What Should I Do After Being Hit by a Car as a Pedestrian in Glendale, CA?

By Payam Soliemanzadeh, Founder and President

Key takeaways

• Call 911 and seek evaluation at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena if injuries are serious.
• You have two years to file under CCP §335.1, six months for government claims under Gov. Code §911.2.
• California Vehicle Code §21950 requires drivers to yield at crosswalks throughout Glendale.
• Your case will be filed at Glendale Courthouse, 600 East Broadway, Glendale, CA 91206.

Glendale's dense commercial corridors and freeway interchanges create constant pedestrian exposure. Brand Boulevard, Glenoaks Boulevard, and the intersections near State Route 134 and Interstate 5 see heavy vehicle and foot traffic daily. When a driver strikes you on foot, your immediate actions shape both your medical outcome and your legal recovery.

California grants pedestrians strong protections under Vehicle Code §21950 in crosswalks and §21954 when crossing mid-block. Drivers owe you a duty of care. Understanding how to preserve evidence and meet filing deadlines is critical to holding negligent motorists accountable in Glendale pedestrian accident cases.

Seek immediate medical attention and document injuries

Call 911 from the scene. Even if you feel uninjured, adrenaline masks pain and internal injuries often surface hours later. If your injuries are severe, emergency responders will transport you to Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, a Level II trauma center equipped for complex orthopedic and head injuries common in pedestrian collisions. Delayed treatment creates gaps insurers exploit to argue your injuries were minor or unrelated.

Request full imaging and follow every discharge instruction. Keep copies of ambulance reports, emergency-department notes, radiology results, and prescriptions. Photograph visible injuries—bruises, lacerations, swelling—on the day of the crash and throughout healing. This contemporaneous medical record becomes the foundation of your claim, linking the collision directly to your harm and quantifying damages under California tort law.

Secure evidence at the scene and obtain a police report

If you are able, photograph vehicle damage, skid marks, traffic signals, crosswalk markings, and the final positions of the car and your belongings. Capture the intersection or address—collisions near San Fernando Road or along the Glendale Freeway merge zones often involve complex visibility and right-of-way questions. Record the driver's name, license number, insurance carrier, and policy number. Collect contact information from every witness; their statements may prove decisive if the driver later contests fault.

Request a police report from the responding agency, typically Glendale Police or California Highway Patrol if the crash occurred on State Route 2 or Interstate 5. The report documents the officer's observations, citations issued, and preliminary fault findings. Insurers and courts in Los Angeles County give significant weight to these reports. Obtain the report number at the scene and retrieve the full document within days to review its accuracy and identify any errors that require correction.

Understand your filing deadlines and legal protections

California's statute of limitations under CCP §335.1 grants you two years from the date of the collision to file a personal injury lawsuit. That window closes regardless of whether you have finished treatment or reached maximum recovery. If the driver was operating a Glendale city vehicle, a Los Angeles County transit bus, or any government-owned car, you must file an administrative claim with that agency within six months under Government Code §911.2, or you lose the right to sue entirely.

California follows pure comparative negligence: even if you were jaywalking or crossing against a signal, you may still recover damages reduced by your percentage of fault. Vehicle Code §21950 requires drivers to yield to pedestrians in marked and unmarked crosswalks, and §21954 obligates pedestrians outside crosswalks to yield to vehicles, but does not bar recovery. Early legal consultation preserves evidence and ensures compliance with procedural rules that non-lawyers often miss. Our pedestrian accident attorneys handle claims throughout Los Angeles County and understand how Glendale's roadway conditions and traffic patterns influence liability analysis.

Local details

Any lawsuit arising from your collision will be filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, North Central District, at Glendale Courthouse, 600 East Broadway, Glendale, CA 91206. This courthouse hears personal injury cases for Glendale and surrounding communities. Familiarity with local judges, motion practice, and trial calendars can shape settlement leverage and litigation strategy.

Glendale sits at the convergence of State Route 134 (Ventura Freeway), Interstate 5 (Golden State Freeway), and State Route 2 (Glendale Freeway), creating high-speed on-ramps and off-ramps where drivers frequently fail to check for pedestrians. Brand Boulevard and Glenoaks Boulevard carry both commuter traffic and shoppers, with mid-block crossings and congested intersections. San Fernando Road runs adjacent to industrial areas where truck traffic and limited sidewalks increase collision risk. Huntington Hospital, located at 100 West California Boulevard in Pasadena, serves as the nearest Level II trauma center, providing advanced orthopedic, neurosurgical, and intensive-care resources for serious pedestrian injuries sustained in Glendale.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if the driver who hit me left the scene?

Call 911 immediately and provide any vehicle description, license plate fragment, or direction of travel. Hit-and-run is a crime under California law, and police prioritize these investigations. If the driver is never found, you may file a claim under your own uninsured motorist coverage, which California insurers must offer. Gather witness statements and surveillance footage from nearby businesses to support your claim.

Can I recover damages if I was not in a crosswalk?

Yes. Vehicle Code §21954 requires pedestrians outside crosswalks to yield the right-of-way to vehicles, but it does not eliminate driver liability. California's pure comparative negligence rule allows you to recover damages reduced by your fault percentage. Drivers still owe a duty to exercise reasonable care and avoid collisions. Crossing mid-block on Glenoaks Boulevard or Brand Boulevard may reduce your recovery, but rarely bars it entirely.

How long does a pedestrian accident claim take in Los Angeles County?

Settlement timelines vary widely. Cases with clear liability and modest injuries may resolve in months; complex collisions involving disputed fault, severe injuries, or government defendants often take one to two years. Filing at Glendale Courthouse triggers court deadlines, but most claims settle before trial. The two-year statute under CCP §335.1 bounds the negotiation window, and early legal representation often accelerates fair resolution.

What damages can I recover after being hit by a car in Glendale?

California law allows recovery for medical expenses, lost wages, future care costs, pain and suffering, and property damage. If the driver was impaired or fled the scene, you may pursue punitive damages under Civil Code §3294 for malice or oppression. Pure comparative negligence reduces your award by your fault percentage, but does not cap damages. Each case depends on injury severity, insurance limits, and available evidence.

Related reading

• Pedestrian Accident Practice Area
• Glendale Pedestrian Accident Page
• Right of Way in Sherman Oaks Crosswalks: When Is the Driver Liable?
• Pedestrian Accidents Near SoFi Stadium in Inglewood: Who's Liable?
• Struck by a Rideshare Driver on Foot in Pomona

Attorney advertising. This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.