Farmers Branch Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

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A pedestrian accident in Farmers Branch can change your life in seconds. Whether you were crossing at a marked crosswalk on Valley View Lane, walking near the Brookhaven Country Club area, or making your way through one of the busy commercial corridors along I-635, a negligent driver can cause injuries that leave you facing months of medical treatment, lost income, and real pain. Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys, based in Denton, Texas, represents pedestrians across the Dallas-Fort Worth area who have been hurt by careless drivers. If you or someone you love was struck by a vehicle in Farmers Branch, you deserve to know your rights and your options.

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Texas Law Protects Pedestrians, and Drivers Who Violate It Can Be Held Liable

Texas Transportation Code Chapter 552 sets clear rules that drivers must follow around pedestrians. Under Section 552.003, a driver must stop and yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian crossing a roadway in a crosswalk when no traffic control signal is in operation. This is not optional. The law requires it. If a driver fails to yield and strikes someone in or near a crosswalk, that driver has violated a statutory duty, and that violation is powerful evidence of negligence in a civil claim.

Section 552.008 goes even further. It requires every driver to exercise due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian on a roadway, to sound the horn when necessary as a warning, and to take extra precautions when a child or an obviously confused person is present. These duties apply everywhere, not just at crosswalks. So if a driver struck you while you were walking along Farmers Branch Parkway or crossing near the DART station on Farmers Branch Lane, and they failed to exercise due care, that failure can form the basis of your injury claim.

Texas Transportation Code Section 545.428 adds another layer of protection. A driver who operates a vehicle with criminal negligence within the area of a crosswalk and causes bodily injury to a pedestrian commits a Class A misdemeanor. If the injury is serious, the offense rises to a state jail felony. While a criminal charge does not automatically win your civil case, it creates a strong factual record that your attorney can use when building your personal injury claim.

Texas also requires drivers emerging from alleys, driveways, or buildings to stop before moving onto a sidewalk and yield to pedestrians, under Section 545.256. This matters in Farmers Branch, where dense commercial development along Marsh Lane and Josey Lane means drivers are constantly pulling in and out of shopping center driveways. Any one of those exits can become a danger zone when a driver fails to stop and look.

Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents in Farmers Branch

Distracted driving is the leading cause of pedestrian accidents across Texas. A driver glancing at a phone for just three seconds at 35 miles per hour travels the length of a football field without watching the road. In a city like Farmers Branch, where walkable areas near Maplewood Park and the Brookhaven neighborhood see steady foot traffic, that kind of inattention is deadly.

Speeding is another major factor. Pedestrians are involved in only one percent of traffic crashes in Texas, yet they account for 19 percent of all roadway fatalities. That gap exists because vehicles moving at speed deliver enormous force to a person on foot. A driver traveling over the posted limit on Belt Line Road or Webb Chapel Road has less time to react and causes far more severe injuries when a collision occurs.

Drunk driving is a consistent contributor to pedestrian deaths. Impaired drivers have reduced reaction times and often fail to see pedestrians until it is too late. If your accident involved an impaired driver, your claim may include additional damages beyond standard compensation.

Failure to yield at crosswalks remains one of the most common legal violations in pedestrian accident cases. Drivers who blow through unmarked intersections or ignore pedestrian crossing signals near Farmers Branch City Hall or along the Valley View area put walkers at serious risk. Each of these failures can be documented, investigated, and used to support your claim for compensation.

Poor lighting, missing sidewalks, and inadequate crosswalk markings can also play a role. In some cases, a government entity responsible for road maintenance may share liability. These claims require careful legal analysis and strict notice requirements, so acting quickly matters.

What Compensation Can You Recover After a Farmers Branch Pedestrian Accident?

Texas law allows injured pedestrians to seek compensation for all losses caused by the at-fault driver’s negligence. These damages fall into two broad categories: economic and non-economic.

Economic damages are your out-of-pocket losses. They include current and future medical bills, physical therapy costs, lost wages from time missed at work, and any reduction in your future earning capacity if your injuries prevent you from returning to the same type of work. After a serious pedestrian accident, these numbers add up fast. A broken pelvis, traumatic brain injury, or spinal damage can require years of ongoing care.

Non-economic damages cover the human side of your losses. Pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium for a spouse are all recoverable under Texas law. These damages are real, even though they do not come with a receipt. An experienced attorney can help document and present these losses in a way that reflects their true impact on your life.

Texas follows a modified comparative fault rule. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 33.001, you can still recover damages as long as you are not more than 50 percent responsible for the accident. However, your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you are found 20 percent at fault and your damages total $200,000, you recover $160,000. Insurance companies often try to inflate a pedestrian’s share of fault to reduce what they pay. Having personal injury lawyers in your corner who understand this tactic makes a real difference in the outcome of your case.

In cases involving catastrophic injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries or severe burns, the damages can be substantial. Cases involving wrongful death carry their own separate framework under the Texas Wrongful Death Act, which allows surviving family members to recover for their own losses as well.

The Two-Year Deadline to File a Pedestrian Accident Claim in Texas

Texas law gives injured pedestrians a firm deadline to file a lawsuit. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003(a), a person must bring suit for personal injury not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues. That clock starts ticking on the date of your accident. Miss that deadline, and a court will almost certainly dismiss your case, leaving you with no legal remedy regardless of how strong your claim is.

Two years sounds like plenty of time. It is not. Building a strong pedestrian accident case takes time. Investigators need to visit the scene, gather surveillance footage, obtain the Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report (the CR-3 form filed with TxDOT), interview witnesses, and secure expert opinions. Surveillance footage from businesses near the crash site gets overwritten within days or weeks. Skid marks fade. Witnesses move or forget details. Every day you wait makes the evidence harder to preserve.

There are limited exceptions to the two-year rule. If the injured person is a minor, the clock may not start until they turn 18. If a government vehicle was involved, the Texas Tort Claims Act requires that you file a formal notice of claim within six months of the incident, which is well before the two-year lawsuit deadline. Missing that shorter notice deadline can permanently bar your claim against a government entity.

The safest approach is to contact an attorney as soon as possible after your accident. Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys can evaluate your case, identify all deadlines that apply to your situation, and begin preserving the evidence you need. Call us at (940) 800-2500 to get started.

How Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys Handles Farmers Branch Pedestrian Accident Cases

Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys is based in Denton, Texas, and serves clients throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area, including Farmers Branch. Our firm handles pedestrian accident cases on a contingency fee basis. That means you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. There are no upfront costs and no hourly fees. Your only job right now is to focus on your recovery.

When you hire us, we get to work immediately. We request the official CR-3 crash report from TxDOT, which documents the investigating officer’s findings, contributing factors, and any citations issued at the scene. We gather all available evidence, including traffic camera footage, surveillance video from nearby businesses, and photographs of the scene. We identify every potential source of liability, whether that is the at-fault driver, their employer if they were on the job, or a third party responsible for unsafe road conditions.

We handle all communication with insurance companies on your behalf. Insurers for at-fault drivers often contact injured pedestrians quickly, sometimes within days of the accident, hoping to get a recorded statement or a fast settlement before you understand the full extent of your injuries. We make sure that does not happen to you.

In 2024, there were 6,095 crashes involving pedestrians in Texas, resulting in 772 pedestrian deaths, and another 1,455 pedestrians were seriously injured. The families and survivors behind those numbers deserved real legal representation. If you were hurt walking near the Farmers Branch Historical Park, crossing near the Mercer Botanic area, or anywhere else in the city, you deserve the same. Call Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys at (940) 800-2500 for a free consultation. There is no obligation, and speaking with us costs you nothing.

FAQs About Farmers Branch Pedestrian Accident Lawyers

Does Texas law require drivers to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks in Farmers Branch?

Yes. Under Texas Transportation Code Section 552.003, a driver must stop and yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing in a crosswalk when no traffic control signal is in operation. This rule applies throughout Texas, including all crosswalks in Farmers Branch. A driver who fails to stop and strikes a pedestrian has violated this statute, which is direct evidence of negligence in a personal injury claim. Beyond crosswalks, Section 552.008 requires all drivers to exercise due care to avoid hitting any pedestrian on a roadway, regardless of where the crossing occurs.

What if I was partly at fault for the pedestrian accident? Can I still recover compensation?

Possibly, yes. Texas follows a modified comparative fault rule under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 33.001. You can still recover damages as long as you are found to be 50 percent or less responsible for the accident. Your total compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if your damages are $100,000 and you are found 25 percent at fault, you recover $75,000. Insurance companies routinely try to assign more fault to pedestrians than the facts support, which is exactly why having an attorney review your case before you speak to any insurer is so important.

How long do I have to file a pedestrian accident lawsuit in Texas?

Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003(a) gives you two years from the date of your accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. This deadline is strict. Courts rarely grant exceptions, and missing it almost always means losing your right to any compensation. If a government vehicle or government-maintained road was involved, a separate six-month notice requirement under the Texas Tort Claims Act may apply, making it even more urgent to contact an attorney quickly. Do not wait to find out which deadlines apply to your case.

What types of compensation can a pedestrian accident victim recover in Texas?

Texas law allows injured pedestrians to recover economic damages, such as past and future medical expenses, lost wages, and reduced earning capacity, as well as non-economic damages, including pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. In cases involving a fatally injured pedestrian, surviving family members may bring a wrongful death claim under the Texas Wrongful Death Act and recover their own separate losses. The specific damages available in your case depend on the facts, the severity of your injuries, and the evidence gathered. Past results in other cases do not guarantee the same outcome in your matter.

What should I do immediately after being hit by a car as a pedestrian in Farmers Branch?

Call 911 right away so that police respond and file an official crash report. Accept medical treatment at the scene and follow up with a doctor even if you feel okay, because many serious injuries, including traumatic brain injuries, do not show immediate symptoms. Take photographs of the scene, your injuries, the vehicle, and any relevant road conditions if you are physically able. Get contact information from any witnesses. Do not give a recorded statement to any insurance company before speaking with an attorney. Then call Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys at (940) 800-2500 as soon as possible so we can begin preserving the evidence in your case.

Content prepared by Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys, whose principal office is located in Denton, Texas. Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome in any future case. Each case is evaluated on its own facts and applicable law.

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