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Manhattan Beach attracts pedestrians the way few other cities do. The Strand along the waterfront, downtown Manhattan Beach around the pier and Manhattan Avenue dining strip, and the residential neighborhoods near the beach all see heavy foot traffic. Visitors walk from parking spots blocks away from the beach. Residents walk to restaurants and shops on Manhattan Avenue and Highland Avenue. Cyclists, joggers, e-bike riders, and pedestrians share The Strand daily. When a pedestrian is hit – by a car, a bicycle, an e-bike, or any other vehicle – the injuries are serious. Pedestrians have no protection whatsoever, and even low-speed impacts cause fractures, spinal injuries, and head trauma. The Law Offices of Asher Hoffman, APC fights for injured pedestrians in Manhattan Beach and throughout the South Bay.
We handle all cases on a pure contingency basis – no fees unless we recover for you. Call (877) 792-4529 or request a free consultation.
Manhattan Beach has several zones where pedestrian accident risk is significantly elevated. The applicable law – and who bears responsibility – depends in part on whether the accident occurred on city-owned property, which triggers specific government claim requirements that do not apply to private-party claims.
The Strand. The Strand is a multi-use path running the full length of the Manhattan Beach waterfront, connecting to Hermosa Beach to the south. It is owned and maintained by the City of Manhattan Beach. The path is heavily used by pedestrians, joggers, cyclists, and e-bike riders at all hours. Collisions on The Strand between cyclists or e-bikes and pedestrians are common, particularly in summer and on weekends when path usage is highest. Defects in the path surface, inadequate signage, and conflicts between faster-moving and slower-moving users all contribute to injuries. Because The Strand is city property, claims arising from government negligence – a defective surface, a missing warning sign, inadequate lighting – require a government tort claim under California Government Code section 911.2 within six months of the injury.
Manhattan Beach Pier and pier area. The Manhattan Beach Pier is city property. The plaza and access pathways leading to the pier are heavily used and serve as a gathering point for visitors. Vehicles accessing the Strand Drive area near the pier present a risk to pedestrians crossing without marked crosswalks. The pier itself and its immediate surroundings are all city-owned, meaning injuries involving defective walkways, inadequate railings, or lighting failures may require a government claim within six months.
Manhattan Avenue and Highland Avenue downtown corridor. The downtown restaurant and retail strip between the pier area and Rosecrans Avenue sees significant pedestrian-vehicle interaction. Drivers looking for parking, rideshare vehicles pulling to the curb for pickup and dropoff, and valet operations at restaurants create conditions where distracted or inattentive drivers strike pedestrians in crosswalks and mid-block. Sidewalk defects on city-maintained sidewalks are also a recurring issue.
Sepulveda Boulevard pedestrian crossings. Sepulveda is a state highway and not designed for heavy pedestrian traffic, but people do cross it to reach the mall, bus stops, and nearby businesses. Crosswalks at signalized intersections are present but high vehicle speeds mean any pedestrian-vehicle contact at Sepulveda is likely to cause serious injury. State highway pedestrian crossings involving Caltrans infrastructure may implicate government claim requirements as well.
California Government Code section 911.2 requires a written tort claim to be filed with any public entity before a lawsuit against that entity can proceed. The deadline is six months from the date of injury – not two years. For Manhattan Beach pedestrian accidents involving city-owned streets, sidewalks, the Pier, or The Strand, this six-month window governs your claim against the city. Claims against private parties – drivers, property owners, businesses – are subject to the two-year deadline under California Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1.
Many injured pedestrians fail to file a timely government claim because they are focused on their medical recovery and do not learn about the six-month rule until it is too late. Contacting an attorney immediately after a pedestrian accident on or near public property is essential to preserving all available avenues of recovery.
E-bikes have surged in popularity in Manhattan Beach and across the South Bay. Many e-bike riders travel at speeds well above what pedestrians expect on shared paths. When an e-bike rider operating at high speed strikes a pedestrian on The Strand, serious injuries can result. Depending on the type of e-bike and how it is operated, claims may proceed against the rider individually and, in some cases, against the rental company or platform that provided the bike. These claims are separate from and can coexist with government claims against the city for path conditions.
Restaurants, bars, and retail establishments on Manhattan Avenue, Highland Avenue, and in the downtown area owe a duty of care to patrons and guests. Trip-and-fall injuries on defective sidewalks in front of businesses, slip-and-fall accidents on outdoor dining patios, and injuries caused by inadequate lighting or negligent security at nightlife venues are all premises liability claims distinct from traffic accidents. Property owners can be held liable when a reasonably correctable hazard causes a pedestrian injury.
Manhattan Beach pedestrian accident cases are filed in the Torrance Courthouse (South Bay Justice Center), 825 Maple Avenue, Torrance. Serious pedestrian injuries are treated at Torrance Memorial Medical Center (2800 Lomita Blvd, Torrance), Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center (4101 Torrance Blvd, Torrance), and Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, a Level I trauma center serving the South Bay.
We also handle car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, and rideshare accidents in Manhattan Beach. For pedestrian cases countywide, see our Los Angeles pedestrian accident lawyer page. For beach city pedestrian cases, see Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach pages, and the Manhattan Beach personal injury lawyer hub.
Injured as a pedestrian in Manhattan Beach? Call the Law Offices of Asher Hoffman at (877) 792-4529 or contact us online. Free consultation. Pure contingency – no fees unless we recover for you. Serving Manhattan Beach, the South Bay, and all of Los Angeles County.
After a pedestrian knockdown in Manhattan Beach, get emergency medical care first. Pedestrian injuries are frequently life-threatening and always deserve immediate professional evaluation. If you are able at the scene: call 911, do not move if you have potential spinal injury, ask bystanders to photograph the vehicle, the crosswalk, and the road. Get the driver’s information. Note the exact location as precisely as possible – street name, cross street, any nearby landmarks.
Call an attorney before accepting any contact from the at-fault driver’s insurance company. If the accident occurred on city-owned property – The Strand, the pier area, city sidewalks or crosswalks – you have only six months to file a government tort claim under Government Code section 911.2. That deadline starts running the day you are injured, not when you finish treatment. Contacting us immediately preserves your options. We identify all responsible parties, calendar all applicable deadlines, and handle all communications with insurance carriers and government entities so you can focus on recovery.
Pedestrian accident victims sustain the most severe injuries in the personal injury practice area. A pedestrian struck by a vehicle moving at 25 mph experiences forces equivalent to a fall from a second-story window. Economic damages include emergency medical care, surgical costs, extended rehabilitation, future medical needs for permanent injuries, and lost wages. Non-economic damages for pain, suffering, scarring, disability, and loss of enjoyment of life are recoverable without cap. If a family member died from a pedestrian accident, surviving family members can recover wrongful death damages including economic support and loss of companionship. California’s eggshell plaintiff rule protects plaintiffs who were more vulnerable due to age or pre-existing conditions – the defendant must pay for the full harm they caused. See our Manhattan Beach personal injury lawyer hub for all practice areas.
The Law Offices of Asher Hoffman, APC is a plaintiff-side personal injury firm located at 4929 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 780, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Asher Hoffman handles every case personally. We work on a pure contingency basis – no fees unless we recover for you – and we advance all litigation costs. Our firm handles cases through trial when insurers refuse to pay fair value. Call (877) 792-4529 or contact us online for a free consultation about your Manhattan Beach accident claim.
What if I was crossing outside of a crosswalk when I was hit? California Vehicle Code section 21954 requires pedestrians crossing outside of a crosswalk to yield to vehicles. However, a driver still has a duty to exercise reasonable care to avoid striking pedestrians. If the driver was speeding, distracted, or impaired, they may bear significant fault even for a mid-block crossing. California’s comparative fault system allows recovery even if you share some responsibility for the accident.
What if I was injured on The Strand in Manhattan Beach – do I have a claim against the city? Potentially yes, depending on what caused the injury. If a path surface defect, inadequate lighting, or city negligence in maintaining The Strand contributed to your injury, you may have a claim against the City of Manhattan Beach. The six-month government tort claim deadline under Government Code section 911.2 applies. Missing this deadline bars the government claim entirely. Contact us immediately to evaluate your specific facts.
Can I recover if the driver was uninsured? Yes. Your own uninsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI) coverage applies when you are injured by an uninsured driver, including when you are hit as a pedestrian. California requires auto insurers to offer UMBI coverage. If you have it, it covers you as a pedestrian. We pursue UMBI claims through your own insurer on the same terms as third-party claims.
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