Long Beach Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Long Beach is a very walkable city. Seeing pedestrians is a common sight. That may sound like a good thing, but there’s one catch; these pedestrians have to deal with heavy truck and passenger traffic every day. Long Beach is also home to multiple tourist attractions and one of the largest ports in the world. Having to share the streets with vehicular traffic can be deadly for pedestrians.

Due to a complete lack of protection, pedestrians are usually seriously injured or even killed in crashes with vehicles. If you or a loved one were the victim of a pedestrian accident in Long Beach, contact the personal injury lawyers at The Dominguez Firm today for a FREE consultation. You can reach us at 800-818-1818. We can come to your home or hospital at a moment’s notice.

Keep reading for more information about pedestrian accidents in Long Beach and how The Dominguez Firm can help if you were injured in a Long Beach pedestrian accident.

California and Long Beach Pedestrian Accident Statistics

As of 2019, Long Beach had over 462,000 residents, making it among the 50 largest cities in the country. It’s also the 7^th largest city in California. Because it’s located in Los Angeles County, many people are surprised to find out just how large Long Beach is in its own right.

Unfortunately, Long Beach’s popularity also makes it one of the most dangerous cities in California for pedestrians. The grim reality is that Long Beach ranks among the top ten in just about every major accident statistic in the state for a city its size.:

• Third overall for all types of traffic accidents with 2,936 people injured or killed.
• Third for pedestrians age 65 and over injured or killed in traffic accidents with 39.
• First for pedestrians under the age of 15 injured or killed in traffic accidents with 47.

The news regarding pedestrian accidents doesn’t get much better at the state level either. According to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), California was one of 5 states that accounted for 47% of all pedestrian deaths in the U.S in 2019. It was also one of the six states that saw pedestrian fatalities double in that same year compared to 2018.

Danger Areas For Pedestrian Accidents in Long Beach

More densely-populated Long Beach neighborhoods tended to have the highest number of pedestrian accident deaths. In data taken from 2015-2020, certain intersections and areas stood out as among the most dangerous:

• Seventh Street and Pacific Avenue – These two streets and the intersection where they meet recorded the highest number of pedestrian and bicyclist deaths during those 5 years with a total of 16 people killed. One reason for the high number of fatalities is because many drivers use these streets as a shortcut to avoid heavy freeway and main artery traffic.
• Pacific Coast Highway – Several intersections along PCH in Long Beach had multiple pedestrians injured or killed in accidents. One area that stood out was PCH between the 710 underpass and Santa Fe Avenue with 6 pedestrian victims.
• Seventh Street to East Anaheim Street – This stretch of blocks near Downtown Long Beach saw 7 pedestrian injuries and deaths.

What are the most common causes of pedestrian accidents in Long Beach?

Pedestrian accidents are generally caused by someone who isn’t paying attention, or someone who is driving recklessly, either by speeding and/or committing moving violations, such as illegal turns.

• Distracted Driving – This is probably the best example of a person causing an accident because they weren’t paying attention. With the advent of cellphones and sophisticated entertainment systems in today’s cars, it’s no wonder drivers don’t always keep their eyes on the road. That is one of the main reasons for the spike in the number of pedestrian deaths and injuries in recent years all over the U.S.
• Reckless Driving – This includes speeding and turning, whether legally or illegally without checking for pedestrians. Speeding on the freeway is bad enough but doing so on Long Beach’s crowded residential streets is extremely dangerous.
• Driving Under the Influence – Alcohol and drugs slow a driver’s reaction time, impair muscle coordination and severely limit the ability to make quick decisions. If someone injures or kills a pedestrian in Long Beach while driving drunk or high, they face criminal charges and most likely civil charges as well.

What rights do pedestrians have when it comes to traffic laws?

In California, pedestrians always have the right of way in marked and unmarked crosswalks. Even so, all pedestrians should still exercise caution when they attempt to cross the street.

As a pedestrian, you are not exempt from traffic laws either. You should not jaywalk or be looking down at your phone while crossing the street. Also, don’t stop in a crosswalk either.

Note that if you were hit by a vehicle while jaywalking or texting, you can still take legal action against the driver who hit you. That’s because California is a comparative fault state. You can share some of the blame for your accident yet still recover damages.

For example, if you were jaywalking, you will share part of the blame for your accident. However, if your attorney can prove the defendant was speeding, then they would also be at fault. The court decides fault percentages. In this example, let’s say the court assigns equal blame or 50% to each party. If you are awarded $2 million for your Long Beach pedestrian accident, you would collect $1 million in damages ($2 million – 50% = $1 million).

What compensation can I receive for my Long Beach pedestrian accident?

Legally speaking, the compensation you could be entitled to for your Long Beach pedestrian accident is known as damages. Most pedestrians suffer serious and even catastrophic injuries when they’re hit by a vehicle. To determine your damages, your attorney will take into account the extent of your injuries and how they will impact you’re your quality of life going forward.

There are two types of damages, economic and non-economic. Economic damages take all of the expenses resulting from your pedestrian accident injury into account. These include, but aren’t limited to:

• Ambulance fees
• Medical bills
• Cost of rehabilitation
• Mental health counseling
• In-home modifications
• Long-term care
• Lost income

Non-economic damages are based on the emotional losses the victim has suffered. These often make up the largest part of the final settlement or verdict. This is because in most cases, there is no limit on how much can be awarded in non-economic damages.

Here are the most commonly awarded non-economic damages:

• Pain and suffering
• Anxiety
• Emotional distress
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Psychological trauma
• Grief
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of consortium (companionship)

An experienced attorney can compare your Long Beach pedestrian accident injuries to those of other clients they’ve helped in the past to come up with a good estimate of what damages you should be entitled to.

How can your law firm help someone who’s been through a pedestrian accident?

The Dominguez Firm has over 30 years of experience helping Long Beach pedestrian accident victims put their lives back together. Whether you have no medical insurance or are an undocumented immigrant, we can help you.

Why Hire our Long Beach Pedestrian Accident Lawyers?

Our nationally recognized lawyers have recovered millions and tens of millions of dollars in damages for pedestrian accident victims throughout California. We are not a referral service nor will we hand your case over to another firm. We are a real law firm with our own award-winning trial lawyers, in-house investigators and a network of top medical providers.

If the insurance companies and their attorneys won’t make a fair offer, The Dominguez Firm is not afraid to go to trial if necessary and they know it. This gives us leverage that other law firms don’t have. By choosing The Dominguez Firm, you’re choosing a known powerhouse personal injury law firm to represent you.

The Dominguez Firm Is Here To Help

Contact The Dominguez Firm today for a FREE consultation at 800-818-1818. And if you’re concerned about the cost of hiring a lawyer, know that we work on a contingency basis. That means we get paid by receiving a percentage of your final settlement or verdict. That percentage will be clearly stated in the client representation agreement you sign with us. So you owe us nothing upfront. You don’t have to worry about any out-of-pocket expenses, including hidden costs or upfront fees.

In the unlikely event we aren’t able to secure any compensation for you, you owe us nothing. In other words, if there is no recovery, there is no fee! So call us today.