Drivers making left or right turns must watch for pedestrians already crossing or approaching their path. When a driver focuses on traffic and fails to see someone in a crosswalk, the resulting collision can cause devastating injuries. Anand Desai Law Firm helps injured pedestrians pursue compensation after turning-vehicle accidents throughout California. Law Desai already identifies “turning without checking for pedestrians” as a common cause of pedestrian collisions.
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Turning-vehicle pedestrian cases can become complicated quickly because drivers and pedestrians may give completely different accounts of what happened.
The driver may claim:
A green light does not automatically give a turning driver unrestricted right of way. California Vehicle Code §21451 specifically requires a driver—including one turning on a green signal—to yield to pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk.
Law Desai can examine:
The goal is to determine exactly where the pedestrian and vehicle were before the driver began the turn.
Turning collisions frequently happen at intersections surrounded by:
Video may establish:
Law Desai’s existing pedestrian page already emphasises obtaining surveillance footage promptly because video evidence may be overwritten.
Turning-vehicle cases can involve several different statutes depending on the intersection, signal, and movement involved.
Important provisions can include:
The particular statute that matters depends on the facts rather than simply whether the vehicle was turning left or right.
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California Vehicle Code §21950 generally requires a driver to yield to a pedestrian crossing within a marked crosswalk or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. The statute also requires an approaching driver to exercise due care for the pedestrian’s safety.
The statute also places responsibilities on pedestrians. A pedestrian may not suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and move into the path of a vehicle that is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard.
This means a turning-vehicle claim should examine both parties’ movements rather than assuming liability from one fact alone.
A common misconception is:
“The driver had a green light, so the driver had the right of way.”
California law is more specific.
Vehicle Code §21451 states that a driver facing a circular green signal may proceed straight or make a permitted right or left turn, but a turning driver must yield to pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk.
The same statute states that a driver facing a green arrow must also yield to pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or adjacent crosswalk.
So a green signal does not mean a driver can turn without checking the crosswalk.
Right-turn crashes often happen because the driver is looking in a different direction from the pedestrian.
For example, a driver preparing to turn right may:
California pedestrian attorneys specifically warn that motorists making right turns must check for walkers and cyclists before entering the crosswalk.
Potential evidence includes:
California generally permits a right turn on a steady circular red signal after the required stop unless a sign prohibits the turn.
But Vehicle Code §21453(b) expressly requires a driver making that turn to yield to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk and to approaching vehicles that constitute an immediate hazard.
This makes the sequence particularly important.
The investigation should determine:
A driver’s ability to turn right on red is therefore conditional, not absolute.
Left turns can create a different type of danger.
A driver may focus so intensely on finding a gap in oncoming vehicle traffic that the pedestrian crossing the destination roadway goes unnoticed.
California pedestrian injury content specifically identifies this scenario, and Sally Morin’s dedicated California page discusses pedestrians struck by left-turning vehicles.
A left-turn case may require analysis of:
A green arrow does not eliminate all pedestrian duties owed by the turning driver.
Under Vehicle Code §21451(b), a driver facing a green arrow may proceed in the direction shown, but must yield to a pedestrian lawfully within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk.
Whether a pedestrian was lawfully within the crossing can depend on the pedestrian-control signal and when the crossing began.
California Vehicle Code §21456 provides that a pedestrian facing a WALK or approved walking-person signal may proceed across the roadway in the direction of the signal, while yielding to vehicles already lawfully within the intersection when the signal first appears.
For countdown signals, a pedestrian facing the flashing upraised hand with a countdown may begin crossing but must complete the crossing before the countdown ends and the steady signal appears. A person who already began crossing during a permitted phase may continue as provided by the statute.
Signal timing can therefore become crucial evidence in a turning-vehicle case.
Not every turning-vehicle pedestrian accident occurs in a roadway crosswalk.
Drivers also cross sidewalks when:
California Vehicle Code §21952 states that before driving over or upon a sidewalk, the driver must yield the right of way to a pedestrian approaching on the sidewalk.
This provision can be particularly important in driveway and parking-lot pedestrian cases.
California Vehicle Code §22107 provides that a person may not turn from a direct course or move right or left on a roadway until the movement can be made with reasonable safety. It also addresses signalling when another vehicle may be affected.
In a pedestrian claim, §22107 may be part of the broader traffic-law analysis, although pedestrian-specific right-of-way statutes such as §§21950, 21451, 21453, and 21952 may be more directly applicable depending on the facts.
This is one of the most common scenarios.
The driver checks for cars but does not scan the area where pedestrians are crossing.
Law Desai’s current pedestrian page specifically lists “turning without checking for pedestrians” as a common cause of pedestrian crashes.
The driver may be:
Distraction can be particularly dangerous while turning because the driver is already dividing attention among multiple traffic movements.
A pedestrian may already be lawfully crossing when the vehicle turns into their path.
Vehicle Codes §§21950 and 21451 contain specific yielding requirements in crosswalk and signal-controlled situations.
A driver may slow but never make the required stop before making a right turn at a red light.
Section 21453 requires a stop before the permitted right-on-red movement and then requires yielding to pedestrians lawfully in the adjacent crosswalk.
A driver who turns too quickly may have less opportunity to identify a pedestrian and respond safely.
Visibility may be affected by:
An obstruction does not automatically decide fault; the issue remains whether the driver acted reasonably given the conditions.
Turning accidents may be more difficult to avoid after dark when crosswalk users are harder to detect.
NHTSA safety materials specifically advise pedestrians to watch for cars turning left or right and advise drivers to stay alert for pedestrians.
These cases may involve:
Drivers still must account for pedestrians in marked and qualifying unmarked crosswalks under §21950.
Vehicle Code §21952 can be especially important where a car crosses a sidewalk while entering or leaving a driveway.
Pedestrian collisions may happen when drivers:
Busy driveways and internal intersections can create conflicts between vehicles and people walking between stores and parking areas.
Drivers may cross sidewalks while entering or exiting the property, bringing §21952 into the analysis.
Tell us:
Law Desai can investigate:
Once liability and damages have been evaluated, the claim can be pursued through insurance negotiations or litigation when appropriate.
Law Desai’s current pedestrian page follows the same consultation, investigation, and compensation-focused workflow and states that pedestrian claims are handled on a contingency basis.
Video may provide the clearest evidence of:
Some intersections may have cameras capable of documenting traffic movement.
Video may come from:
Witnesses may establish:
The location of damage may help establish:
A collision report may contain:
In disputed cases, signal-phase information can help determine whether the pedestrian and driver had conflicting or permitted movements.
That statement does not automatically defeat a pedestrian claim.
The investigation should ask:
NHTSA specifically identifies turning crashes in which a driver turns or merges into a pedestrian’s path without yielding, and its pedestrian-safety materials warn that drivers may turn without properly observing pedestrians.
A green light alone does not decide the case.
Vehicle Code §21451 expressly states that drivers—including those turning on a circular green or green arrow—must yield to pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or adjacent crosswalk.
Important questions include:
The complete signal sequence needs to be examined.
Vehicle Code §21954 generally requires a pedestrian crossing outside a marked crosswalk or unmarked intersection crosswalk to yield to vehicles so near as to constitute an immediate hazard.
But the statute expressly provides that this does not relieve drivers of the duty to exercise due care for pedestrian safety.
Therefore, crossing outside a crosswalk does not automatically answer:
Pedestrian cases can involve allegations of shared responsibility.
The insurer may argue that the pedestrian:
California’s pedestrian statutes themselves contemplate duties on both drivers and pedestrians. Section 21950 requires drivers to yield in covered crosswalk situations while also requiring pedestrians to use due care.
An allegation of pedestrian error should therefore be evaluated alongside the driver’s conduct.
This is an especially important scenario.
Under Vehicle Code §21453(b), a driver may generally make a permitted right turn after stopping at a circular red signal, but must yield to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk.
Evidence should determine whether the driver:
A driver who focuses exclusively on vehicle traffic approaching from the left may miss a pedestrian approaching from the right.
California Vehicle Code §21952 is particularly relevant.
It states that a driver must yield to an approaching pedestrian before driving over or upon a sidewalk.
These cases frequently arise near:
A driver exiting private property should not simply watch for vehicle traffic while ignoring people travelling along the sidewalk.
Law Desai’s current pedestrian content identifies traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, fractures, internal injuries, pelvic fractures, knee and leg injuries, facial trauma, lacerations, and psychological trauma among injuries seen in pedestrian crashes.
Potential injuries include:
Pedestrians may suffer fractures to:
Potential injuries include:
Vehicle impacts may damage internal organs or cause internal bleeding.
The front of a turning vehicle may initially strike the lower body.
Potential injuries can involve:
A pedestrian may suffer additional injuries when striking:
Potential compensation depends on the evidence, severity of injury, available insurance, and applicable law.
Potential costs include:
Serious injuries may require:
An injured pedestrian may be unable to return to work during recovery.
Permanent physical or neurological limitations may affect future employment.
Non-economic damages may address the physical and personal consequences of the injury where legally recoverable.
Law Desai’s current pedestrian page identifies past and future medical expenses, lost wages, lost earning capacity, rehabilitation, disability, scarring, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life among potential damages in California pedestrian cases.
If you are physically able:
Law Desai’s existing pedestrian guidance similarly recommends emergency care, scene documentation, witness information, police reporting, continued medical treatment, and prompt preservation of evidence.
California Code of Civil Procedure §335.1 generally provides two years for an action involving injury or death caused by another person’s wrongful act or neglect.
However, different procedural requirements may apply when a government entity is involved.
For example, Government Code §911.2 generally requires a claim relating to personal injury or death against a California public entity to be presented within six months after accrual.
This may become relevant if a turning accident involves alleged problems with:
Public-entity liability is highly fact-specific, so the six-month claim rule should not be treated as proof that a government entity is liable.
Law Desai’s current pedestrian page lists experience handling claims involving:
The insurer involved in an individual turning-vehicle case depends on the driver, vehicle ownership, and applicable coverage.
There is no automatic answer in every case. California law generally requires drivers to yield to pedestrians in marked and unmarked intersection crosswalks, while pedestrians also have duties of care. Evidence concerning signals, vehicle movement, pedestrian position, visibility, and timing determines the liability analysis.
Yes, in circumstances covered by Vehicle Code §21451. A driver turning on a circular green or green arrow must yield to pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or adjacent crosswalk.
Generally yes after stopping when no sign prohibits the turn, but the driver must yield to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk and to vehicles constituting an immediate hazard.
Section 21453 requires the driver to stop before making a permitted right turn on red. Evidence such as surveillance video and witnesses may establish whether the required stop occurred.
Vehicle Code §21950 expressly covers both marked crosswalks and unmarked crosswalks at intersections.
Vehicle Code §21952 requires a motorist to yield to an approaching pedestrian before driving over or upon a sidewalk.
Vehicle Code §21954 generally requires pedestrians outside qualifying crosswalks to yield to vehicles constituting an immediate hazard, but the statute does not relieve drivers of their duty to exercise due care.
Section 21950 prohibits a pedestrian from suddenly leaving a place of safety and moving into the path of a vehicle that is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard. Whether that actually occurred is an evidentiary question involving timing, distance, speed, video, and witnesses.
Vehicle Code §21456 contains specific rules for WALK signals, countdown signals, and pedestrians who have already begun crossing. The exact signal phase and timing should be reviewed.
Potentially. Video may establish the signal phase, pedestrian position, vehicle movement, stopping, turning speed, and point of impact. Law Desai’s current pedestrian page already emphasises surveillance evidence in pedestrian claims.
Visibility can be relevant, but it does not automatically determine fault. Evidence should establish the obstruction, driver speed, sight lines, pedestrian position, and whether a reasonably careful driver could have avoided the collision.
Potentially. Future medical treatment and rehabilitation may be included where reasonably supported by medical evidence.
Shared responsibility does not necessarily mean the driver bears no liability. California pedestrian statutes expressly impose duties on both drivers and pedestrians, making the evidence concerning each person’s conduct important.
California’s general personal-injury limitations period is two years under CCP §335.1. A claim involving a public entity can trigger the much shorter six-month claim-presentation period in Government Code §911.2.
Anand Desai is a dedicated personal injury attorney serving Glendale and the greater Los Angeles area. A graduate of Loyola Law School with an undergraduate degree from USC, Anand has been a member of the California State Bar (#249768) since 2007, bringing 20+ years of legal experience to every case he handles.
Anand specializes in personal injury law, with particular expertise in car accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, and catastrophic injury cases. His deep understanding of California personal injury law, combined with his tenacious negotiation skills, has helped him secure millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for his clients.
What truly sets Anand apart is his commitment to his community. His firm is one of the only law offices in Glendale that offers services in 11 languages, including Spanish, Armenian, Hindi, Gujarati, Korean, Tagalog, Farsi, Punjabi, Thai, Russian, and English — reflecting the rich diversity of the communities he serves.
“I fight for every client like they’re family. When you hire me, you’re not just getting a lawyer — you’re getting someone who genuinely cares about your recovery and your future.”
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