Accident and Injury Lawyer in Glendale, CA
If you were hurt in an accident in Glendale, whether in a crosswalk, on an electric scooter, on a bike, or by a distracted driver, a dog, or a dangerous floor, the insurance company has already started deciding what your injuries are worth. We know how that decision gets made because we used to sit on that side of the table. NMF Law Group, APC now represents injured people across California, including Glendale, and the consultation with our accident lawyer is free.
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Where People Get Hurt in Glendale
Glendale is its own incorporated city in Los Angeles County, with its own police department and city government. That matters for an injury claim: your report may come from the Glendale Police Department, and a claim over a dangerous city street or sidewalk may be made against the City of Glendale on a far shorter deadline than an ordinary case.
Brand Boulevard runs through the heart of downtown, where stores, restaurants, and office towers line the street and the Americana at Brand and the Glendale Galleria face each other across the boulevard. The 134 (Ventura Freeway) crosses the city from east to west, the 2 (Glendale Freeway) runs north through it, and Interstate 5 follows its western edge.
Before founding this firm, our lead attorney spent nearly a decade defending insurance companies, public entities, and property owners. Those are the same kinds of parties that can answer for injuries in Glendale.
Pedestrian and Crosswalk Accidents in Glendale
Under Vehicle Code 21950, a driver must yield the right of way to a pedestrian crossing in a marked crosswalk or in an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. The protection does not depend on painted lines, so a driver who says “there was no crosswalk” may be wrong about the law. That rule matters downtown, where drivers hunting for parking share Brand Boulevard with shoppers crossing between the Americana at Brand and the Glendale Galleria.
The same statute expects pedestrians to use care for their own safety, and the driver’s carrier will lean on that, arguing you stepped out suddenly or were looking at your phone. We answer with evidence gathered early: signal timing, video from nearby businesses, witness accounts, and the damage pattern on the vehicle.
Electric Scooter Accidents in Glendale
California classifies a stand up electric scooter as a motorized scooter under Vehicle Code 407.5. Vehicle Code 21235 requires riders to hold a driver’s license or instruction permit, generally bars sidewalk riding and passengers, and requires a helmet only for riders under 18. Vehicle Code 22411 limits a motorized scooter to 15 miles per hour. Downtown, staying off the sidewalk puts a rider in traffic on Brand Boulevard.
Insurers will raise any rule violation they find, but that is not the end of the analysis. We look at what actually caused the crash: a driver who turned across your path, a car door that swung open, or broken pavement no one repaired. If that pavement belongs to the City of Glendale, the claim may be against the city itself, and the six month deadline below applies.
Distracted Drivers, Bicycles, Rideshares, Dog Bites, and Falls
Distracted driving accidents
Vehicle Code 23123.5 makes it unlawful to drive while holding and operating a phone unless it is used in a voice operated, hands free manner, or it is mounted and the driver touches it with only a single swipe or tap. A violation is a traffic infraction. A claim for compensation rests on Civil Code 1714(a), which makes everyone responsible for injuries caused by a failure to use ordinary care, and proof of phone use can be strong evidence of that failure. If a distracted driver hit your car, see our Glendale car accident lawyer page.
Bicycle crashes
Under Vehicle Code 21200, a person riding a bicycle has the rights and duties of a driver, and Vehicle Code 21760, the Three Feet for Safety Act, generally requires a driver passing a bicycle to leave at least three feet. See our bicycle accident page.
Rideshare crashes
If you were hurt as an Uber or Lyft passenger, or hit by a rideshare driver, Public Utilities Code 5433 sets the insurance that must be in place: at least $1,000,000 from the moment the driver accepts a ride request until the ride is complete, and lower limits while the driver is logged in and waiting for a request. What the driver was doing at that moment decides which coverage applies. See our rideshare accident page.
Dog bites
Civil Code 3342 makes a dog’s owner responsible for a bite in a public place, or while you are lawfully in a private place, even if the dog never bit anyone before. See our dog bite page.
Slip and fall injuries
Civil Code 1714(a) also applies to how owners manage their property. A dark stairwell or an uneven walkway can be evidence that the owner failed to use ordinary care. See our slip and fall page.
What to Do After an Accident in Glendale
- Get medical care right away, even if you feel fine.
- Photograph the scene before it changes: the crosswalk, vehicle, scooter, sidewalk defect, or spill, and your injuries.
- Get the report number from the responding officers, whether that was the Glendale Police Department or another agency.
- Collect witness names and phone numbers, and note any business camera facing the scene.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the other side’s insurance company.
- Talk to a lawyer before you accept any offer.
If a city street, crosswalk, or sidewalk played a role, act quickly. Under Government Code 835, a public entity can be responsible for injuries caused by a dangerous condition of its property when that statute’s requirements are met. If the property belongs to the City of Glendale, Government Code 911.2 requires the claim to be presented within six months. For most other injuries, a lawsuit must be filed within two years under Code of Civil Procedure 335.1.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to bring an injury claim in Glendale?
Generally two years under Code of Civil Procedure 335.1. If the City of Glendale or another public entity may be responsible, Government Code 911.2 requires a claim within six months.
Who pays if a driver hit me in a Glendale crosswalk?
The claim is usually made against the driver’s liability insurance, because Vehicle Code 21950 requires drivers to yield to pedestrians in marked crosswalks and in unmarked crosswalks at intersections. If the driver has little or no insurance, your own auto policy may include coverage, and we review every policy that could pay.
Can I bring a claim if I was riding an electric scooter without a helmet?
Vehicle Code 21235 requires a helmet only for scooter riders under 18, so an adult rider without one was not breaking that rule. The insurer may still argue about your injuries, and we answer with your medical records.
What if the driver who hit me was using a phone?
Vehicle Code 23123.5 bars drivers from holding and operating a phone unless it is used hands free or is mounted and touched with only a single swipe or tap. Evidence of phone use can support your claim that the driver failed to use ordinary care under Civil Code 1714(a), so tell us what you saw right away.
What does a Glendale injury lawyer cost?
The consultation is free, you pay nothing up front, and there are no attorney’s fees unless we win.
If a car crash brought you here, visit our Glendale car accident lawyer page. For injuries on foot or on a scooter, see our pedestrian accident and scooter accident pages, or review every case type on our personal injury page. We work with clients in English and Spanish. Contact us or call (213) 800-0706 for a free consultation.
A fall on a torn carpet or a wet floor in a Glendale store or apartment building can support a premises liability claim. For a crash farther west along the 134, we also explain car accident claims in North Hollywood.