UCLA-Trained Attorneys in Woodland Hills
The insurance adjuster has a playbook for pedestrian cases: you were on your phone, you were wearing dark clothes, you stepped out too late. None of that matters if the driver had a duty to yield and failed. California Vehicle Code 21950 is clear on that point. What matters is whether someone preserved the camera footage and the police report before the other side started rewriting what happened.
Arya handles pedestrian cases across Woodland Hills personally. He grew up here. He knows the signal timing, the crosswalk layouts, and which businesses near Topanga Canyon Boulevard have cameras that actually capture useful footage. That kind of local knowledge is the difference between a case built on your word and a case built on video evidence.
Born and Raised in Woodland Hills
I didn't just relocate here to open a law office. I grew up here. El Camino Real High School, UCLA Law School. I still live in Woodland Hills today, spending weekends biking and hiking in the Las Virgenes Canyons near Valley Circle and Victory, playing in a basketball league at Crunch Fitness off Shoup and Sherman Way. On a good night you'll find me at Local Peasant on Ventura. When I say I know this neighborhood, it's not a marketing line. It's literally where I grew up, and where I still live.
What Shapes an Injury Case Here
Every case starts with the same questions: which roads were involved, which hospital treated you, which court will hear it, and what deadlines apply. Here is what we already know about Woodland Hills cases before you even call.
The Ventura Freeway is one of the most crash-prone stretches in the San Fernando Valley. Rush-hour volume, aggressive merging at the Topanga Canyon interchange, and rear-end collisions are consistent patterns in CHP SWITRS data.
Paramedics route to Northridge Hospital (Level II Trauma) or Providence Holy Cross in Mission Hills. West Hills Hospital is nearby but not a trauma center. Critical cases go to UCLA Ronald Reagan (Level I).
California Vehicle Code §21950 requires drivers to yield to pedestrians in marked and unmarked crosswalks. Violation of this duty is negligence per se — the driver was automatically negligent, and the only remaining question is the extent of your damages.
Even when a driver clearly violated pedestrian right-of-way, insurers routinely claim the pedestrian was looking at a phone, crossed outside the crosswalk, or wore dark clothing. We build the documentary record — camera footage, police reports, and expert reconstruction — that counters these arguments.
What Makes Your Injury Case Different
Westfield Topanga and The Village are two of the highest-traffic retail complexes in the West Valley. If you were hurt at either one, you are not dealing with a mom-and-pop landlord. These are corporate properties with professional claims teams who contest everything. Getting the property's prior incident history before it gets buried is part of how we build these cases.
Warner Center is full of offices and commercial buildings, which is actually good news if you were hurt there. These businesses carry real insurance, not the state minimum. That means there is more money available to cover your injuries than you would see in a typical residential case.
Crashes on Topanga Canyon Blvd are a different animal. When road design or poor maintenance contributes to a collision, Caltrans or LA County can be named as defendants. But government claims come with strict notice deadlines. Miss them and your case is dead, even if the road was clearly at fault.
Everything from this area files at Chatsworth Courthouse. We have tried cases there. We know the judges and we know what West Valley juries expect.
Where the Crashes Happen
The 101 through Woodland Hills is relentless during rush hour. The Topanga Canyon interchange forces drivers to merge at freeway speed into backed-up traffic, and the result is a steady stream of rear-end collisions. These are not low-speed bumps. We regularly see herniated discs, concussions, and soft tissue injuries that do not show up on imaging for weeks.
Topanga Canyon Boulevard has blind curves, steep grades, and narrow shoulders. Ventura Boulevard has the pedestrian density and distracted driving. De Soto and Valley Circle get the school zone and residential crashes. Each street has a different pattern and a different set of defendants.
We have represented people hit by rideshare drivers pulling illegal U-turns near Westfield Topanga, cyclists struck on Topanga Canyon, families in school zone collisions near El Camino Real, and pedestrians crossing at uncontrolled intersections on Ventura. The common thread is that these cases all required someone who could start working the same day.
Crash Data
Recent Crashes
Compensation Available in Your Case
A pedestrian has zero protection in a collision. The injuries are almost always severe, and the compensation should account for every consequence, not just the ER bill.
Medical Expenses
Pedestrian injuries from Ventura Blvd and Topanga Canyon crashes often require trauma surgery, orthopedic reconstruction, and months of rehab at West Hills Hospital or Providence.
Lost Wages & Earning Capacity
Many Woodland Hills residents work in Warner Center or commute to Century City. A serious pedestrian injury can keep you out for months and permanently limit what you can do.
Pain & Suffering
The physical pain from being struck by a vehicle is only part of it. Fear of crossing the street, anxiety around traffic, and the trauma of the impact itself are real and compensable.
Permanent Disability
Pedestrians absorb the full force of a collision with no protection. Spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injuries, and crushed limbs are disturbingly common outcomes.
Future Medical Costs
If you need ongoing physical therapy, mobility devices, or future surgeries, those costs are part of your claim. We work with medical experts to project the full number.
Punitive Damages
When the driver was texting, drunk, or fled the scene after hitting you, California courts allow punitive damages on top of your actual losses.
Call us Today. No fee until you win!
818-224-7940What to Do After a Pedestrian Accident
Pedestrian accidents cause severe injuries. Protecting your legal claim starts at the scene — here is what to do.
Call 911 immediately
Get police and paramedics to the scene. Do not try to move if you think you may have a back or neck injury.
Seek emergency medical care
Pedestrian crashes on busy roads like Topanga Canyon or Ventura Blvd cause injuries that don't always show symptoms right away. Get fully evaluated.
Get the driver's information
License plate, insurance card, and driver's license. If you're too injured, ask a bystander or wait for the officer to collect it.
Photograph the scene
Crosswalk markings, signal timing, the position of the vehicle, and your injuries. The Warner Center and Topanga Village areas have heavy foot traffic that creates context for your case.
Identify witnesses
Shoppers, commuters, and other pedestrians who saw what happened. Independent witnesses shut down the insurer's usual "you weren't in the crosswalk" argument.
Contact Westwood Law
Arya Firoozmand grew up in Woodland Hills and handles pedestrian cases here personally. Surveillance footage from Westfield Topanga and Warner Center businesses gets overwritten fast. We demand preservation immediately.