultation. You pay nothing upfront, and we put the fee in writing before you sign anything.
+What happens to a driver who accidentally hits a pedestrian?
An accident isn’t automatically a crime, but the driver can still be held financially responsible for your injuries if they were careless. Leaving the scene after injuring someone is a crime (Vehicle Code §20001), and a fatal crash caused by negligent driving can lead to vehicular manslaughter charges (Penal Code §192(c)). Your injury claim is separate from any criminal case, and you don’t need a conviction to recover compensation.
+Can I still recover if I was crossing outside a crosswalk?
Often, yes. Drivers must still watch for pedestrians, and under California’s pure comparative negligence rule your compensation is reduced by your share of fault rather than eliminated. Since 2023, crossing mid-block is also only a ticketable offense when there’s an immediate danger of a collision.
Talk to a Glendale Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Today
If you were hit while walking in Glendale, call us for a free, confidential case review. We’ll explain who’s responsible, what insurance applies, and what to do next. You pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
Serving Glendale from our Burbank office, minutes away on the 134.
Law Offices of Adrianos Facchetti
4444 W Riverside Dr #308, Burbank, CA 91505
(818) 405-8486, available 24/7
Request your free consultation
If you were hurt in a different kind of accident, see our Glendale personal injury lawyer page.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
