With a population of more than 93,000, Chico is a bustling and lively city in the heart of Northern California. Because Chico is home to a large state university and serves as a central hub for residents of Butte County and surrounding areas, the city itself never lacks people on the go. Because there is so much activity in Chico, many vehicles and pedestrians are on local roads. Unfortunately, Chico also sees its fair share of pedestrian-involved auto accidents.

As Chico pedestrian accident lawyers, we work with people who’ve been hurt during auto accidents and help them obtain the compensation they need to recover both financially and personally.

We have been practicing injury law in the Chico area since 1982. We are known as “the ‘personal’ personal injury lawyers” because we run our practice like a family and focus on personal connection with our clients.

While some attorneys choose to keep a strictly professional relationship with the people they represent, a more personal approach allows us to better understand how accident injuries have affected our clients’ lives. By understanding how their injuries have affected them, we can better advocate for our client’s rights in negotiations and courtrooms.

According to information gathered from reports from local agencies, including the Chico Police Department and California Highway Patrol, there were 3,327 traumatic car accidents in Chico between the beginning of 2008 and 2020. These accidents included 321 crashes involving pedestrians, accounting for just under ten percent of collisions overall. This percentage is lower than Oroville’s, at about 12 percent, and higher than Redding, at around seven percent.

Chico’s 321 pedestrian accidents caused 324 injuries and cost 21 people their lives. These accidents were much more severe overall than area collisions altogether. While Chico car accidents generally had a fatality rate of 1.41 percent and a severe injury rate of 9.26 percent, pedestrian collisions had much higher figures. The fatality rate for pedestrian accidents in Chico during the same period was 6.23 percent, and the severe injury rate was 21.18 percent. These figures show that crashes involving pedestrians in Chico were four times as likely to involve a fatality and over three times as likely to include severe trauma.

According to UC Berkeley research, these intersections in Chico saw the highest rate of pedestrian-involved accidents over the last decade:

• 2nd Street at Walnut Street
• East Avenue at Esplanade
• 9th Avenue at Mangrove Avenue
• 3rd Street at Walnut Street
• 5th Street at Walnut Street
• 13th Street at Park Avenue
• 9th Avenue at Lindo Avenue
• Esplanade at MacDonald Avenue
• Esplanade at Mission Ranch Boulevard
• Nord Avenue at Stewart Avenue

While it’s impossible to know precisely where or when a crash will happen, there are things that pedestrians can do to improve their safety. For more information, check out this helpful video about pedestrian safety tips:

As Chico pedestrian accident attorneys, we’ve seen first-hand how dramatically collision injuries can affect people’s lives. Being injured in a crash isn’t just painful and can also impact your mental health. Because accident injuries can cause issues with cognition or mobility, many crash survivors are left unable to participate in activities they care about.

Not only are accident injuries painful and stressful, but they are also often costly. Collision survivors often have a long list of medical expenses, including surgeries, physical therapy, ambulance rides, hospital stays, medications, etc. Additionally, if your cognition or mobility has been affected, you may be unable to work either permanently or for a significant period, resulting in a sudden and severe loss of wages.

The issues listed above can leave crash survivors worried about how they will afford their recovery and move on with their lives after suffering a serious injury. While these issues are severe, many crash survivors can get help by contacting a Chico personal injury lawyer and filing a personal injury claim. Personal injury claims seek to hold negligent parties like reckless drivers, governments responsible for roadways, and auto product manufacturers responsible for the damages they’ve caused. By filing an injury claim, many collision survivors obtain the full compensation they need to cover their economic losses and payments for personal suffering.

However, injury cases can be complicated and vary widely depending on the circumstances of the particular accident. For these reasons, it is essential to have advice from an experienced and skillful injury attorney before taking legal action. Because most attorneys are happy to give a free initial phone consultation, there is nothing to lose by seeking professional advice.

For free, friendly advice about your pedestrian accident injuries, call our experienced Chico pedestrian accident lawyers at (800) 404-5400 or (530) 392-9400. We have been working with people from Chico on severe and fatal injury cases since 1982. Learn about our practice by visiting our website, where you can find prior settlements and verdicts.

^{Editor’s Note: updated [cha 8.22.23] Photo by Daniel Reche from Pexels ms llo [cs 864]}