Abramson Smith Waldsmith LLP
Treating California’s Injured With Dignity And Respect
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Holding Drivers Accountable For Pedestrian Accidents

When drivers and property owners fail to pay attention to the presence of pedestrians, it is those who are walking that pay the price.

  • Failing to fully stop and look both ways at crosswalks is a common cause of pedestrian injury by cars, buses and taxis.
  • Distracted drivers, due to using cellphones or eating, can contribute to the failure to see pedestrians.
  • Municipal and private property owners must maintain property so as to allow full visibility of surrounding traffic and pedestrians.

Children and the elderly are the most vulnerable to injury and the most commonly injured pedestrians. A high-speed impact, in which the pedestrian is thrown, usually results in head injuries, spinal injuries, internal injuries or death.

See the other types of motor vehicle accident cases our personal injury attorneys represent.

A Track Record Of Achieving Results For The Injured

If you were seriously injured in a pedestrian accident, or your loved one has died in a fatal hit-and-run accident, the culpable party should be held accountable and you deserve compensation.  At the law office of Abramson Smith Waldsmith LLP, we can help.

Our personal injury law firm has achieved a tremendous record of successful outcomes on behalf of clients in the San Francisco Bay Area and throughout California. We invite you to contact our office to schedule a free initial consultation with an experienced pedestrian accident lawyer.

We have handled pedestrian accidents and falls caused by uneven sidewalks, slippery walkways, malfunctioning traffic lights, inadequate signage and construction warnings, and negligence on the part of car, truck, bus, cable car and taxi drivers.

What Is Fair Compensation?

One of the challenges after any vehicle-related accident is getting fair compensation from the insurance company.  You have only one opportunity to obtain full compensation.  Before you sign any papers or accept any offer, talk with a lawyer so you understand your rights.

The attorneys of Abramson Smith Waldsmith LLP, work to ensure you receive the best, most appropriate medical care for your injuries.  We access a variety of medical experts when needed to document the scope of injury and disability.  We work with medical rehabilitation specialists to understand the short-term and long-term prospects for your recovery.  If severe injuries will prevent you from working, or you cannot hold the position you once had, we work with forensic economists to understand how these financial losses will affect you across the span of your work life.

In wrongful death cases, we look not only at the expenses the family has incurred because of the death, but also at future loss of earnings and the value of the services your loved one contributed to your family.

Get the financial compensation you deserve for traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, or broken bones arising from pedestrian accidents.  Contact the pedestrian accident attorneys at Abramson Smith Waldsmith LLP.  The sooner you seek competent legal representation, the better your chances for a positive outcome.

The following are examples of some of the pedestrian accident cases ASW has handled:

 Pedestrian v. Truck Driver

 Customs broker killed by truck making U-turn at Port of Oakland

Our client’s father worked at the Port of Oakland as a customs broker reviewing cargo manifest lists, which included retrieving paperwork from ships and taking it to the Customs Office.  A tractor-trailer truck swung wide to the right, outside the travel lane, in order to make an illegal U-turn at the Port of Oakland and in the process fatally struck our customs broker as he was about to board a ship.  Our firm represented decedent’s daughter in a wrongful death case against Marine Terminals Corporation and Total Terminal International.

Pedestrian v. Driver – $1,250,000

Pedestrian suffered a severe fracture of her foot when it was run over by a car

$1,250,000 for our pedestrian client who sustained serious injuries to her foot when Stephen Broadus Haigh drove his Toyota Highlander into her as she walked on Sacramento Street and crossed Steiner Street in a crosswalk in San Francisco.  Mr. Haigh drove directly into our client, knocked her down, and drove over her right foot, causing a compound fracture and dislocation to her right ankle, and a devolving of the skin on her right foot.

Family v. Driver – $1,250,000

 Pedestrian suffered fatal injuries when struck by a negligent driver in San Rafael.

$1,250,000 for the surviving family members of a man who sustained fatal injuries as a pedestrian in San Rafael in Marin County when defendant Zunqing struck him with a car.

Pedestrian v. Truck Driver

 Pedestrian suffered multiple fractures to his leg when a truck struck him

While working as a security guard at the San Francisco Wholesale Produce Market, our client suffered multiple fractures to his leg when Peterbilt 379 tractor-trailer truck driven by Gabino Bernal Morales struck him as he walked in the parking lot.  Gilberto Estrada, dba Huetamo Trucking, owned the truck and employed Morales to deliver produce to the San Francisco Wholesale Produce Market, owned by the San Francisco Market Corporation and managed by the San Francisco Produce Association. The San Francisco Produce Market, a wholesale market and distribution point for produce where farmers deliver produce to the Market where it is sold to bulk consumers.

Lumper v. SF Wholesale Produce Market – $640,000

 Lumper struck by car at SF Wholesale Produce Market

Our client was struck by a car while working as a lumper, assisting truck drivers and produce companies with the loading and unloading of produce, at the San Francisco Wholesale Produce Market, owned by the San Francisco Market Corporation and managed by the San Francisco Produce Association.  The San Francisco Produce Market, a wholesale market and distribution point for produce where farmers deliver produce to the Market to be sold to bulk consumers, operates on 10 acres on either side and in the median of Jerrold Avenue, a public street without curbs. San Francisco Produce Association had known for many years that the Market’s nightly operation causes congestion, confusion, and chaotic traffic conditions on Jerrold Avenue. Prior to the subject incident, the Market’s management recognized that the Market’s activities created traffic hazards, particularly to pedestrians. Despite this knowledge, the Market’s management took no measures to prevent vehicles from striking pedestrians within the Market. Our client sustained a subarachnoid hemorrhage, multiple rib fractures, an iliac wing fracture, L1 vertebral body fracture, and left tibia/fibula fractures that required an open reduction / internal fixation.

Pedestrian v. Taxicab Company

 Taxicab struck jaywalking pedestrian and caused serious injuries

Our client sustained serious injuries after being struck by a Luxor taxicab while crossing Post Street at Polk Street in San Francisco within the crosswalk but against the red light at 2 AM to catch another stopped taxicab.  During the discovery process in the case, our firm obtained surveillance video taken from a camera mounted inside the taxicab that included the speed of the cab and the driver’s view out the windshield.  The video showed our client following other pedestrians across the street and against the red light, fully visible to the cab driver when he began to accelerate into the pedestrians and striking our client.  This evidence turned the case and led to a settlement.

Pedestrian v. Driver

Pedestrian crossing street in an unmarked crosswalk struck by car and suffered a TBI and paraplegia

Our client was a young pedestrian crossing the street in an unmarked crosswalk when she was struck by a car, causing her to suffer a closed head injury and a traumatic spinal cord injury resulting in paraplegia.

Pedestrians v. Driver

 Elderly pedestrians struck by driver with sun in her eyes

Elderly couple out for a walk in Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, when Christine Peak Gates struck both of them with her car while they crossed the street in an unmarked crosswalk, killing the husband and seriously injuring the wife.  The driver could not see due to sun in her eyes.