My son was the only victim of a pedestrian accident. How many other pedestrians are injured each year?
Your son is not alone. According to 2007 statistics released by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), a pedestrian is injured in a traffic accident every eight minutes in this country. In addition, a pedestrian is killed every 113 minutes. In 2007 alone, 70,000 pedestrians were injured and 4,654 pedestrians were killed in pedestrian accidents. In Texas, 387 pedestrians -- 1 person every single day -- were killed.
What rights do I have as a pedestrian injured by a vehicle in Texas?
Texas laws provide a variety of provisions and regulations designed to protect pedestrians. Included in these protections is the right for pedestrians to seek financial compensation if they are injured as a result of another person’s negligence.
Texas state laws concerning pedestrians include statutes that govern where and how pedestrians can use the state’s roadways. Some of these rules are very specific, such as a provision in the Chapter 552 of the State Transportation code that requires pedestrians, whenever possible, to keep to the right side of a crosswalk while crossing a street.
Other Texas rules concerning pedestrians are designed to govern how pedestrians and cars interact. For example, regardless of where a pedestrian is walking on a given roadway, drivers are required to “avoid colliding with a pedestrian on a roadway” and to “give warning by sounding the horn when necessary.”
The pedestrian accident lawyer at the Wyly Law Firm will review the circumstances of your case and determine the best strategy to get you the compensation you deserve. If you were injured due to a driver's negligence you may be entitled to compensation to cover your past and future medical expenses, lost income and wages, and potentially other financial damages.
If I was hit by an uninsured motorist is there anything I can do?
Your auto insurance policy can assist you as long as you have uninsured motorist coverage. If you have uninsured motorist coverage and are in an auto accident with an uninsured motorist, as a pedestrian or in another vehicle, you can collect damages from your insurance company. You should consult with the pedestrian accident attorney at the Wyly Law Firm before you file a claim with your insurance company to ensure that you obtain all of the coverage available to you.
If I cross the street outside a crosswalk do I waive my rights for damages?
The state of Texas has specific pedestrian guidelines. If you are injured in an accident by a driver, and you were found to be in violation of these laws, it is possible that you will still receive partial compensation. However, the driver will need to be found negligent. The pedestrian accident attorney at the Wyly Law Firm will be able to review the circumstances of your accident and determine if you are eligible to seek financial damages.
Texas State law includes the following regulations regarding pedestrian crossings:
- Vehicle operators must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in a crosswalk if no traffic signal control is in place or in operation.
- A pedestrian may not suddenly proceed into the path of a vehicle that is so close it is impossible for the vehicle operator to yield.
- A pedestrian must yield the right-of-way to vehicle operators when crossing the roadway at a place a) other than a marked or unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, or b) where a pedestrian tunnel or overhead pedestrian crossing has been provided.
- When traffic control signals are in operation at adjacent intersections, pedestrians may cross only in a marked crosswalk.
- Vehicle operators emerging from or entering an alley, building entrance, or private road or driveway must yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian approaching on a sidewalk extending across the alley, building entrance, or private road or driveway.
If you have been injured in a pedestrian accident anywhere in southeast Texas, including Harris County, Beaumont, Baytown, Galveston, Pasadena and Houston, you need an aggressive advocate who is well-respected by insurance companies. Please contact us today at 713-574-7034 or via our online contact form for a free consultation. We respond to all inquiries within 24 hours.
