Josh Klinghoffer, a former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist and current touring member of Pearl Jam, has been sued for negligence and wrongful death. The lawsuit alleges Klinghoffer fatally struck a man while he was walking in a crosswalk with the right of way on March 18, 2024.[i]

According to the suit, Klinghoffer was driving north on Meridian Avenue and turned left on West Main Street into a marked crosswalk, hitting Israel Sanchez, the decedent.[ii] Decedent’s daughter is the plaintiff. Surveillance video of the incident purportedly shows Klinghoffer’s vehicle “making no braking or slowing motion” until after he made contact with Sanchez, who was allegedly halfway across the sidewalk on West Main Street.[iii] Upon hitting Sanchez, Klinghoffer’s 2022 GMC Yukon truck “dragged [Sanchez] across the asphalt where he sustained blunt force trauma to his head.”[iv] The complaint goes on to allege surveillance camera footage captured Klinghoffer “us[ing] a device mere seconds before” the collision.[v]

Following the collision, Klinghoffer called 911 and remained at the scene.[vi] Investigating law enforcement did not issue citations for either party, and no criminal charges have been brought against Klinghoffer.[vii]

The lawsuit includes claims of negligence and wrongful death and seeks unspecified damages. It alleges that Klinghoffer “was callous in his disregard for the rights and safety of pedestrians including but not limited to decedent Israel Sanchez.”[viii] The suit goes on to allege that, “from the approach to the median until the impact, [Klinghoffer] had more than 40 feet of driving space and more than 10 seconds of time to see a pedestrian lawfully using a marked crosswalk in a residential neighborhood and adjust his speed or course accordingly, had defendant merely been attentive to his surroundings.”[ix]

Takeaway

Although this case was recently filed, there are several developments to be on the lookout for. First, a download of Klinghoffer’s vehicle’s black box data will be critical to ascertain whether any mechanical issues existed at the time of the incident. Second, plaintiff will likely subpoena Klinghoffer’s phone records at or near the time of the incident to determine whether he was on the phone at the time of the incident as the complaint alleges. Third, all counsel will be scouring businesses to try and obtain additional video surveillance angles of the crash to determine the driver’s attentiveness. These developments and more are sure to influence the future litigation outlook for all parties.

Keep Reading

How I Use the Core Four as the Parent of Teenagers New Laws for The New Year – How To Stay on Santa’s “Good” List in 2026 A Spoonful of Error Makes the Verdict Go Down: The Importance of Contemporaneous Objections An Associate’s Day in the Life Let’s Not Get It On: Threshold Challenges in the Ed Sheeran Copyright Case Sweat the Small Stuff: How Early-Morning Exercise Strengthens Me Professionally The Life of an Appeal Tyson & Mendes Saves Clients $785,663,510 in 2025 Is New York Getting a Bad Faith Bill?

More by this author

From Code to Courtroom: Raine v. OpenAI and the Future of AI Responsibility Collision, Care, and Clarity: California Supreme Court Reins in MICRA’s Statute of Limitations in Ambulance Crash Nickeled, Dimed, and Docketed: The Legal Reckoning for Ticketmaster’s Fee Model Pasta Sauce, Preservatives, and the Price of “Natural”: Target’s Labeling Lands It in Hot Water Salty Situation: Class Action Lawsuit Against Salt Manufacturer Alleges Improper Levels of Heavy Metals You’re Out? Additional Litigation Uncertain After Judge Denies Certifying Class of Ex-NCAA Baseball Players It Ends with Lawsuits for Hollywood Co-Stars Stale Bread: Workers Accuse Panera of Wage Theft Red Hot Water: Former Chili Pepper Guitarist Sued in Wrongful Death Action

Sources

[i] Ashley Sanchez v. Josh Adam Klinghoffer, et al., No. 24NNCV02798 (Los Angeles Co. Super. Ct. July 10, 2024.)

[ii] Ashley Sanchez, No. 24NNCV02798 (Compl. ¶ 2.)

[iii] Compl. ¶ 3.

[iv] Compl. ¶ 2.

[v] Compl. ¶ 4.

[vi] Brown, August, Josh Klinghoffer, former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist, sued in pedestrian collision, LA TIMES, July 10, 2024, available at https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2024-07-10/josh-klinghoffer-red-hot-chili-peppers-sued-wrongful-death.

[vii] Id.

[viii] Compl. ¶ 14

[ix] Id.