What Should I Do After Being Hit by a Car in Riverside?

If you were hit by a car in Riverside, you need to act quickly to protect your health and your legal rights. A pedestrian accident can leave you with painful injuries, growing medical bills, time away from work, and a long road to recovery. Whether the collision occurred in Downtown Riverside, near Magnolia Avenue, University Avenue, or another busy Riverside roadway, the steps you take immediately after the crash can have a significant impact on your recovery and any future injury claim.

Call 911 and Get Medical Treatment Immediately

Your first priority after a Riverside car accident should be getting medical care. Call 911 and request emergency assistance. If you are unable to call, ask someone nearby to do so. Do not assume you are uninjured simply because you can stand or walk after the collision. 

Pedestrian accidents often cause traumatic brain injuries, internal injuries, fractures, spinal injuries, and soft tissue injuries that may not fully develop symptoms until hours or days later. Prompt medical treatment helps protect your health while creating medical records that connect your injuries to the Riverside pedestrian accident.

Identify the Driver and Gather Information

One of the most important things you can do after being hit by a car is identify the driver and obtain insurance information. If possible, obtain the driver’s name, address, phone number, license plate number, driver’s license information, and insurance details. If your injuries prevent you from gathering this information, ask a witness or responding officer to assist.

California Vehicle Code § 20003 requires a driver involved in an injury accident to provide identifying information and render reasonable assistance to an injured person. If the driver leaves the scene, immediately notify law enforcement and provide any information you remember about the vehicle.

Request a Police Report

A police report can become critical evidence in a Riverside pedestrian accident claim. When speaking with the responding officer, explain where you were crossing, where the vehicle came from, whether traffic signals were present, and whether anyone witnessed the collision. Stick to facts you personally observed and avoid guessing. The report may contain witness statements, driver information, scene observations, and other details that help establish how the crash occurred.

Preserve Evidence Before It Disappears

Evidence from a pedestrian accident can disappear quickly. If your injuries allow, take photographs of the vehicle, your injuries, the roadway, traffic signals, crosswalk markings, debris, skid marks, and surrounding conditions. Documenting the exact location of the collision may become important if liability is disputed. You should also identify nearby businesses, homes, or traffic cameras that may have captured the collision. Video evidence is often some of the strongest evidence available in a pedestrian accident case.

Determine Whether the Collision Happened in a Crosswalk

One of the most important issues in many Riverside pedestrian accident claims is whether the pedestrian was crossing within a crosswalk. California Vehicle Code § 21950 generally requires drivers to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians crossing within marked crosswalks and unmarked crosswalks at intersections. As a result, insurance companies often focus heavily on where the pedestrian was located at the time of impact.

If you were crossing within a crosswalk, preserve any evidence that helps establish your location, including photographs, witness information, surveillance footage, and the police report.

Can You Recover Compensation if You Were Partially at Fault?

Many pedestrians incorrectly believe they have no case if they were not crossing in a marked crosswalk. California Vehicle Code § 21954 addresses situations where a pedestrian crosses outside a marked crosswalk or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. However, that statute does not eliminate a driver’s responsibility to exercise due care for pedestrian safety.

Even when a pedestrian is outside a crosswalk, the driver’s actions remain important. Speeding, distracted driving, failure to maintain a proper lookout, unsafe turns, and delayed braking may all contribute to liability. Do not assume the insurance company is correct if it claims you caused the accident.

Be Careful When Speaking With the Insurance Company

The driver’s insurance company may contact you shortly after the collision. You should be cautious about providing a recorded statement before the facts have been fully investigated. Avoid speculating about fault, minimizing your injuries, or discussing matters you are uncertain about.

Insurance companies often evaluate claims based on early statements. Comments made immediately after a crash can later be used to challenge the value of your claim or dispute liability. You should also be cautious about accepting a quick settlement offer before understanding the full extent of your injuries and future treatment needs.

Keep Records of Your Damages

A Riverside pedestrian injury claim is only as strong as the evidence supporting it. Keep copies of medical records, hospital bills, physical therapy records, prescription receipts, diagnostic testing results, and other treatment-related documents. If your injuries prevent you from working, preserve records showing lost wages and missed time from work.

You should also document how your injuries affect your daily life. Difficulty walking, driving, exercising, caring for family members, or performing normal activities may become important when calculating damages.

Act Before Legal Deadlines Expire

California law limits the time available to pursue compensation after a pedestrian accident. California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1 generally provides two years to file a personal injury lawsuit arising from negligence.

If a government vehicle, public employee, or dangerous public property condition in Riverside contributed to the collision, California Government Code § 911.2 may require action within six months of the accident. Waiting too long may prevent you from recovering compensation.

Contact Riverside Pedestrian Accident Attorney

If you were seriously injured after being hit by a car in Riverside, the weeks and months ahead may involve medical treatment, missed work, and difficult conversations with insurance companies. Law Offices of Samer Habbas & Associates has recovered millions for injured pedestrians, including a $500,000 pedestrian accident recovery and a $740,000 settlement for a pedestrian struck in a crosswalk.

With more than $400 million recovered and recognition from Best Lawyers, Best Law Firms, AVVO 10.0 Superb, and America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators, the firm has built a proven record of results for injury victims. Get Samer on Your Side. Contact Law Offices of Samer Habbas & Associates by calling (888) 848-5084 or contacting us online for a free consultation with a Riverside pedestrian accident lawyer.