East Texas Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
East Texas Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
A walk across the street can turn tragic when a driver fails to pay attention. Recognized as one of the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, your East Texas pedestrian accident lawyer from Goff Law, PLLC knows how devastating these incidents are for people who expected nothing more than a safe way home.
Your East Texas personal injury lawyer will explain how liability works in pedestrian crash cases and can answer your questions and help you understand what steps the law allows you to take next.
Hazards You May Face While Walking in East Texas
Walking in rural East Texas can expose you to dangers that city pedestrians rarely face. Drivers on two-lane highways do not always expect to see someone on foot, especially at night or in low-light conditions. Awareness of where these risks appear helps you stay alert to the hazards that cause serious crashes.
How Drivers Put You at Risk on Rural Roads
Two-lane highways in East Texas carry fast traffic and leave little margin for pedestrians. A driver glancing at a phone can drift toward the shoulder. A vehicle pushing past the speed limit may close the distance between you and safety in seconds. Inattentive driving in these conditions puts pedestrians in constant danger.
Your East Texas pedestrian accident attorney with Goff Law, PLLC understands how quickly a driver’s choices can create serious consequences. Detailed notes about what you saw at the scene and any photos you took provide evidence that helps protect your claim.
Why School Zones and Small-Town Intersections Endanger You
In many East Texas towns, crosswalks near schools are faded and signals are limited. Drivers may not notice when children or pedestrians are crossing, especially during busy drop-off or pick-up hours. Heavy traffic in these areas can make even short walks across the street unsafe.
Under Texas Transportation Code § 552.003, drivers are required to yield to pedestrians in marked and unmarked crosswalks. Problems arise when markings are unclear or signals are missing, because drivers often assume they have the right of way. When that happens, your account of where you were walking and any photos of the area can help prove liability for the damages in your claim.
Places Where You Could Be Struck as a Pedestrian in East Texas
Some areas in East Texas are riskier for pedestrians than others, and it helps to know where those dangers exist. Locations with heavier traffic or large gatherings increase the chance of car accidents because drivers often fail to look for people on foot. Our founding attorney, a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, has handled many of these cases, and these are some of the places where pedestrian crashes often occur:
- Farm-to-market roads where narrow shoulders give drivers little room to react.
- Unmarked crossings that leave pedestrians unprotected.
- Fairgrounds filled with traffic and distracted visitors.
- Church parking lots that flood with cars after services.
- High school football games where crowded streets mix with hurried drivers.
- Courthouse squares with busy intersections.
- County festival routes packed with vehicles and pedestrians.
- Small-town main streets where foot traffic and cars constantly intersect.
These locations heighten pedestrian danger because distractions are common and drivers may not expect people in the roadway. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) reports that pedestrian fatalities in the state increased by more than 22% between 2019 and 2023. For anyone living in East Texas, this statistic is a reminder of how serious the risks are and why extra caution is needed in busy community spaces.
Emergency Response Realities in Small Towns
When a pedestrian accident happens in East Texas, the kind of medical care you receive can depend on where it occurred. Smaller towns often lack advanced emergency resources, which means longer waits before specialists arrive. An East Texas catastrophic injury lawyer will consider these differences when evaluating your case, and since we were recognized as one of the most reputable trial attorneys in the Metroplex, you can trust that we know how these realities affect the way your injuries are handled.
Ambulances or Air Transport May Delay Your Care
Ambulance crews in rural counties often cover large areas, which can stretch response times well beyond what you would expect in a city. In some cases, helicopters are used to reach patients, but arranging air transport adds more time before you reach the hospital. Every extra minute matters for pedestrians struck in high-speed crashes where trauma is severe.
The Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code § 16.003 gives you just two years to file many personal injury claims. When treatment is delayed because of long transport or limited resources, protecting your right to file within the deadline becomes even more important.
Distance to Trauma Centers Can Influence Your Timeline
In East Texas, many trauma centers are located in larger cities hours away from smaller towns. That distance means you may be stabilized locally but still need long transport before advanced care begins. The more time spent in transit, the more your medical plan can be pushed back.
These delays can also affect your claim in other ways. Extended travel may slow rehab schedules. Added costs from transport can strain finances. Missing records may give insurers an excuse to question your injuries. Geography influences both treatment and claims, which means preparing early helps you respond to challenges and get the documentation needed to support your case.
Work With Your Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in East Texas Today
