Pedestrian Accidents

A two-ton vehicle against a human body. There is no contest. When a car, truck, or SUV strikes a pedestrian, the results are catastrophic — broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, internal organ failure, and death. Houston ranks among the deadliest cities in America for people on foot, and the numbers keep climbing.

I am Michelle Acosta, and I represent pedestrians who have been struck by negligent drivers in Houston. These cases are personal to me because I understand what it means to be the victim of someone else's negligence. I was attacked on commercial property — corporate negligence put me in danger. That experience is why I became a personal injury lawyer. I fight for people who had no chance to protect themselves.

I prepare every pedestrian accident case for trial. Insurance companies in these cases often try to blame the victim — "they should not have been crossing there" or "they were wearing dark clothing." I do not let that stand. A $56 million Harris County verdict backs up my commitment to holding negligent parties accountable.

Houston's Pedestrian Safety Crisis

Houston is built for cars, not people. Wide arterial roads with no sidewalks. Intersections a quarter-mile apart. Speed limits of 45 mph on roads where families walk to bus stops. The infrastructure itself is a threat to anyone on foot.

The data is damning. Harris County consistently leads Texas in pedestrian fatalities. The Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro area ranks among the top five most dangerous regions for pedestrians in the entire country. These are not statistics — they are your neighbors, family members, and coworkers.

Certain corridors are especially deadly:

• Bissonnet Street — Stretching through Sharpstown, Gulfton, and Bellaire, this road has minimal pedestrian infrastructure and sees heavy foot traffic from nearby apartment complexes. The combination is lethal.
• Bellaire Boulevard — High speeds, wide lanes, and dense commercial activity on both sides create constant pedestrian crossings in one of the most dangerous corridors in Harris County.
• Westheimer Road — From the Galleria through Montrose to Midtown, Westheimer carries heavy vehicle traffic alongside some of the densest pedestrian activity in the city.
• FM 1960 — One of the deadliest roads in Houston for all users. Wide, high-speed, and lined with commercial strip centers that draw pedestrian traffic with no safe crossing points.
• Gulfton neighborhood — One of the most densely populated areas in Houston, with a predominantly immigrant community that relies heavily on walking and public transit. The streets were not designed for the foot traffic they carry.
• Long Point Road / Spring Branch — Another high-speed corridor with heavy pedestrian use and inadequate crosswalks and sidewalks.

Driver Negligence That Kills Pedestrians

In most pedestrian accident cases, the driver is at fault. The most common forms of driver negligence in these crashes include:

Failure to yield. Texas Transportation Code Section 552.003 requires drivers to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in marked crosswalks. Drivers who blow through crosswalks without looking — or who turn right on red without checking for pedestrians — cause a disproportionate share of these crashes.

Distracted driving. A driver looking at a phone screen for five seconds at 40 mph covers the length of a football field blind. In Houston traffic, that is enough to kill someone crossing the street.

Driving while intoxicated. DWI-involved pedestrian fatalities spike on Friday and Saturday nights, particularly in entertainment districts like Washington Avenue, Midtown, and Montrose. A drunk driver's impaired reaction time turns a survivable encounter into a fatal one.

Speeding. The relationship between vehicle speed and pedestrian fatality risk is exponential. A pedestrian struck at 25 mph has a roughly 10% chance of dying. At 40 mph, that number jumps to approximately 45%. At 55 mph, it exceeds 75%. Houston's wide, high-speed arterials are designed for throughput, not safety.

Failure to stop for school buses. Texas law requires all traffic to stop when a school bus displays its stop sign. Violations put the most vulnerable pedestrians — children — at the greatest risk.

Pedestrian Rights in Texas

Texas law grants pedestrians specific rights. Under Texas Transportation Code Chapter 552, pedestrians have the right-of-way at marked crosswalks and at intersections where traffic signals display a "Walk" signal. Drivers must exercise due care to avoid striking a pedestrian regardless of who has the right-of-way.

Even when a pedestrian crosses outside a crosswalk — jaywalking — the driver still has a duty of care. Texas comparative negligence law means the pedestrian can recover damages as long as their share of fault does not exceed 50%. And in many cases, what looks like jaywalking is really the result of a city that forces people to walk on roads with no sidewalks and cross at locations with no crosswalks.

Hit-and-Run Pedestrian Accidents

Hit-and-run crashes are devastatingly common in Houston pedestrian cases. The driver panics, flees the scene, and leaves the victim lying in the road. Texas Penal Code makes leaving the scene of an accident involving injury a felony, but criminal prosecution does not pay your medical bills.

If you are the victim of a hit-and-run, you still have options. Your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage can provide compensation when the at-fault driver cannot be identified. Texas law does not require UM coverage, but if you have it, it applies to pedestrian accidents — not just collisions involving your vehicle. I help clients navigate these claims and fight their own insurance companies when necessary.

Houston's Hispanic Community Is Disproportionately Affected

The numbers tell a story that Houston cannot ignore. Hispanic pedestrians are killed at a rate far exceeding their share of the population. The reasons are structural: lower-income neighborhoods with large Hispanic populations — Gulfton, Second Ward, Magnolia Park, Denver Harbor — have the worst pedestrian infrastructure in the city. No sidewalks. No lighting. No safe crossings. Residents walk because they have to, on roads built exclusively for cars.

I am bilingual — raised across Latin America and Asia, fluent in Spanish. I represent Houston's Hispanic community directly. No interpreters, no language barriers, no miscommunication about the details of your case. You deserve a lawyer who speaks your language and understands your community.

Severe Injuries in Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrian accident injuries are among the most severe in personal injury law:

• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) — When a pedestrian is struck, the head often hits the vehicle hood, windshield, or pavement. TBIs range from concussions to permanent cognitive impairment.
• Spinal cord injuries — The force of impact can fracture vertebrae and damage the spinal cord, resulting in partial or complete paralysis.
• Orthopedic injuries — Shattered femurs, pelvic fractures, crushed ankles, and compound fractures requiring multiple surgeries and months of rehabilitation.
• Internal organ damage — Blunt force trauma to the abdomen causes ruptured spleens, lacerated livers, and internal bleeding that can be life-threatening.
• Degloving and road rash — When a pedestrian is dragged or slides across pavement, the resulting injuries require skin grafts and leave permanent scarring.

These injuries demand compensation that accounts for years or decades of medical treatment, rehabilitation, lost income, and diminished quality of life.

Why Michelle Acosta Law

I am a Gerry Spence Method trained trial lawyer. Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2025 and 2026. National Trial Lawyers Top 100 in Civil Litigation. Top 25 Motor Vehicle Trial Lawyers in Texas. Before opening my own firm, I served as General Counsel overseeing 1,800 employees across 15 states. I know how corporations and insurers build defenses, and I know how to tear them apart.

Pedestrian cases require an attorney who will fight — not settle for the first offer. If you or someone you love was struck by a vehicle in Houston, call me at (713) 933-3300 or request a free consultation. No fee unless we win.