Redondo Beach Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
Redondo Beach is a walking city, with foot traffic around the pier, the harbor, and Riviera Village, and that shows up in the state’s crash data. From 2019 through 2023, the California Office of Traffic Safety counted 21 to 29 pedestrians killed or injured in the city each year, and in 2022 Redondo Beach ranked 4th of 104 similar cities for pedestrians 65 and older. California law puts the first duty on drivers: they must yield to people crossing in a marked crosswalk, or in an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection (Veh. Code § 21950).
Redondo Beach pedestrian accident lawyer Jon Olsson represents people hit by cars, trucks, and other vehicles while walking in Redondo Beach, and families who lost someone in a pedestrian crash. He works on each case himself, the first consultation is free, and you owe no attorney’s fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Redondo Beach Pedestrian Accident Claims: Key Facts
- Lawsuit deadline: generally two years after you were hurt (CCP § 335.1).
- Claims about a crosswalk, signal, or street design: generally due within six months (Gov. Code § 911.2), to the City of Redondo Beach for City streets or to the State for Pacific Coast Highway.
- Drivers in crosswalks: must slow down or take other action as needed to keep a pedestrian safe (Veh. Code § 21950(c)).
- Crossing mid-block: a pedestrian outside a crosswalk must yield to vehicles close enough to be an immediate hazard, but drivers still owe due care to anyone on the road (Veh. Code § 21954).
- Shared fault: if you were partly at fault, your award is reduced, not eliminated (Li v. Yellow Cab Co.).
- Courthouse: pedestrian injury lawsuits from Redondo Beach generally go to the Southwest District’s Torrance Courthouse, 825 Maple Avenue.
- Cost: no attorney’s fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Why Jon’s Corporate Defense Experience Helps Your Redondo Beach Pedestrian Accident Claim
Jon spent the early part of his career on the other side of injury cases, so he knows how insurers and their lawyers will size up your claim. Before founding Olsson Law, he spent six years at a large international law firm defending companies in complex litigation, including serious injury and product liability matters. He then joined a Los Angeles personal injury firm, where he represented injured people in motor vehicle collisions, dangerous property conditions, public entity cases, and disputed liability matters. That background tells him what evidence moves a defense lawyer, and what they look for to justify paying less.
Jon stays directly involved from your first consultation through the resolution of your case, and works to reduce medical bills and liens so more of any settlement goes to you.
- Education: Georgetown University Law Center (J.D.); New York University (B.A.)
- Bar admissions: California, Texas, and Massachusetts
- Community: member of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and the South Bay Bar Association
Prior Results
- $3.85 million: wrongful death settlement
- $700,000: car accident, back and neck injuries
- $400,000: slip and fall, knee injury
These results include matters personally handled by Jon Olsson at prior law firms and matters in which he participated as part of a legal team. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Read more about Jon Olsson, our approach, and prior results.
Pedestrians Hurt in Redondo Beach Crashes
Pedestrians were about one in ten of Redondo Beach’s crash victims in 2019 and 2020. Older walkers stand out in some years: 9 people 65 and older were killed or injured in 2022, which ranked 4th worst of 104 similar cities.
| Year | Pedestrians killed or injured (rank) | Ages 65 and older (rank) | Under 15 (rank) | Share of all Redondo Beach crash victims | Cities ranked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 22 (32nd) | 2 (62nd) | 1 (75th) | 6.9% | 103 |
| 2022 | 27 (20th) | 9 (4th) | 1 (67th) | 8.1% | 104 |
| 2021 | 21 (32nd) | 5 (16th) | 0 (93rd) | 7.1% | 105 |
| 2020 | 23 (9th) | 2 (58th) | 2 (24th) | 10.3% | 106 |
| 2019 | 29 (12th) | 2 (62nd) | 4 (22nd) | 10.7% | 105 |
No. 1 is the worst ranking in OTS’s comparison of California cities with 50,001 to 100,000 residents (how OTS ranks cities). With counts this small, one or two crashes can move a ranking a long way. The share column is Olsson Law’s calculation from OTS’s yearly totals, and 2023 is the latest year ranked as of October 2026.
Where Pedestrians Are Hit in Redondo Beach
Crossing Pacific Coast Highway. PCH is a State highway that carried about 40,000 vehicles a day just north of Torrance Boulevard in 2024 (Caltrans traffic counts). If a crosswalk’s design or signal timing on PCH helped cause a crash, that part of the claim goes to the State.
The pier, the harbor, and Riviera Village. These areas mix steady foot traffic with drivers looking for parking, and people cross between shops, restaurants, and the water. Drivers approaching a pedestrian in a crosswalk must exercise all due care and slow down as needed.
After dark. Only two cities of Redondo Beach’s size ranked worse for 2022 injury crashes between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. (OTS 2022). Poor lighting at a crossing can be part of a claim against the agency responsible for it.
On the beach path. If you were walking on the beach path and were hit by an e-bike or bicycle, see our Redondo Beach bicycle and e-bike accident guide for how those claims work.
Who Is Responsible for the Crosswalk or Street?
Most pedestrian claims are against the driver. When a missing crosswalk, bad signal timing, or poor lighting contributed, the agency that controls the street may share responsibility.
| Location | Public agency | Where to send the claim |
|---|---|---|
| Crosswalks, signals, and lighting on Redondo Beach city streets | City of Redondo Beach | City Clerk’s Office, on the City’s liability claim form; it needs an original signature and must be brought in or sent by U.S. mail |
| Crossings on Pacific Coast Highway | State of California, through Caltrans | Claims of $12,500 or less: Caltrans district office. Over $12,500: the Government Claims Program |
The claim generally requires proof of a dangerous condition that the agency either created or knew, or should have known, about early enough to correct (Gov. Code § 835). A written rejection generally starts a new six-month window to sue (Gov. Code § 945.6).
Who Pays After a Pedestrian Accident in Redondo Beach?
| Situation | Who may pay |
|---|---|
| A driver hit you | The driver’s auto liability insurer |
| The driver had no insurance or too little | Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage on your own auto policy, or a household member’s, depending on its terms (Ins. Code § 11580.2) |
| The driver fled | The same uninsured motorist coverage, if you meet the statute’s conditions |
| The driver was working, such as making a delivery | The employer’s commercial policy may also apply |
| A crosswalk, signal, or lighting problem contributed | The City or the State, through a government claim |
| Doctor and hospital bills in the meantime | Your health insurance or an auto policy’s medical payments coverage; either may want repayment from the settlement |
After a Pedestrian Accident in Redondo Beach
- Get medical care right away. Pedestrians often suffer fractures and head injuries, and the region’s Level I trauma care includes Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
- Make sure police come. The driver generally must report an injury crash within 24 hours (Veh. Code § 20008), but a police report made at the scene records the details while they’re fresh.
- Get the driver’s name, license number, plate, and insurance, or if you can’t, ask a witness to.
- Photograph the crossing: crosswalk markings, signals, lighting, and where the car stopped.
- Ask nearby businesses to save video right away, before it’s recorded over.
- Let a lawyer review things before the driver’s insurer records an interview with you.
Getting the Police Report
The Redondo Beach Police Department’s Records Unit handles traffic collision reports. Submit a request through the City’s online records portal, or mail it to the Records Unit at 401 Diamond Street, Redondo Beach, CA 90277, with a copy of your photo ID. We can request it for you.
How Jon Builds a Redondo Beach Pedestrian Accident Case
- Visibility and right of way: where you were crossing, the signal phase, lighting, and what the driver could have seen.
- Evidence: the police report, business and traffic video, witness statements, and, in serious cases, a reconstruction of speed and sightlines.
- The street itself: whether the crosswalk, signal, or lighting should make the City or State part of the claim.
- Injuries: medical records, bills, and your doctors’ views on future care, including for older clients who may need longer recoveries.
- Insurance: the driver’s policy, any employer’s policy, and every uninsured/underinsured motorist policy that may cover you.
- Resolution: settlement talks built on a written demand, and if those fail, a lawsuit, generally filed in the court district where the crash happened, the Torrance Courthouse for Redondo Beach.
Learn about pedestrian accident claims more generally.
Redondo Beach Pedestrian Accident FAQs
I Was Crossing Outside a Crosswalk When I Was Hit. Can I Still Recover?
Possibly. A pedestrian outside a crosswalk must yield to vehicles close enough to be an immediate hazard, but drivers still owe due care to everyone on the road. If you share some fault, your award is reduced by your share rather than barred.
The Driver Says I Stepped Out Suddenly. Does That End My Claim?
Not necessarily. California law tells pedestrians not to step suddenly into the path of a vehicle close enough to be an immediate hazard, and it also requires drivers approaching a pedestrian in a crosswalk to exercise all due care. Video and witness accounts often decide which version is accurate.
I Don’t Own a Car. Is There Still Insurance That Covers Me?
Possibly. Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage on a household member’s auto policy may cover you, depending on its terms. Bring any household policies to your consultation.
My Parent Was Hit While Walking. Can the Family Bring a Claim?
Your parent has their own injury claim, and family members can help them pursue it. If the crash was fatal, certain family members can bring a wrongful death claim.
What Does a Redondo Beach Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Cost?
Jon takes a percentage of any recovery, and you owe no attorney’s fee if nothing is recovered. State law requires the fee agreement to be written (Bus. & Prof. Code § 6147).
Talk to a Redondo Beach Pedestrian Accident Attorney
Business video near a crossing is often recorded over quickly, and claims about a City street or PCH are generally due within six months. Talk with Jon Olsson for free at (310) 304-4756, or reach us online. You owe no attorney’s fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Hurt some other way in Redondo Beach? Start with our Redondo Beach personal injury lawyer page.
This page provides general information about pedestrian accident claims in Redondo Beach. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Deadlines and rules can change and may depend on the facts of your case.