Sherman Oaks Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Getting hit on foot is unlike any other crash. There is no steel around you, the injuries are often severe, and the driver's first words to the insurer are usually that you came out of nowhere. In Sherman Oaks, people cross Ventura Boulevard to reach restaurants, walk Van Nuys Boulevard and Sepulveda Boulevard to bus stops, and share side streets with cars cutting through toward the 101 and 405. If a driver hit you here, a pedestrian accident lawyer can shield you from the blame game and build your claim around your real losses. Moe Abdallah handles motor vehicle injury cases only, and he works on every pedestrian case himself. Read on for the crosswalk rules, the shorter deadlines for city claims, and the first steps after a crash on Sherman Oaks streets. Your review is free, and you pay no fee unless he wins.

What drivers owe you in a Ventura Boulevard crosswalk, marked or not

California law puts the first duty on the driver. A driver must yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing in any marked crosswalk, and also in an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. When a driver approaches a pedestrian in a crosswalk, the driver must use all due care and slow down or take other action to keep that person safe (Vehicle Code section 21950). An unmarked crosswalk exists at most intersections, even with no painted lines, which surprises many people. That matters on Ventura Boulevard, where restaurants, shops, and parking lots send people across the road all day, and on Van Nuys Boulevard and Burbank Boulevard, where people cross between signals to reach stops and shops. Drivers turning right on a green often watch the cross traffic and miss the person stepping off the curb. Drivers turning left watch for gaps in traffic and miss the person in the crosswalk. You have a duty too. You must use due care for your own safety, and you cannot suddenly step into the path of a car that cannot stop. Moe looks at signal timing, the driver's speed and attention, the lighting, and what a careful driver would have seen. A walk signal and a clear crosswalk are strong facts, and we build on them.

Mid-block crossings, the Freedom to Walk Act and blame shifted onto you

Many Sherman Oaks pedestrians are not hit in a crosswalk. They cross mid-block to reach a car, a shop, or a bus stop. The insurer will call that jaywalking and say the case is over. It is not. Even outside a crosswalk, a driver must still use due care for the safety of any pedestrian on the road (Vehicle Code section 21954). A pedestrian outside a crosswalk must yield to vehicles that are an immediate hazard, but that does not excuse a careless driver. The Freedom to Walk Act, effective January 1, 2023, also limits when police can stop a person for crossing mid-block between signal-controlled intersections. Both your duty and the driver's duty stay in place. An officer or adjuster who treats you as automatically at fault is wrong on the law. California uses pure comparative negligence. If you share some fault, your award is reduced by your percentage, and you can still recover (Li v. Yellow Cab Co.). Under Proposition 51, each defendant pays non-economic damages like pain and suffering only in proportion to its own share of fault. After a mid-block crossing on Ventura Boulevard or near a Sepulveda Boulevard bus stop, expect questions about your phone, your clothing, and whether you looked. Do not give a recorded statement before you talk to a lawyer. Moe handles those calls and pushes back with video, witnesses, and the driver's own statements.

Waiting for the bus on Sepulveda and Van Nuys Boulevards

Many people on foot in Sherman Oaks are bus riders walking to or from a stop. LA Metro lists Line 233 on Van Nuys Boulevard and Sepulveda Boulevard, Line 234 from Sherman Oaks to Sylmar along Sepulveda Boulevard, Line 761 along Van Nuys Boulevard and Sepulveda Boulevard, and Line 240 along Ventura Boulevard. Anyone using those lines walks to a stop, often crossing a busy street at the start or end of the trip. A crash near a stop raises its own questions. Was the driver passing a stopped bus on the right? Did a bus block the view of the crosswalk? Did a driver run a signal while you crossed to catch the bus? If the bus itself or its operator played a part, the case may be a claim against a public agency, and the six-month claim deadline applies. Metro claims go to Metro, not to the City Clerk. Bus stops also create evidence. Onboard bus cameras and nearby business video may show the moment of impact, but footage is kept only for a limited time. Moe sends preservation letters quickly. Tell him which bus line you were using, the stop, the time, and the direction you were walking. Small facts like these often decide whose story the insurer believes.

When a city signal or sightline is part of the problem

Most pedestrian cases target a driver. Some also involve the street itself. A signal stuck on a short walk phase, a dark crossing, a missing sign, or a view blocked by something the city let stay in place can make a crossing dangerous. Sherman Oaks is part of the City of Los Angeles, so a claim over a dangerous public property condition goes to the city. The rules are strict. A public entity is liable only if you prove a dangerous condition, that it caused your injury, that the risk was foreseeable, and that the city either created the problem or knew about it in time to fix it (Government Code section 835). You must present a written claim within six months of the injury (Government Code section 911.2). File it with the Office of the City Clerk online or at 200 N. Spring St., Room 395, City Hall. The City Attorney's Claims Division then handles it. If the city rejects the claim in writing, you have six months from that notice to sue (Government Code section 945.6). If you miss the six months, a late-claim application may be possible within one year of the injury, but approval is not automatic. The extra time for minors does not apply to public entity claims. Call early so this part of your case does not expire while you recover.

The first 48 hours: ER care, the LAPD report and a driver who left

Call 911 and get medical care first. Sherman Oaks Hospital on Van Nuys Boulevard has an emergency department, and Encino Hospital Medical Center on Ventura Boulevard offers 24-hour emergency care. Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills is a Level II trauma center. Pedestrians often suffer broken legs, hip and pelvic injuries, spinal injuries, and head injuries. Tell the doctors exactly how it happened, and keep every record. LAPD's Van Nuys Community Police Station at 6240 Sylmar Ave., phone 818-374-9500, serves Sherman Oaks, and LAPD Valley Traffic Division handles traffic crashes. Get a report number, and request the report through the station page. Look for errors about where you were crossing. If the driver left, your own uninsured motorist coverage may pay. You must report the crash within 24 hours and file a sworn statement with your insurer within 30 days. KTLA reported one such case: a man was struck and killed on Van Nuys Boulevard south of Huston Street at about 12:05 a.m. on October 19, 2025, and LAPD Valley Traffic Division investigated. Moe's hit and run guidance covers those deadlines in more detail. Take photos of the crosswalk, the signals, and your injuries. Do not sign anything from an insurer before you call us.

How Moe builds a pedestrian claim and what it can cover

A pedestrian claim can include emergency and hospital bills, surgery, rehabilitation, future care, lost income, and pain and suffering. If a loved one died, family members may bring a wrongful death claim. The amount depends on the injuries and on the insurance available. California's minimum auto liability limits are $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident, so Moe also looks at your own UM and UIM coverage and any other policy tied to the driver or vehicle. Moe collects the LAPD report, scene photos, video, and witness names. He sends preservation letters before footage is erased. He gathers your medical records and bills and shows how your injuries changed your life, not just your charts. He answers the adjuster so you do not have to. Moe once took a case where the at-fault insurer offered $900, and he recovered $75,000 total. Past results don't promise a similar outcome. If the case must be filed in court, the nearest civil courthouse is Van Nuys Courthouse East at 6230 Sylmar Ave., which lists a Civil Unlimited clerk's office. The court's Filing Court Locator confirms where a given case belongs. Moe keeps you updated by call and text and takes your calls himself. The consultation is free, he is available 24/7, and you pay no fee unless he wins.

Talk to a Sherman Oaks pedestrian accident lawyer

Call (323) 716-1992 for a free, no-obligation case review. You pay nothing unless we win, and we'll handle the insurance companies for you. Learn more about our pedestrian accidents representation →

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