Houston, TX Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

In Houston, pedestrian accidents and fatalities are on the rise

At one point or another, everyone is a pedestrian. As the expense of driving and insuring a vehicle rise, more and more people choose to walk to their destinations. As the number of pedestrians increases, so do the number of pedestrian accidents. To see where the Houston region ranks in terms of pedestrian collisions nationally, please go to this National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report.

Despite safety improvements, pedestrian accidents are common in Houston

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2012:

  • 69% of pedestrians killed in 2012 were males;
  • 73% pedestrian fatalities occur in urban areas;
  • 32% of all pedestrian fatalities occurred between 8:00 p.m. and 11:59 p.m.;
  • 34% of pedestrians killed had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 g/dL or higher.

Pedestrian Laws in Texas

Both motorists and pedestrians can engage in behaviors that cause collisions. According to state pedestrian law as described by the State of Texas’s Department of Motor Vehicles -

Drivers must:

  • exercise due care to avoid a collision with a pedestrian at all times.
  • yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.
  • stop or slow down before passing another vehicle stopped in a travel lane until the driver has determined whether that vehicle has stopped for a pedestrian.
  • in the presence of a school crossing guard, wait for all persons including the guard to completely clear the road before proceeding.

Pedestrians must:

  • use the sidewalk and the nearest crosswalk, pedestrian bridge or tunnel when possible.
  • obey official traffic control devices.
  • walk on the left side of the street facing traffic if no sidewalk is available.
  • not cross an intersection diagonally unless the intersection is specifically designed for this.

Get information on recent pedestrian accidents from the police departments in the Houston region

The Houston Police Department offers information on accidents, and also provides information on filing a police report and on obtaining a police report.

These departments are a good resource to get information after a pedestrian crash.

Common causes of Houston pedestrian accidents include:

  • a failure by drivers to check for pedestrians in crosswalks;
  • drivers failing to stop at stop signs or lights;
  • texting and other driver distractions;
  • drivers choosing to make turns without paying attention to their surroundings;
  • speeding;
  • driving under the influence.

When someone is injured in a Houston pedestrian accident, what needs to happen next?

When a pedestrian is injured, it is crucial to get appropriate medical treatment, regardless of the financial cost. The major hospitals in the area include:

As soon as possible, an injured person should contact their insurance company to find out how medical treatment is covered under their insurance policy. Since insurance policies often have unique provisions to deal with pedestrian-accident injuries, it is important to review the policy and speak with the insurance adjuster to get clarification on coverage.

When a pedestrian accident results in a serious injury or a fatality, it is important to find a Houston pedestrian accident attorney

When an injury is serious or a death occurs, the next step is to find an experienced Houston pedestrian accident attorney to start the financial recovery process by launching an insurance claim. Major injury or wrongful death claims are complicated and can be hard to manage without legal help. Having a personal injury lawyer on board is a great relief to injured pedestrians, or to the family left behind when an accident is fatal.

Since most personal injury lawyers offer a free initial consultation and work on a contingency basis, meaning that there are no up-front costs and all fees are paid when the claim is settled, there is no downside to speaking with a Houston personal injury lawyer right away, to get help for an injured pedestrian.

Comments

Our daughter, Josey Lynn Scott, 19, was killed by a hit and run driver on 2-10-15.  I am trying to raise awareness on hit and run fatalities and fight to get some laws changed. I am very grateful that the law was changed to make it an instant 2nd degree felony, but some of the other laws are not near enough. The man who killed our daughter was already a 2 time felon with multiple alcohol and drug charges.   I am fighting for Minimum Bond/No Bond    a minimum of $750,00 and NO bond if they have previous felonies.  Also a minimum of 20 years. Right now he could possibly only get 2 years!  We have a lifetime sentence, and it's even worse with him out driving the streets, living his life. He has shown NO remorse and he and his family taunt us daily. As I am trying to raise this awareness, I am trying to find statistics on hit and run fatalities in the Houston area for 2015. It seems to be on the rise. I know for a fact that our law enforcement agencies are strapped. I know they do everything they can. I know San Jacinto County Sheriff Dept, DPS and the Texas Rangers went above and beyond the call of duty for our baby girl. The only way we are going to reduce these statistics is to let them know there will be zero tolerance.   Any info on statistics would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!!

Hi Amanda, First let me say that I am so sorry for the loss of your daughter in this awful and senseless manner. I have done online research and cannot find hit and run crash data for 2015 yet. The federal government site NHTSA will compile this data soon, but it often takes a while once the year is over for them to release a report. You may be able to contact either the Texas Department of Transportation or the Houston Police Department to see if they can provide you with this data. If you can find it, please provide it to Accident Data Center and we will do what we can to promote the information and help build awareness. Ingrid Taylor, Accident Data Center

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Pedestrian Accident Reports and News from the Houston, TX Area