Fatal automobile-pedestrian accidents have seen a sharp increase throughout the Lone Star State, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. The Department of Transportation also reports that there has been a notable increase in the rate of fatal automobile-bicyclist accidents in the state as well.
In 2019, pedestrian deaths accounted for one in five of the state’s traffic-related deaths. Approximately 700 pedestrians were killed in accidents involving automobiles. Another 1,300 people were injured in automobile-pedestrian accidents. The death rate in 2019 was up 5 percent from 2018. A high percentage of pedestrian deaths involve children and older people, among the least vulnerable members of our community.
As mentioned, there has been an increase in the automobile-bicyclist death rate as well. Automobile accidents involving bicyclists took 68 lives in 2019. Another 300 bicyclists were injured last year, many of them seriously so.
The lion’s share of these tragic accidents occurred in the six largest cities in the state. Approximately 300 of the automobile-pedestrian deaths occurred in the six largest Texas metropolitan areas. Despite this concentration in more populated areas, pedestrians are dying because of the negligence of motorists everywhere in the state.
Officials from the Texas Department of Transportation called the pedestrian accident rate “an alarming trend.” A significant percentage of the automobile-pedestrian accidents reported across the state occurred as a result of the negligence of a vehicle driver. Although there were incidents in which a pedestrian was negligent to some degree, even in many of those situations a car driver was deemed to be negligent as well.
In an effort to better protect pedestrians, the Department of Transportation launched the #EndTheStreakTX campaign on social media. Through this effort, the Department of Transportation is endeavoring to “highlight good traffic behaviors so that drivers can make safer choices when behind the wheel.”
In Texas, the most common underlying causes of pedestrian accidents involving automobiles are:
- Inattentive or distracted driver
- Failure to obey stop signs and lights
- Driving in excess of speed limit
- Impaired or intoxicated driver
Beyond fatal injuries, many automobile-pedestrian accidents result in highly serious and even life-changing injuries. The most common types of injuries sustained by a pedestrian after an accident involving a motor vehicle are:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injuries
- Serious fractures (including to the hips, pelvis, arms, legs, neck, and ribs
- Cuts, scrapes, and bruises
- Torn ligaments
In addition to these serious physical injuries that stem from automobile-pedestrian accidents, a victim of this type of accident can also experience significant emotional distress and mental anguish. A pedestrian involved in an accident with an automobile might suffer from depression, anxiety, and PTSD. These are mental health conditions that can be persistent and pervasive, impacting the quality of a person’s life significantly and well into the future.
While the Texas Department of Transportation strives to protect pedestrians from injuries and even death when walking about, The Doan Law Firm is committed to protecting the rights of people who’ve lost loved ones in fatal pedestrian accident. Additionally, the pedestrian accident lawyer team at our firm fights for the rights of injured pedestrians as well.
A nationwide law firm with 40 offices across the country, our home base is right here in the state of Texas. You can connect with a Texas pedestrian accident attorney by contacting anyone of our Lone Star State offices:
- Abilene – (325) 307-0000
- Amarillo – (806) 590-0000
- Austin – (512) 806-0000
- Bryan – (979) 803-0000
- Corpus Christi – (361) 371-0000
- Dallas – (214) 307-0000
- El Paso – (915) 201-0000
- Fort Worth – (817) 935-0000
- Houston – (832) 835-0000
- Lubbock – (806) 557-0000
- McAllen – (956) 425-0000
- Midland – (432) 653-0000
- San Antonio – (210) 904-0000
- Waco – (254) 615-0000
We also have a pedestrian accident lawyer hotline at (800) 349-0000. In addition to scheduling an initial consultation and case evaluation at any one of our offices located across Texas and from coast-to-coast, we can arrange a virtual appointment for you online. All of our phone lines are staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including all major holidays. There is never a change for an initial consultation with a Doan Law Firm pedestrian accident lawyer.
The Doan Law Firm makes an attorney fee promise to you. We never charge a fee unless we win for you. Our commitment is to winning – and winning big.