A tragic pedestrian crash occurred Friday morning in San Leandro when a person was struck and killed in a collision on Fairmont Drive near Foothill Boulevard, close to the Alameda County Superior Court. The California Highway Patrol reported the fatal crash just after 10 a.m. on September 26, 2025, marking another devastating pedestrian accident in the Bay Area.
Details of the San Leandro Pedestrian Crash
According to initial reports from the California Highway Patrol, the pedestrian collision occurred on Fairmont Drive near its intersection with Foothill Boulevard around 10 a.m. on Friday. The location is particularly significant as it sits near the Alameda County Superior Court, which typically sees heavy foot traffic from court visitors, legal professionals, and nearby businesses.
The circumstances surrounding how the pedestrian came to be in the roadway and the factors that led to this fatal collision remain under investigation by local authorities. CHP investigators are working to determine whether speed, distracted driving, visibility issues, or other factors contributed to this tragic incident.
Emergency responders from the San Leandro Police Department and Alameda County Fire Department arrived shortly after the collision. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene despite life-saving efforts from paramedics. Traffic on Fairmont Drive was significantly impacted during the morning hours as investigators conducted their preliminary examination of the crash site, with lane closures extending through midday. According to CHP officials, the driver involved in the collision remained at the scene and is cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
High-Risk Pedestrian Areas in San Leandro
The intersection of Fairmont Drive and Foothill Boulevard poses a significant challenge to pedestrian safety. This corridor serves multiple purposes, functioning as a thoroughfare for vehicle traffic and a pedestrian route to critical civic buildings, including the courthouse. The area’s characteristics that may contribute to pedestrian risks include:
Traffic Volume and Speed: Fairmont Drive carries significant vehicle traffic, particularly during morning and evening commute hours when drivers rush to reach their destinations.
Mixed-Use Environment: The presence of the Alameda County Superior Court means the area experiences varying pedestrian traffic throughout the day, with people unfamiliar with local traffic patterns frequently walking in the vicinity.
Intersection Complexity: The convergence of Fairmont Drive and Foothill Boulevard creates multiple potential conflict points between vehicles and pedestrians.
This area represents a broader pattern of pedestrian safety challenges throughout San Leandro’s urban corridors. Statistical data from the California Office of Traffic Safety shows that pedestrian accidents often occur in areas similar to the Fairmont Drive corridor, where commercial activity intersects with civic buildings and residential neighborhoods.
The proximity to BART stations and public transit stops also increases pedestrian activity, as commuters frequently walk between transportation hubs and their destinations. Additionally, the demographic makeup of pedestrians in this area includes elderly courthouse visitors, individuals with mobility challenges, and families with children accessing nearby services, all of whom may require additional time and space to navigate busy intersections safely.
Understanding Pedestrian Accident Liability in California
When a pedestrian is struck and killed in California, determining liability involves examining multiple factors under state traffic laws. California follows comparative negligence principles, meaning that even if a pedestrian bears some responsibility for the accident, the driver may still face significant liability if their actions contributed to the collision.
Driver Responsibilities: The California Vehicle Code requires drivers always to exercise due care for pedestrian safety. This includes maintaining appropriate speeds, staying alert for pedestrians, and yielding the right of way when required by law.
Pedestrian Rights and Duties: While pedestrians have the right-of-way in crosswalks and at intersections, they also have a duty to exercise reasonable care for their safety and follow traffic control devices.
Investigation Process: Fatal pedestrian accidents typically trigger comprehensive investigations that examine vehicle speeds, road conditions, visibility factors, potential driver impairment, and pedestrian behavior leading up to the collision.
California’s pure comparative negligence system means that even if a pedestrian is found to be partially at fault for an accident, their family may still recover damages reduced by the percentage of the pedestrian’s fault. For example, if a pedestrian is determined to be 30% responsible for the accident, the family could still recover 70% of the total damages from the at-fault driver.
This legal framework acknowledges that multiple factors frequently contribute to pedestrian accidents and that driver negligence can still result in significant liability, even when the pedestrian made poor choices. Courts will examine evidence, such as whether the driver was speeding, distracted, under the influence, or failed to yield the right of way, while also considering whether the pedestrian was in a crosswalk, following traffic signals, or wearing dark clothing at night.
Legal Rights for Pedestrian Accident Victims’ Families
The sudden loss of a family member in a pedestrian accident creates both emotional devastation and significant legal considerations. California law provides several avenues for families to seek compensation and justice following a fatal pedestrian collision.
Wrongful Death Claims: When a pedestrian is killed due to another party’s negligence, surviving family members may file a wrongful death lawsuit. These claims can seek compensation for lost income, medical expenses, funeral costs, and the immeasurable loss of companionship and support.
Economic and Non-Economic Damages: Compensation in pedestrian fatality cases may include both quantifiable losses, such as lost wages and benefits, as well as non-economic damages for pain, suffering, and loss of consortium.
Timeline Considerations: California’s statute of limitations for wrongful death claims is generally two years from the date of death, making prompt legal consultation essential for protecting families’ rights.
Beyond wrongful death claims, families may also pursue survival actions that compensate for the pain and suffering the victim experienced between the time of the accident and their death. These claims belong to the deceased person’s estate and can provide additional compensation beyond wrongful death damages.
Additionally, families should be aware that multiple parties may potentially bear liability in pedestrian accidents, including not only the driver but also vehicle owners, employers if the driver was working at the time, municipalities responsible for maintaining dangerous road conditions, and even establishments that overserved alcohol to an intoxicated driver. Understanding all potential sources of compensation is critical to ensuring families receive full and fair recovery for their devastating loss.
California law designates explicitly who may file wrongful death claims, typically limiting this right to the deceased person’s surviving spouse, domestic partner, children, and, in some cases, other financial dependents such as stepchildren or putative spouses. If no immediate family members exist, more distant relatives such as parents or siblings may have standing to file a claim.
Each eligible family member may recover damages based on their individual relationship with the deceased, including loss of financial support, household services, love and companionship, and moral support. It’s essential to note that family members cannot waive the rights of other relatives to compensation. This means that even if one family member chooses not to pursue a claim, others retain their independent right to seek justice and compensation for their loss.
The Importance of Immediate Legal Consultation
When families are dealing with the sudden loss of a loved one in a pedestrian accident, they’re facing not just overwhelming grief, but also complex legal and financial challenges. Insurance companies often move quickly to limit their exposure, which is why it’s crucial for families to understand their rights and have experienced legal representation protecting their interests during this difficult time.
The complexity of pedestrian accident investigations requires legal expertise to ensure all evidence is properly preserved and analyzed. This includes obtaining traffic camera footage, witness statements, vehicle data, and accident reconstruction analysis that may be critical to establishing liability and securing fair compensation.
Time-sensitive evidence can disappear quickly after a pedestrian accident, making immediate legal consultation even more critical. Traffic camera footage is often recorded over within days or weeks, witness memories fade with time, and physical evidence at the scene can be altered by weather or road maintenance activities.
An experienced attorney can immediately send preservation letters to relevant parties, ensuring that crucial evidence such as surveillance videos, driver cell phone records, vehicle black box data, and maintenance records is secured before it’s lost forever. Early legal involvement also allows attorneys to conduct independent accident scene investigations. At the same time, conditions remain similar to those at the time of the crash, allowing for interviews with witnesses while their recollections are still fresh and detailed.
San Leandro Pedestrian Safety Initiatives
The city of San Leandro has implemented various pedestrian safety measures throughout its roadway network, though tragic incidents like today’s fatality highlight the ongoing challenges facing pedestrian safety advocates. Local initiatives have included improved crosswalk markings, enhanced lighting, and traffic calming measures in high-pedestrian areas.
Vision Zero Goals: Many Bay Area communities, including San Leandro, have adopted Vision Zero principles aimed at eliminating traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries through improved infrastructure, education, and enforcement.
Community Awareness: Pedestrian safety necessitates collaboration among drivers, pedestrians, and local governments to foster safer conditions through infrastructure enhancements and behavioral modifications.
San Leandro has invested in pedestrian safety infrastructure improvements, including the installation of high-visibility crosswalks, pedestrian countdown signals, and leading pedestrian intervals that provide pedestrians with a head start when crossing intersections. The city has also implemented traffic calming measures in residential neighborhoods and near schools, including speed bumps, raised crosswalks, and curb extensions that reduce vehicle speeds and improve driver visibility of pedestrians.
Additionally, San Leandro participates in regional pedestrian safety education campaigns and enforcement efforts coordinated with the Alameda County Transportation Commission, focusing on both driver awareness of pedestrian right-of-way laws and pedestrian education about safe crossing behaviors. Despite these efforts, fatal pedestrian accidents like the one on Fairmont Drive demonstrate that continued investment in infrastructure, enforcement, and community education remains essential to protecting vulnerable road users.
Steps to Take After a Pedestrian Accident
For families affected by pedestrian accidents, understanding the immediate steps that should be taken can help protect both legal rights and ensure proper investigation of the incident:
Preserve Evidence: If possible, document the scene, obtain witness information, and request copies of police reports and any available traffic camera footage.
Seek Medical Documentation: Even in fatal cases, obtaining complete medical records helps establish the extent of injuries and may be relevant to damage calculations.
Avoid Insurance Settlement Pressure: Insurance companies may approach grieving families quickly with settlement offers that fail to account for the full extent of losses and future financial impact.
Consult with Experienced Legal Counsel: Pedestrian accident cases involve complex liability analysis and require attorneys familiar with California traffic laws and insurance practices.
Family members should also be cautious about discussing the accident on social media or with anyone other than their attorney, as statements made publicly can be discovered and used against the family’s claim. Insurance companies and defense attorneys routinely monitor social media accounts of accident victims and their families, looking for posts, photos, or comments that could be misinterpreted or taken out of context to minimize the family’s damages.
Even seemingly innocent posts about daily activities or family gatherings can be misconstrued as evidence that the family is coping well and therefore deserves less compensation for emotional distress. Additionally, families should maintain detailed records of all accident-related expenses, including funeral costs, travel expenses for out-of-town relatives, counseling fees, and lost wages due to time missed from work. These documented losses contribute to the overall damage calculation and help ensure comprehensive compensation.
GJEL’s Commitment to Pedestrian Accident Victims
At GJEL Accident Attorneys, we understand the devastating impact that pedestrian accidents have on families and communities. Our experienced legal team has successfully handled numerous pedestrian fatality cases throughout California, helping families navigate the complex legal process while they focus on grieving and healing.
We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning families pay no attorney fees unless we secure compensation on their behalf. This approach ensures that all families have access to experienced legal representation regardless of their financial circumstances during this difficult time.
Our firm has recovered millions of dollars in compensation for pedestrian accident victims and their families throughout the Bay Area and across California. We understand the unique challenges these cases present, from reconstructing accident scenes and identifying all liable parties to calculating the full economic impact of losing a loved one.
Our attorneys work with leading accident reconstruction experts, medical professionals, economists, and life care planners to build comprehensive cases that demonstrate the true value of what families have lost. We also recognize that every family’s situation is different—some may need immediate financial support while their case is pending, others may be dealing with immigration concerns or complex family dynamics that affect who can pursue claims.
GJEL provides personalized attention to each family’s unique circumstances, ensuring that legal strategy aligns with both their immediate needs and long-term financial security.
Resources for Pedestrian Accident Families
Families affected by pedestrian accidents can access various resources and support systems during their recovery process:
Victim Assistance Programs: California offers victim compensation programs that may help with immediate expenses such as funeral costs and counseling services.
Grief Counseling Services: Professional counseling can be essential for family members processing the sudden loss of a loved one in a traumatic accident.
Financial Planning Support: Understanding how to manage the long-term financial impact of losing a family member may require consultation with financial advisors familiar with wrongful death settlements.
Pedestrian Accident Settlement Calculators and Damage Valuation
Understanding the potential value of a pedestrian accident claim requires careful analysis of multiple economic and non-economic factors. Pedestrian accident settlement calculators serve as preliminary tools that help families and attorneys estimate potential compensation by inputting variables such as the victim’s age, income, medical expenses, and family circumstances.
These calculators typically factor in lost lifetime earnings by projecting the victim’s expected career trajectory, annual income growth, and the number of years until retirement. However, while settlement calculators provide valid baseline estimates, they cannot capture the full complexity of individual cases, particularly the subjective value of pain and suffering, loss of companionship, and the unique circumstances surrounding each accident.
Experienced personal injury attorneys use these tools as starting points but rely on their knowledge of similar case outcomes, jury verdicts in the jurisdiction, and detailed economic analysis to develop comprehensive damage assessments. The most accurate valuations consider factors such as the victim’s specific earning capacity, family relationships, community contributions, and the degree of negligence involved in the accident. Call us now at +1-866-218-3776 to speak with our experts.
Take Action Today – Get the Help You Deserve
“When families are dealing with the sudden loss of a loved one in a pedestrian accident, they’re facing not just overwhelming grief, but also complex legal and financial challenges. Insurance companies often move quickly to limit their exposure, which is why it’s crucial for families to understand their rights and have experienced legal representation protecting their interests during this difficult time.”- Andy Gillin, GJEL Accident Attorneys
The complexity of pedestrian accident investigations requires legal expertise to ensure all evidence is properly preserved and analyzed. This includes obtaining traffic camera footage, witness statements, vehicle data, and accident reconstruction analysis that may be critical to establishing liability and securing fair compensation.
If your family has been affected by a pedestrian accident in San Leandro or anywhere in California, GJEL Accident Attorneys is here to help. Our experienced team provides compassionate legal representation while aggressively pursuing the compensation your family deserves.
Free Consultation: We offer free, no-obligation consultations to discuss your case and explain your legal options.
No Win, No Fee: Our contingency fee structure means you pay no attorney fees unless we successfully recover compensation for your family.
Experienced Representation: With decades of experience in pedestrian accident cases, we have the knowledge and resources necessary to handle even the most complex claims.
Contact GJEL Accident Attorneys today at +1-866-218-3776 or visit our Oakland office to schedule your free consultation. We’re available 24/7 to provide the legal support your family needs during this difficult time.
Local San Leandro Resources and Contacts:
San Leandro Police Department
- Address: 901 E. 14th Street, San Leandro, CA 94577
- Non-Emergency: (510) 577-2740
- Traffic Division: (510) 577-3230
- Website: https://www.sanleandro.org/depts/pd/default.asp
- The Traffic Division investigates serious and fatal traffic accidents and can provide families with collision reports and investigative updates.
Alameda County Transportation Commission
- Address: 1111 Broadway, Suite 800, Oakland, CA 94607
- Phone: (510) 208-7400
- Website: https://www.alamedactc.org
- Email: info@alamedactc.org
- The Commission oversees transportation planning and pedestrian safety initiatives throughout Alameda County, including the City of San Leandro.
California Highway Patrol – Hayward Area Office
- Address: 24131 Amador Street, Hayward, CA 94544
- Phone: (510) 489-1500
- Website: https://www.chp.ca.gov/find-an-office/golden-gate-division/hayward
- The CHP investigates accidents on state highways and certain local roads in San Leandro, providing detailed collision reports.
Alameda County District Attorney – Victim/Witness Assistance
- Phone: (510) 272-6222
- Website: https://www.alcoda.org/victim_services
- Provides support services, court advocacy, and assistance in navigating the criminal justice system for victims and their families.
