Roanoke Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Pedestrian accidents in Roanoke, Texas can happen in seconds and leave victims with injuries that take months or years to recover from. Whether you were crossing near the busy intersection of US-377 and Byron Nelson Parkway, walking along Oak Street, or making your way through one of Roanoke’s growing mixed-use developments near Highway 114, a distracted or reckless driver can change everything in an instant. If you or someone you love was struck by a vehicle while on foot, you have legal rights under Texas law, and Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys is here to help you protect them. Call us today at (940) 800-2500 for a free consultation.

Table of Contents

• Why Pedestrian Accidents in Roanoke Are More Common Than You Think
• Texas Laws That Protect Pedestrians and Define Driver Duties
• What Damages Can a Roanoke Pedestrian Accident Victim Recover?
• How Texas’s Proportionate Responsibility Rule Affects Your Pedestrian Injury Claim
• The Filing Deadline for Pedestrian Accident Claims in Texas
• Why Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys Is the Right Choice for Roanoke Pedestrian Accident Victims
• FAQs About Roanoke Pedestrian Accident Lawyers

Why Pedestrian Accidents in Roanoke Are More Common Than You Think

Roanoke sits in one of the fastest-growing corridors in North Texas, with Highway 114 and US-377 carrying heavy commuter and commercial traffic through the heart of the city every day. As the population grows and more people walk to restaurants, shops, and parks near the historic downtown area, the risk of pedestrian accidents increases alongside that growth.

According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), pedestrians are involved in only one percent of traffic crashes in Texas, yet they account for 19 percent of all roadway fatalities. In 2024, there were 6,095 crashes involving pedestrians in the state, resulting in 772 pedestrian deaths. Those numbers reflect a real and ongoing danger for anyone who walks near Texas roads, including the streets of Roanoke.

TxDOT data also shows that approximately 77 percent of pedestrian deaths in 2024 happened after dark. Roanoke’s popular dining district along Oak Street and the areas surrounding Teal Wood Park see heavy foot traffic in the evening hours, making nighttime pedestrian safety a serious concern for local residents.

Common causes of pedestrian accidents in Roanoke include distracted driving, speeding, failure to yield at crosswalks, and impaired driving. Drivers who run red lights near the Roanoke Town Center or fail to check for pedestrians when exiting private driveways and parking lots along Byron Nelson Parkway put walkers at serious risk. If a negligent driver caused your injuries, you deserve to know what your legal options are. The personal injury lawyers at Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys represent pedestrian accident victims throughout the Roanoke and greater Denton County area.

Texas Laws That Protect Pedestrians and Define Driver Duties

Texas law places clear obligations on drivers to protect pedestrians. Understanding those obligations is the first step in building a strong injury claim after an accident.

Under Texas Transportation Code Section 552.003, a driver must stop and yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing a roadway in a crosswalk when no traffic control signal is in place and the pedestrian is on the driver’s half of the roadway or approaching closely enough to be in danger. This rule applies to unmarked crosswalks at intersections, not just painted crosswalk lines.

Texas Transportation Code Section 552.008 goes further, requiring 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 proper precautions when they observe a child or an obviously confused or incapacitated person on the road. This duty of care applies everywhere, not just at crosswalks.

The Legislature also added teeth to these protections through Texas Transportation Code Section 545.428, enacted in 2021 and amended in 2023. Under that statute, a person commits a criminal offense if they operate a motor vehicle within the area of a crosswalk and, with criminal negligence, cause bodily injury to a pedestrian. The offense is a Class A misdemeanor, and it rises to a state jail felony if the pedestrian suffers serious bodily injury. A criminal charge against the driver does not automatically resolve your civil claim, but it creates powerful evidence of negligence that can support your personal injury case.

Texas Transportation Code Section 552.006 also requires drivers who are emerging from alleys, buildings, or private driveways to stop and yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian approaching on an adjacent sidewalk. This provision is especially relevant in Roanoke’s commercial areas, where vehicles frequently cross sidewalks to enter and exit parking lots along US-377 and Highway 114.

What Damages Can a Roanoke Pedestrian Accident Victim Recover?

Pedestrian accidents often produce far more severe injuries than typical car-to-car collisions because the human body has no protection against an oncoming vehicle. Broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and internal organ injuries are all common outcomes. The financial impact can be enormous, and Texas law allows injured pedestrians to pursue compensation for the full scope of those losses.

Recoverable damages in a Texas pedestrian accident claim generally fall into two categories: economic and non-economic. Economic damages include medical bills, future medical care costs, lost wages, and loss of earning capacity. Non-economic damages cover pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical impairment, and disfigurement. In cases involving catastrophic injuries, such as those leading to permanent disability or the need for long-term care, these amounts can be substantial.

If a loved one was killed by a negligent driver in Roanoke, the surviving family members may also pursue a wrongful death claim under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 71. Recoverable damages in a wrongful death case include loss of financial support, loss of companionship, mental anguish, and funeral and burial expenses.

Texas law governs how fault is distributed across all parties through its proportionate responsibility system. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 33.001, a claimant may not recover damages if their percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent. Under Texas’s comparative negligence rule, you can recover damages after an accident if you are found to be 50 percent or less at fault, but your compensation will be reduced in proportion to your share of fault. This is why having a skilled attorney gather evidence and present your case accurately is so important.

How Texas’s Proportionate Responsibility Rule Affects Your Pedestrian Injury Claim

Insurance companies frequently try to shift blame onto injured pedestrians. They may argue that you crossed outside a marked crosswalk, failed to look both ways, or wore dark clothing at night. Even a partial assignment of fault can significantly reduce your recovery, and crossing the 51 percent threshold eliminates it entirely.

Texas Transportation Code Section 552.005 does require pedestrians to yield the right-of-way to vehicles when crossing at a point other than a marked or unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. Between adjacent intersections where traffic signals are in operation, a pedestrian may cross only in a marked crosswalk. If you were crossing mid-block when the accident occurred, an insurance adjuster will use that fact against you.

Texas’s comparative negligence rule allows you to recover damages after an accident if you are found to be 50 percent or less at fault, but your compensation will be reduced in proportion to your share of fault. If you are 51 percent or more responsible, you are not entitled to any recovery. That single percentage point can mean the difference between a meaningful recovery and nothing at all.

Building a strong case means gathering evidence quickly. The Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report (CR-3 form), filed with TxDOT after any qualifying accident, documents the officer’s findings about fault, road conditions, and traffic controls at the scene. Surveillance footage from nearby businesses along US-377 or Byron Nelson Parkway, eyewitness statements, and medical records all play a role in establishing what happened and who was responsible. Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys works to preserve that evidence before it disappears. Call (940) 800-2500 right away so we can get to work on your case.

The Filing Deadline for Pedestrian Accident Claims in Texas

Texas law sets a firm deadline for filing personal injury lawsuits, and missing it can permanently end your right to recover compensation. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is two years from the date the cause of action accrues. For most pedestrian accident victims, that clock starts running on the day of the accident.

Two years may sound like plenty of time, but it goes faster than most people expect. Medical treatment, rehabilitation, and the stress of recovery can consume months before an injured person thinks about legal action. Insurance companies know this. They sometimes use delay tactics to run out the clock, offering low settlements early in the process and hoping you accept before understanding the full extent of your injuries.

There are limited exceptions that can toll, or pause, the two-year deadline. If the injured person is a minor at the time of the accident, the statute of limitations generally does not begin to run until the minor turns 18. If the defendant leaves Texas after the accident and before the lawsuit is filed, that time away from the state may not count toward the limitations period. These exceptions are narrow, and you should never assume they apply to your case without speaking to an attorney first.

Wrongful death claims follow the same two-year deadline under Section 16.003, with the clock starting on the date of the victim’s death. If your family lost someone in a pedestrian accident near Roanoke’s Teal Wood Park, the Denton County courthouse area, or anywhere along the Highway 114 corridor, the time to act is now. Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys serves clients throughout Denton County and the surrounding region. Reach out to us at (940) 800-2500 to discuss your rights before the deadline passes.

Why Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys Is the Right Choice for Roanoke Pedestrian Accident Victims

Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys is a Denton, Texas personal injury law firm that represents injured people throughout Denton County, including residents of Roanoke, Trophy Club, Keller, and the surrounding communities. Our firm handles pedestrian accident cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.

Pedestrian accident cases require thorough investigation. We gather the TxDOT CR-3 crash report, review any available surveillance footage, consult with accident reconstruction professionals when needed, and work with medical providers to document the full scope of your injuries. We deal directly with insurance adjusters so you do not have to face that pressure alone while you are recovering.

We understand the roads in Roanoke. We know that US-377 sees heavy truck and commuter traffic, that the Highway 114 frontage roads present real dangers for pedestrians, and that the growing retail and dining areas near downtown Roanoke create foot traffic in locations that were not originally designed with walkers in mind. That local knowledge shapes how we build your case.

Pedestrian accident injuries can overlap with other serious harm, including traumatic brain injuries, catastrophic injuries, and in the worst cases, wrongful death. Our firm handles the full range of serious personal injury claims, so we understand how to value a case that involves long-term or permanent consequences. Past results in any case depend on the specific facts and law involved, and no outcome can be guaranteed, but we are committed to fighting for every dollar you are entitled to under Texas law.

If you or a family member was injured as a pedestrian anywhere in the Roanoke area, do not wait. Call Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys at (940) 800-2500 or visit us online to schedule your free consultation. Our attorneys are licensed in Texas and practice from our Denton, Texas office.

FAQs About Roanoke Pedestrian Accident Lawyers

Do I have a case if I was not in a crosswalk when I was hit?

You may still have a valid claim even if you were not in a marked crosswalk. Texas Transportation Code Section 552.008 requires all drivers to exercise due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian on a roadway, regardless of where the pedestrian is walking. However, crossing outside a crosswalk can affect your percentage of fault under Texas’s proportionate responsibility rules. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 33.001, you can still recover compensation as long as your share of fault does not exceed 50 percent. An attorney can review the specific facts of your accident and help you understand how fault may be assigned in your situation.

What should I do immediately after being hit by a car in Roanoke?

Call 911 so that law enforcement can respond and file a Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report (CR-3 form). Get medical attention right away, even if you feel your injuries are minor, because some serious injuries like traumatic brain injuries or internal bleeding do not produce obvious symptoms immediately. If you are able, take photos of the scene, the vehicle, and your injuries, and collect contact information from any witnesses. Do not give a recorded statement to the driver’s insurance company before speaking with an attorney. Contact Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys at (940) 800-2500 as soon as possible so we can begin preserving evidence.

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

Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003, you generally have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. If the pedestrian accident was fatal, the surviving family members have two years from the date of death to file a wrongful death claim. Missing this deadline typically bars you from recovering any compensation, regardless of how serious your injuries are or how clear the driver’s fault may be. Limited exceptions exist for minors and in certain other circumstances, but you should never assume an exception applies without consulting an attorney first.

Can I recover compensation if the driver who hit me was uninsured?

Yes, you may still have options for recovery even if the at-fault driver had no insurance or insufficient coverage. Your own auto insurance policy may include uninsured or underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, which can apply to pedestrian accidents in Texas. Additionally, if a third party, such as a property owner or employer, contributed to the conditions that caused your accident, they may share liability. Texas law allows injury claims against multiple responsible parties under the proportionate responsibility framework in Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 33. Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys can review all potential sources of recovery in your case.

What if the driver claims I was at fault for the accident?

It is very common for drivers and their insurance companies to claim that the pedestrian shares fault for an accident. They may point to factors like crossing outside a crosswalk, wearing dark clothing at night, or being distracted by a phone. Under Texas’s modified comparative fault system, codified in Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 33.001, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault, but you can still recover as long as your fault does not exceed 50 percent. The key is building a strong evidentiary record, including the police report, witness statements, surveillance footage, and medical records, to accurately establish what happened and counter any attempt to unfairly shift blame onto you.