Radiologist sues Los Angeles County after near fatal accident

A radiologist is suing Santa Monica and LA County, alleging their negligence pertaining to a crosswalk has caused serious harm to numerous individuals.  

Brandon Ishaque, MD, a radiologist in Southern California, was involved in a near fatal accident at the crosswalk in November 2024. While he was attempting to use the crosswalk at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and 10th Street, he was hit by a passing car. Ishaque sustained serious injuries, including multiple fractures and damage to internal organs. 

"The last thing I remember was looking straight up in the air and I was like 'Oh no, this is probably not going to be good,'" Ishaque told CBS News Los Angeles. "Fractured my leg, my hip bone, scapula, which is part of the shoulder, had air in both lungs, injured my artery in my neck, and then my biggest injury was my kidney, which was shattered." 

Ishaque and his attorney Shant Karnikian claim the city of Santa Monica and LA County failed to address the crosswalk’s broken warning lights for months, despite being made aware of the issue numerous times. They say this negligence has put citizens at risk. 

"Just in the last few years, there's been so many incidents, north of 20 incidents, including death, serious injuries at this intersection itself," Ishaque said. 

"It's not just the damage that he sustained but it's also making sure that things like this don't happen," Karnikian said. "This is the mechanism for bringing about change and making things safer." 

The city’s website indicates the crosswalk in question is included in Santa Monica’s “Vision Zero” initiative, which was put forth to reduce accidents similar to those Ishaque experienced.