Getting hit by a car is not something you plan for. One minute you’re crossing the street, jogging, or walking the dog, and the next you’re on the pavement trying to make sense of what happened. The driver may apologize, panic, or blame you, but your biggest priority is your safety and recovery.
Before you start answering insurance questions or trying to sort things out on your own, it helps to talk to someone who handles these cases every day. Wells Call Injury Lawyers offers free case reviews and charges nothing unless we win. Our team has helped injured pedestrians across California for more than 40 years. Calling early gives you support with medical care, accident reporting, and the claims process while you focus on healing.
Keep reading to learn more about what to do when a car hits you, how fault works in California, and whether you can sue someone for hitting you with their car. Then contact us and let us walk you through your options.
Key Takeaways:
- If you were hit by a car in California, prioritize medical care first—even “minor” symptoms can signal serious injuries.
- Document the pedestrian accident in California with a police report, driver information, photos, and witness details whenever possible.
- Compensation for being hit by a car in California may include medical bills, lost income, future care costs, and pain and suffering.
- Be cautious with early insurance calls—what you say can affect a California pedestrian injury claim and the settlement value.
- Contacting a California pedestrian accident lawyer early can help preserve evidence and protect your claim from low offers and liability disputes.
What to Do When a Car Hits You: What Steps Should I Take?
If you’re a pedestrian hit by a car, do the following as soon as you can:
- Seek medical attention. Even if you feel “fine,” adrenaline hides pain, and injuries like concussions, fractures, and internal trauma show up hours or days later. Let paramedics evaluate you or get checked out the same day.
- Call the police. Police reports document the crash, identify the driver, and often include statements and video references. If you cannot call, ask someone else at the scene to make the call.
- Collect driver information. Make sure someone—police, a witness, or you— gets the driver’s name, contact info, license details, and insurance information.
- Take photos or ask someone to take them. Snapping pictures of the street, crosswalk, traffic lights, and your injuries will help your legal claim later.
- Avoid giving statements to insurers right away. Insurance companies exist to limit payouts. You deserve time to rest and talk to a lawyer before answering questions.
- Contact a pedestrian accident lawyer early. Talking to a lawyer early on means you have help protecting your rights, coordinating medical treatment, and managing insurance interactions from the start.
These steps help protect your health and the value of your claim.
What Are the Consequences for Hitting a Pedestrian?
California law recognizes that pedestrians are the most vulnerable road users, and the legal system is designed to protect them when collisions occur. When a car hits a pedestrian, the driver may be held accountable for the harm they caused. This accountability can take several forms, including:
- Payment for medical bills and related losses, including long-term care needs;
- Insurance consequences, since at-fault drivers trigger claims and rate increases;
- Traffic citations tied to the mistake or violation that led to the crash; and
- Criminal charges if the driver was under the influence or acted recklessly.
For injured pedestrians, the real takeaway is that California designed the law to compensate you and hold the driver responsible, not the other way around. Evidence collected at the scene can lead to heavy consequences for hitting a pedestrian and help ensure the legal process treats your injuries and losses fairly.
Can You Sue Someone for Hitting You with Their Car When It Was an Accident?
The short answer to the question “Can you sue someone for hitting you with their car when it was an accident?” is typically yes. The long answer is that California law requires drivers to use reasonable care. So when they break that duty, even accidentally, they are legally responsible for their actions.
Examples of a failure to use reasonable care include:
- Driving through a crosswalk without yielding,
- Texting or checking directions,
- Rolling through a stop sign,
- Speeding or racing through yellow lights,
- Turning without checking the crosswalk,
- Driving impaired or fatigued, and
- Ignoring road or weather conditions.
California’s fault rules make the driver who violated their duty financially responsible for the harm you suffered. So if those behaviors led to the crash, you can pursue compensation through insurance or a lawsuit.
Why Contact Wells Call Injury Lawyers After You’re Hit by a Car?
Getting back on your feet after a pedestrian accident takes energy most people don’t have to spare. Medical appointments, pain, missed work, and insurance questions pile up fast. Wells Call Injury Lawyers steps in to take that stress off your shoulders.
Our pedestrian accident team can:
- Preserve evidence and witness statements before they disappear;
- Build a strong liability case using police reports, surveillance footage, and expert evaluation;
- Calculate the full value of your claim, including long-term medical needs and future losses;
- Deal directly with insurance companies so you don’t have to field calls or argue about coverage;
- Stop lowball settlement tactics and push for a fair offer grounded in real damages; and
- File a lawsuit and take your case to trial if insurers refuse to act reasonably.
Wells Call Injury Lawyers handles the legal heavy lifting while you focus on healing, treatment, and getting life back on track.
Pedestrian Hit by a Car? Wells Call Injury Lawyers Can Help
If you were hit by a car anywhere in California, even if the driver claims it was an accident, Wells Call Injury Lawyers is ready to guide you forward. We’ve represented injured pedestrians across the state since 1984 and recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for clients just like you.
Here’s what you can expect from us:
- Free case reviews to walk through your options;
- Local attorneys who live in the same communities you do;
- In-person meetings when you want them;
- Spanish-speaking staff and multilingual support;
- Top-rated trial lawyers, including Super Lawyers, Rising Stars, and National Top 40 Under 40;
- Members of the Million-Dollar Advocates Forum; and
- A reputation backed by 5-star Google reviews.
If a car hits you or someone you love, contact Wells Call Injury Lawyers today. A real person will answer, a real attorney will guide you, and you never owe us a fee unless we win your case.