Walking through San Bernardino should not place a pedestrian in harm’s way; yet, fast-moving traffic, congested intersections, and inattentive drivers create a risk of injury and even death for pedestrians. When a vehicle strikes a person on foot, the injuries often prove severe and lead to immediate life-altering trauma. Emergency transport, hospitalization, and extended recovery frequently follow. After these collisions, many injured individuals recognize the critical role a San Bernardino pedestrian accident lawyer plays in addressing the legal and financial consequences of a pedestrian accident involving a motor vehicle.
Medical treatment represents only one part of the recovery process. Lost income, disrupted routines, and lasting physical limitations place additional strain on injured pedestrians and their families. Insurance carriers often attempt to redirect attention toward pedestrian behavior rather than driver conduct, which complicates recovery under California law. Greene Broillet & Wheeler approaches these cases with a focus on courtroom litigation. We always prepare for trial, and we work diligently to hold negligent parties accountable following serious pedestrian accidents.
Pedestrian accident litigation requires thorough preparation, trial readiness, and a clear understanding of how insurance carriers assess claims involving pedestrians. These cases often turn on early evidence preservation, credible medical support, and a willingness to advance a claim beyond surface-level negotiations. Greene Broillet & Wheeler brings five decades of courtroom advocacy to pedestrian accident cases. For each of our clients, our legal team applies the same disciplined approach used in high-stakes injury litigation across California, including pedestrian accidents.
This approach reflects how pedestrian accident claims receive our attention from the outset. Clients choose our San Bernardino pedestrian accident lawyers because representation centers on readiness, accountability, and long-term strategy:
Every pedestrian accident claim demands careful preparation from the start. Consistent preparation supported by evidence and experience is vital. This can prevent early undervaluation and applies pressure on responsible parties throughout the legal process.
Our case history includes substantial verdicts and settlements involving pedestrian accidents, roadway safety failures, and dangerous public conditions. Some examples of results we have achieved include:
Past results do not guarantee or predict similar outcomes in future cases, as every claim depends on specific facts, applicable law, and evidentiary development. At Greene Broillet & Wheeler, we work to evaluate each case individually and pursue outcomes grounded in careful preparation and accountability.
Pedestrians face a level of vulnerability that sets these injury cases apart from standard vehicle collisions. Without the protection of a vehicle frame, even low-speed impacts often cause serious harm. This heightened risk influences how insurers evaluate liability, damages, and fault allocation from the start. Insurance companies may try to shift attention toward pedestrian conduct, visibility, and surrounding roadway conditions rather than driver behavior. They may use a variety of sophisticated tactics to minimize their risk of paying maximum compensation to the injury victim. We can counter these tactics.
Disputes about causation commonly arise over right-of-way at crosswalks or intersections, along with allegations involving inattentive walking or unsafe crossing decisions. Conflicting witness accounts tied to traffic signals or turning vehicles further complicate the analysis. Pedestrian accident litigation requires careful evaluation of accident reconstruction, roadway design, signal timing, lighting conditions, and traffic control devices. These factors, and many others, can significantly impact liability determinations and settlement posture. Our team has the resources and experience to investigate these cases and pursue maximum compensation for our clients.
The steps taken after a pedestrian accident can influence physical recovery and legal options. Prioritizing safety, documentation, and informed decision-making helps bolster a claim from the start.
After a collision, injured pedestrians should consider the following actions:
Insurance carriers often contact injured pedestrians quickly after a collision. Initial statements, even when well-intentioned, can later lead to disputes over fault or the severity of an injury. Careful sequencing of these steps helps preserve both positive health outcomes and legal options.
Liability following a pedestrian accident often extends beyond a single driver. California law allows injured pedestrians to pursue claims against any person or entity whose negligence contributed to the collision. Responsibility may involve multiple parties depending on how and where the incident occurred.
Potentially liable parties may include:
Identifying every responsible party strengthens accountability and supports a more complete legal strategy. This assessment often plays a central role when a San Bernardino pedestrian accident lawyer evaluates liability and prepares a pedestrian accident claim.
Yes. California permits injured pedestrians to pursue compensation even when their own conduct played a role in the incident. Under California Civil Code section 1714, responsibility follows each party’s failure to exercise reasonable care, with fault allocated accordingly.
In pedestrian accident cases, compensation reflects this allocation rather than eliminating recovery altogether. A pedestrian who shares responsibility may still recover damages, although the total amount adjusts based on comparative fault.
Insurance carriers can attempt to magnify pedestrian responsibility to reduce financial exposure. Careful claim development, clear evidence, and consistent documentation help counter these tactics and protect compensation rights.
The value of a pedestrian accident case depends on several interrelated factors rather than a fixed calculation. A San Bernardino pedestrian accident lawyer evaluates injury severity, medical treatment requirements, recovery timelines, and lasting physical limitations when assessing potential compensation.
Additional considerations often include changes in earning capacity, the scope and duration of rehabilitation, permanency of physical or cognitive impairment, and comparative fault allocation. A thorough valuation relies on medical documentation, employment records, and, often, professional projections addressing future care needs.
Pedestrian accident claims may allow injured pedestrians to pursue damages for financial losses and non-financial harm recognized under California law.
Economic damages address measurable financial losses connected to the accident, including emergency care, hospitalization, assistive devices, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and anticipated future medical treatment related to accident injuries. Documentation, such as medical invoices, wage records, and expert evaluations, often supports these claims.
Non-economic damages compensate for personal harm without a fixed dollar value. These losses may include physical pain, anxiety, loss of enjoyment of daily activities, permanent scarring, or disfigurement. Pedestrian accidents frequently involve significant non-economic harm due to the severity of impact-related trauma.
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Pedestrian accidents occur frequently throughout San Bernardino due to driver error or traffic violations. While there are a wide range of causes, common causes of pedestrian accidents in San Bernardino include failure to yield at marked or unmarked crosswalks, speeding in residential zones, distracted driving, impaired driving, unsafe left turns, and poor nighttime visibility.
Understanding how a collision occurred plays a critical role in determining liability and strengthening a pedestrian accident claim.
Pedestrian accidents often result in serious harm because a vehicle’s force transfers directly to the body, frequently followed by secondary impact with pavement or surrounding objects. These collisions tend to produce complex injuries rather than isolated trauma, which complicates both medical recovery and long-term planning. A San Bernardino pedestrian accident lawyer often evaluates claims involving injuries with lasting physical and financial consequences.
Some of the most common injuries associated with pedestrian accidents include:
Physical injuries often coincide with psychological effects such as anxiety, sleep disruption, or post-traumatic stress. Many injured pedestrians also face financial strain from ongoing treatment, assistive devices, home modifications, and reduced earning capacity. Greene Broillet & Wheeler evaluates pedestrian accident injuries, paying attention to both immediate trauma and long-term impact. This approach relies on early medical documentation and consistent care to demonstrate how lasting limitations influence claim value.
California law sets firm deadlines for filing pedestrian accident lawsuits. Under California Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1, most personal injury claims must be filed within two years from the date of injury.
Certain exceptions may shorten this period. Claims involving government entities often require notice within months, rather than years, and limited circumstances, such as those involving minors or delayed injury discovery, may affect filing deadlines. Missing the applicable deadline can permanently eliminate the right to recover compensation, making early legal evaluation crucial when consulting with a San Bernardino pedestrian accident lawyer.
Pedestrian accident claims often encounter resistance from insurance carriers, particularly when serious injuries or disputed liability exist. Managing these challenges requires careful coordination, timely evidence preservation, and a clear claim strategy from the outset.
Greene Broillet & Wheeler protects pedestrian accident claims by investigating collision circumstances, organizing medical documentation, managing insurer communications, and preparing cases for litigation when negotiations fail. Early involvement helps prevent missteps that could reduce claim value, distort fault analysis, or weaken a pedestrian accident claim before it fully develops.
Serious pedestrian injuries often create immediate legal questions alongside medical recovery. Our San Bernardino pedestrian accident lawyers provide clear guidance while working to hold negligent parties accountable.
Call Greene Broillet & Wheeler at 866-634-4525 to schedule a free consultation and discuss your legal options.
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Tim J. Wheeler is the Firm’s Managing Partner and a highly accomplished California trial lawyer with decades of experience in product liability, personal injury, employment, and complex negligence cases. He has secured over 150 verdicts and settlements exceeding $1 million, including landmark results such as the largest personal injury verdict against the City of Los Angeles at the time and record jury awards for brain injury and wrongful termination cases. Tim is a former Personal Injury Lawyer of the Year and Product Liability Lawyer of the Year in Los Angeles, and a long-standing honoree of Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers.
Named in Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms,” Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP ranks as Tier 1 Personal Injury Litigation- Plaintiffs in Los Angeles.
Many firm members have been honored by the Consumer Attorneys of California, including Browne Greene, Christine Spagnoli, and Bruce Broillet, recipients of the Marvin E. Lewis Award. In addition, attorneys Bruce Broillet, Scott Carr, Molly McKibben, and Tobin Lanzetta has been honored with the Consumer Attorney of the Year Award.
All of our attorneys are proud to be active members of the Los Angeles County Bar Association or LACBA.
Our attorneys were featured in TopVerdict for having one of the Top 10 Wrongful Death Verdicts in California in 2019, with $15 million won for the plaintiff in Keck v. Bel-Air Bay Club.
Partners Geoff Wells and Ivan Puchalt were both named among the 2025 Consumer Attorney Visionaries by LA Times Studios.
Several partners are active members in the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, with attorneys Browne Greene, Bruce Broillet, and Christine Spagnoli named “Trial Lawyer of the Year.”
Firm partners Christine D. Spagnoli and Molly McKibben have both been honored by the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles and are active members.
After winning $2.6 million for the plaintiff’s side in a head-on collision case, our victory was named in the Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in California in 2019 by TopVerdict.
Several of our partners are members in the American Board of Trial Advocates, a national invite-only association consisting of the most experienced trial lawyers.
Our team includes several Fellows and Associates with the invite-only International Society of Barristers in recognition of their trial advocacy.
Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP, was featured by TopVerdict in the Top 100 Settlements across all practice areas in California for 2019.
Bruce A. Broillet and Christine D. Spagnoli are Fellows with the invite-only International Academy of Trial Lawyers, a group of elite trial lawyers from over 30 countries.
Recipients of this recognition are held up to the same standards as for The Best Lawyers in America, but only legal professionals in the first ten years of their careers qualify. Four attorneys at GBW have been recognized with this award in 2021.
Founding partners Browne Greene and Bruce A. Broillet are both members of the exclusive invite-only Inner Circle of Advocates, as two of the top 100 plaintiff trial lawyers in America.
Our firm has more attorneys on the Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars lists than any other law firm in Southern California, with 15 members selected.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partiner, Tim J. Wheeler who has more than 20 years of legal experience as a personal injury attorney.
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