Hit by a car while walking in Clearlake? Talk to a pedestrian accident lawyer for free

The Law Offices of J. Chrisp represents people hit by cars while walking in Clearlake. The firm’s main office is in nearby Lower Lake. The phone is answered 24/7 at 877-J-CHRISP (877-524-7477).

The firm has recovered over $350 million for clients since 2010. The sections below cover its vehicle crash results, the first steps after being hit, the rules for drivers and people on foot, how fault and insurance work, the claim deadlines and where to get a Clearlake crash report.

Table of Contents

A car hit me while I was walking in Clearlake. Who pays my medical bills?

If the driver was at fault, the driver’s liability insurance is usually the first source of payment, and your own auto policy may also help. The Law Offices of J. Chrisp offers a free consultation and works on a contingency fee, and there is no fee unless we win.

Vehicle crash results

Results from the firm’s vehicle crash cases include:

$5,250,000 in a car crash case.
$3,375,000 in a Hertz rental car accident case.
$2,350,000 in an airport shuttle-versus-car crash case.
$2,350,000 in a transport van crash case.
$2,300,000 in a county vehicle crash case.
A $2,350,000 jury verdict in a major head-on crash case involving the sheriff.

Every case is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

What to do after being hit by a car while walking in Clearlake

Call 911 and stay where you are if you can. A driver involved in an injury crash must stop (Vehicle Code section 20001), give their name, address and vehicle registration number, and give reasonable help to anyone hurt (Vehicle Code section 20003).

Get medical care the same day, even if you feel able to walk away.
Ask the officer for their name and the report number.
Photograph the street, the crosswalk if there is one, signals, lighting, the car and your injuries. Write down witness names and phone numbers.
Keep the shoes and clothes you were wearing.
Do not give the driver’s insurance company a recorded statement before you have legal advice.

Driver and pedestrian duties in California

A driver must yield the right of way to a pedestrian crossing in a marked crosswalk or in an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. A driver approaching a pedestrian in a crosswalk must use all due care and slow down or take other action to keep the pedestrian safe (Vehicle Code section 21950).

People on foot have duties too. A pedestrian may not suddenly leave a curb or other safe place and walk into the path of a vehicle so close that it is an immediate hazard, and may not stop or delay traffic in a crosswalk without need (Vehicle Code section 21950). Outside a crosswalk, a pedestrian must yield to vehicles so near that they are an immediate hazard. That rule does not relieve the driver of the duty to use due care for a pedestrian on the road (Vehicle Code section 21954).

Between two intersections that both have traffic signals or police directing traffic, pedestrians must cross in a crosswalk. Since January 1, 2023, under AB 2147, an officer may not stop a pedestrian for crossing there outside a crosswalk unless a reasonably careful person would see an immediate danger of a collision. The change does not remove the pedestrian’s duty to take care for their own safety, or the driver’s duty of due care (Vehicle Code section 21955).

How fault works when a pedestrian is hit

California uses pure comparative fault (Li v. Yellow Cab Co., 1975). If you were partly at fault, for example by crossing away from a crosswalk, you can still recover, and your compensation is reduced by your share. If you are found 25% at fault, you can recover 75% of your damages. When several defendants share fault, each pays non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, only in proportion to its own share (Civil Code section 1431.2).

Who pays after a pedestrian accident

The driver’s liability insurance. For policies issued or renewed since January 1, 2025, California’s minimum is $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident (Vehicle Code section 16056). Serious injuries can cost more than that.
Your own auto policy. Uninsured motorist coverage protects the named insured, a spouse and relatives living in the household “while occupants of a motor vehicle or otherwise” (Insurance Code section 11580.2), so it may apply when an uninsured driver hits you on foot. Medical payments coverage and the exact limits depend on your policy’s wording. Tell your insurer about the crash as your policy requires.
A public entity, if a dangerous condition of a public street played a part. That claim has its own short deadline, shown below.

Deadlines for a Clearlake pedestrian accident claim

Deadline	What it controls	Source
6 months	Written claim for an injury against a public entity, such as the City of Clearlake, the County of Lake or the state (Caltrans). It is due within six months after the claim arises (accrues). A late-claim application is possible within limits.	Government Code section 911.2; section 911.4
6 months after notice	Lawsuit after a public entity gives written notice rejecting the claim	Government Code section 945.6
2 years	Most personal injury lawsuits	Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1

Crash reports, state highway claims and the court for a Clearlake case

City streets. The Clearlake Police Department is at 14050 Olympic Drive, Clearlake, CA 95422. To get a copy of a report, fill out its Release of Information form and send it to the Records Bureau by mail, by fax or in person. The department charges $10 per report.
State highways and county roads. The California Highway Patrol Clear Lake Area office, 5700 Live Oak Drive, Kelseyville, CA 95451, covers State Routes 20, 29, 53 and 175 and the unincorporated roads in Lake County.
Claims over a state highway. Caltrans takes injury or damage claims of $12,500 or less on its own form, DOTLD-0274, mailed to the district claims office for the county. Larger claims go to the Government Claims Program of the California Department of General Services, which charges a $25 filing fee.
Court. Subject to exceptions, a personal injury lawsuit can be filed in the county where the injury happened (Code of Civil Procedure section 395). For Clearlake, that is the Superior Court of California, County of Lake. Civil cases are heard at the Lakeport Courthouse, 675 Lakeport Blvd., Lakeport, CA 95453. The court’s Clearlake Branch, 7000-A South Center Drive, handles small claims and traffic matters.

Offices, service area and recognition

The firm serves Sonoma, Napa, Lake and Mendocino counties and the San Francisco Bay Area. It does not have an office in Clearlake. Its main office is in nearby Lower Lake. Its offices are:

Lower Lake (main office): 9667 Highway 29, Lower Lake, CA 95457.
Santa Rosa: 3558 Round Barn Blvd, Suite 200, Santa Rosa, CA 95403.
San Francisco: 1330 Bush Street, Suite 9D, San Francisco, CA 94109.

The firm was named to Best Law Firms 2026 (Tier 1, Santa Rosa, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs). Founding attorney Jesse Chrisp has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America since 2024 and selected to Super Lawyers from 2023 to 2026. He was selected to Northern California Rising Stars from 2013 to 2021, an honor awarded to only 2.5% of attorneys in the state. In 2018, he was one of four finalists for San Francisco Trial Lawyer of the Year. He has represented thousands of injured clients. He holds the record for the highest personal injury verdict in Lake County. Spanish-speaking staff are available.

A client testimonial on chrisplaw.com reads: “I had an excellent experience working with Jesse Chrisp.” (Whitney Stevenson)

Frequently asked questions

Can I still recover if I was not in a crosswalk?

Often, yes. Crossing outside a crosswalk can count as part of the fault, but under California’s pure comparative fault rule it reduces your compensation rather than barring it. The driver still had a duty to use due care.

What if the driver who hit me drove off or had no insurance?

Call the police right away and give them every detail you remember about the car. Your own uninsured motorist coverage may apply even though you were on foot. Check your policy’s notice rules and report the crash to your insurer promptly.

My child was hit while walking. Does the deadline work differently?

If the injured person was under 18 when the claim arose, the two-year deadline is paused until they turn 18 (Code of Civil Procedure section 352). That pause does not apply to a claim against a public entity that requires a government claim, so the six-month claim deadline still matters.

Where can I meet with the firm if I live in Clearlake?

The firm’s main office is in nearby Lower Lake at 9667 Highway 29, Lower Lake, CA 95457. The phone is answered 24/7 at 877-J-CHRISP (877-524-7477).

If you were hit by a car while walking in Clearlake or elsewhere in Lake County, call the Law Offices of J. Chrisp 24/7 at 877-J-CHRISP (877-524-7477) for a free consultation. There is no fee unless we win.

Why choose the Law Offices of J. Chrisp?

The Law Offices of J. Chrisp is a Northern California personal injury law firm founded by attorney Jesse Chrisp, who was raised in Lake County. The firm represents injured people, with offices in Lower Lake (main office), Santa Rosa and San Francisco, and serves Sonoma, Napa, Lake and Mendocino counties and the San Francisco Bay Area. Consultations are free, the firm works on a contingency fee with no fee unless the firm wins, and the phone is answered 24/7 at 877-J-CHRISP (877-524-7477). The firm was named to Best Law Firms 2026 (Tier 1, Santa Rosa, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs). Jesse Chrisp has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America since 2024 and selected to Super Lawyers from 2023 to 2026.