Hit by a Car While Walking in Inglewood?
Inglewood’s streets carry a level of vehicle traffic that most cities its size do not deal with. Century Boulevard handles LAX airport traffic, rideshare pickups, shuttles, and commercial vehicles constantly. On game days and concert nights, the areas around SoFi Stadium and Kia Forum fill with tens of thousands of pedestrians crossing streets that were not designed for that kind of foot traffic all at once. Manchester Boulevard, Prairie Avenue, and Crenshaw Boulevard carry daily commuter and commercial traffic with frequent conflicts between drivers and pedestrians at busy intersections.
The Law Offices of Adrianos Facchetti represents pedestrians injured throughout Inglewood and Los Angeles County. As an Inglewood pedestrian accident lawyer and Inglewood personal injury lawyer, Adrianos Facchetti has handled these cases since 2006. Free consultation. No upfront fees. No attorney fee unless we recover money for you.
Why Pedestrian Accident Claims Work Differently Than Car Accident Claims
When two cars collide, both drivers have some level of protection from the vehicle around them. A pedestrian has none. That physical reality means the injuries are almost always more serious, the medical bills are higher, and the stakes of the legal claim are greater.
It also means insurance companies work harder to reduce their liability. The quickest way to do that is to blame the pedestrian. “You were outside the crosswalk.” “You were looking at your phone.” “You stepped out from between parked cars.” “You were wearing dark clothing at night.” These arguments are common, and they are designed to shift fault to the injured person before they have a chance to document what actually happened.
California law gives pedestrians substantial rights. Under California Vehicle Code § 21950, drivers must yield to pedestrians in marked and unmarked crosswalks. Under CVC § 21954, even a pedestrian outside a crosswalk is entitled to reasonable driver care; a driver who hits someone walking outside a crosswalk is not automatically off the hook.
California also uses pure comparative negligence. Even if a pedestrian shares some fault for a crash, they can still recover damages reduced by their percentage of fault. A lawyer builds the factual record to counter inflated fault assignments and protect the full value of the claim.
Where Pedestrian Accidents Happen Most in Inglewood
Century Boulevard and the LAX Corridor
Century Boulevard is one of the most active vehicle corridors in the South Bay. Hotel shuttles, LAX rideshare pickups, taxi queues, and commercial traffic flow constantly along this stretch. Pedestrians crossing to hotels, bus stops, and parking structures near the airport and Inglewood’s western commercial zone face a constant stream of fast-moving vehicles that do not always yield.
Rideshare and shuttle drivers stopping suddenly, double-parked vehicles blocking sight lines, and drivers accelerating away from pickup zones without fully checking for pedestrians all contribute to crashes along this corridor. Our Inglewood rideshare accident lawyer page covers how those multi-policy insurance claims work.
Manchester Boulevard and Prairie Avenue
Manchester Boulevard runs east-west through central Inglewood, carrying a mix of commercial and commuter traffic. Pedestrian activity is high near bus stops, retail centers, and apartment buildings along this corridor. Intersection crashes happen regularly at major cross streets where drivers turn left or right without checking for pedestrians in the crosswalk signal.
Prairie Avenue carries significant north-south traffic and has multiple bus stops with high pedestrian activity. A driver who pulls away from a bus stop or passes a stopped bus without checking for pedestrians stepping into the road creates a sudden and serious hazard.
SoFi Stadium, Kia Forum, and Event Traffic
On game days and concert nights, the streets around SoFi Stadium and Kia Forum transform. Tens of thousands of people are crossing streets in concentrated areas, often after dark, with vehicles trying to exit parking structures and surface lots simultaneously. Drivers who are unfamiliar with the area, frustrated by traffic, or distracted by navigation apps create a heightened crash risk for pedestrians crossing legally in marked crosswalks.
Hit-and-run pedestrian crashes are particularly common in the post-event vehicle exodus from the Hollywood Park area. A driver who bumps a pedestrian in the chaos and keeps moving can be identified through stadium area surveillance cameras and witness accounts if the evidence is preserved quickly.
Crosswalks, Bus Stops, Parking Lots, and School Zones
Some of Inglewood’s most dangerous pedestrian situations are the most ordinary. A driver backing out of a parking space near a retail area on Crenshaw Boulevard who does not see a pedestrian walking behind them. A driver turning right on a red light who does not check the crosswalk. A student crossing near a school zone on Florence Avenue at a time when drivers are rushing through. These crashes happen at low speeds but still cause real injuries.
Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents in Inglewood
Drivers Failing to Yield at Crosswalks
California law requires drivers to yield to pedestrians in both marked and unmarked crosswalks. Despite that, failure to yield is one of the most common causes of pedestrian crashes on Inglewood’s streets. A driver who watches for vehicle traffic while making a turn may simply not register a pedestrian crossing legally in front of them.
Left-Turn and Right-Turn Crashes
Left-turn crashes happen when a driver is focused on oncoming vehicle traffic and does not see a pedestrian crossing the street they are turning onto. Right-hook crashes happen when a driver passes a pedestrian on the right and turns across their path without enough clearance. Both are common at signalized intersections throughout Inglewood.
Backing Out of Parking Spaces
Pedestrians walking through parking lots near Inglewood’s retail corridors face real danger from vehicles backing out of spaces without adequate rear visibility. Backup cameras reduce but do not eliminate this risk. A driver who relies only on mirrors and does not fully check behind their vehicle can hit a pedestrian who was clearly visible.
Distracted, Drunk, and Speeding Drivers
Distracted driving on Manchester Boulevard, Century Boulevard, and the corridors near SoFi Stadium is a documented cause of pedestrian crashes. Post-event impaired driving adds to that risk on weekends and evenings.
Rideshare, Delivery, and Shuttle Crashes
Inglewood’s event venues and LAX proximity generate constant rideshare and shuttle activity. A driver stopping abruptly in a travel lane, pulling a U-turn in a pickup zone, or navigating an unfamiliar area while watching an app creates immediate pedestrian hazard. For pedestrians struck by delivery vehicles, our truck accident lawyer page covers commercial vehicle crash claims.
What If the Driver Says You Were at Fault?
This is the most common challenge in Inglewood pedestrian accident cases. A driver causes a crash and then tells the officer that the pedestrian stepped out suddenly, was on their phone, was wearing dark clothing, or was outside the crosswalk. The insurance company adopts that narrative immediately.
California comparative negligence means the pedestrian’s percentage of fault reduces their recovery but does not eliminate it. Even if an insurer argues a pedestrian was 20 percent at fault for not checking traffic before crossing, the pedestrian can still recover 80 percent of their damages.
The problem is that without evidence to challenge the driver’s account, fault percentages get inflated. A lawyer gathers the physical evidence, crosswalk signal timing, traffic camera footage, business surveillance video, witness statements, and road markings to establish what actually happened and counter a fault assignment that is not supported by the facts.
Hit and Run Pedestrian Accidents in Inglewood
Hit-and-run pedestrian crashes happen in Inglewood with troubling frequency, particularly near the entertainment venue corridors and late at night on Century Boulevard and Manchester Boulevard. A driver makes contact with a pedestrian and leaves before anyone can record their information.
If the driver is never found, you may still have options. Your own auto insurance policy may cover your injuries through uninsured motorist coverage, even though you were walking, not driving, at the time of the crash. Many California policies extend UM coverage to pedestrians. This is worth verifying immediately.
We also investigate. Traffic cameras on Century Boulevard and the SoFi Stadium area corridors record constantly. Business surveillance cameras from hotels, restaurants, and retailers may have captured the vehicle. Witnesses who left the scene may have seen enough to help identify the driver.
Acting quickly matters. Surveillance footage is typically overwritten within 7 to 30 days. The sooner a lawyer is involved, the better the chance of preserving the evidence that can identify the driver or establish the full facts of the crash.
Evidence That Can Help Prove What Happened
The strength of a pedestrian accident claim depends on what can be proven, not just what the pedestrian remembers.
Traffic and intersection cameras. Century Boulevard, Manchester Boulevard, and the stadium area corridors have extensive traffic camera coverage. Requesting this footage requires acting quickly before it is overwritten.
Business surveillance cameras. Hotels, restaurants, gas stations, and retailers along Inglewood’s commercial corridors often have exterior cameras that capture the street. This footage needs to be requested within days.
Police report. The official accident report documents both parties’ accounts, officer observations, and any citations issued. In Inglewood, the Inglewood Police Department or the California Highway Patrol will respond depending on where the crash occurred.
Medical records. Every doctor visit, every diagnosis, every treatment. A same-day medical record connects your injuries to the crash and protects your claim if symptoms develop or worsen later.
Photos taken at the scene. The vehicle, the crosswalk, the road, your injuries, skid marks, and the position of traffic signals. Take them before anything is moved.
Witness contact information. Pedestrian crashes in busy Inglewood corridors often happen in front of other pedestrians, drivers, and bystanders. Names and phone numbers matter.
Injuries That Pedestrians Commonly Suffer
Because pedestrians have no vehicle structure protecting them, injuries from these crashes tend to be among the most serious seen in personal injury cases. Common injuries include:
- Broken bones, including legs, hips, arms, and pelvis from direct vehicle impact
- Head and traumatic brain injuries from impact with the vehicle or the ground
- Concussions, which may not be immediately obvious at the scene
- Spinal cord injuries in higher-speed crashes
- Internal organ damage from blunt force impact
- Knee, hip, and leg injuries affecting long-term mobility
- Facial injuries and dental damage
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement
- Emotional distress and post-traumatic stress
- Wrongful death
For pedestrians who suffered traumatic brain injuries, our Inglewood car accident lawyer page covers related injury claim considerations alongside pedestrian-specific claims.
In fatal pedestrian accidents, surviving family members may have a wrongful death lawyer claim covering financial support lost, loss of companionship, and funeral expenses.
What Compensation Can Cover After a Pedestrian Accident
Compensation in a pedestrian accident case covers both economic losses and the non-economic impact of the injury. What may be available includes:
Medical expenses. Emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, physical therapy, specialist visits, medications, and future treatment costs.
Lost wages. Income missed during recovery, including self-employment income and paid time off used because of the injury.
Reduced earning capacity. If the injury affects your ability to work at the same level long-term.
Pain and suffering. Physical pain and the emotional impact of the injury and recovery.
Rehabilitation costs. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and mobility support equipment.
Future medical care. Long-term treatment if the injury requires continuing care or additional procedures.
Wrongful death damages. For surviving family members, financial support lost, loss of companionship, and funeral and burial costs.
About the Law Offices of Adrianos Facchetti
Adrianos Facchetti has been representing injury victims across Los Angeles County since 2006. California State Bar No. 243213. Avvo 10.0 Top Attorney. Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent® 2025. BBB accredited.
Inglewood has a large and diverse community, and we communicate directly in the language most comfortable for you.
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Talk to an Inglewood Pedestrian Accident Lawyer for Free
If you were hit by a vehicle in Inglewood, a free consultation is the right first step. You do not need to have everything figured out before you call. That is what the consultation is for.
No obligation. No upfront cost. No fee unless we recover compensation for you.
General information only, not legal advice. Every case is different. Past results do not predict future outcomes.
