Austin Pedestrian Accident Attorneys

Holding Negligent Drivers Accountable for Pedestrian Accidents in Austin

Pedestrian accidents in Austin often result in devastating injuries due to a complete lack of protection against the motor vehicle. If a negligent driver violated your right-of-way and caused you harm, you are entitled to full compensation. 

At Lee, Gober & Reyna, our Austin pedestrian accident lawyers understand the severe physical and financial fallout of these crashes. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation to ensure your rights are protected and your path to recovery is secure.

Compassionate Legal Representation from Our Austin Pedestrian Accident Attorneys

Pedestrian accidents are traumatic, often leaving victims with catastrophic injuries and immediate financial hardship. At Lee, Gober & Reyna, our representation is rooted in compassion and dedicated legal teams. We handle the entire legal burden, allowing you to focus on healing.

Unique Focus on Catastrophic Injury

Lee, Gober & Reyna is a pedestrian accident law firm in Austin and Terrell, Texas. We focus on the complex litigation required for catastrophic injuries common in pedestrian crashes, such as TBI and spinal cord trauma. 

We partner with medical specialists and life-care planners to accurately calculate the lifetime cost of care, ensuring the final settlement covers not just current bills, but future financial security.

Fighting the Comparative Negligence Trap

In Austin, drivers often try to blame the pedestrian, claiming they were distracted or jaywalking, to avoid liability. We preempt this tactic by launching an aggressive, detailed investigation, securing intersection camera footage, witness accounts, and accident reconstruction analysis to decisively prove the driver violated your right-of-way. 

Lee, Gober & Reyna stands firm against insurer attempts to unjustly reduce your compensation, fighting with dedication that reflects our core value: putting the client first. We are your voice for justice on the road.

Compensation in Your Austin Pedestrian Accident Claim

Securing compensation after a pedestrian accident is essential because these collisions rarely result in minor injuries. The compensation you receive must account for immediate medical needs and any long-term impact on your career and quality of life. 

At Lee, Gober & Reyna, we meticulously calculate your damages to pursue the maximum financial recovery available.

Economic Losses

These are the measurable, verifiable financial costs you incur. Given the severity of pedestrian injuries, these losses are typically extensive. We will include not only current expenses but expert projections for your lifetime needs:

• Medical Expenses: All bills for emergency care, hospital stays, surgeries, physical therapy, and necessary adaptive equipment.
• Lost Earnings: Compensation for income lost while recovering, and more critically, for diminished earning capacity if permanent injuries prevent a return to your pre-injury profession.
• Property Damage: Costs associated with replacing damaged personal items, such as glasses, laptops, phones, or clothing.

Non-Economic Losses

These damages compensate for the subjective, personal trauma and suffering that define your post-accident life. These often represent the largest portion of a settlement. We document these losses through medical testimony and personal accounts to show the full impact of:

• Pain and Suffering: The physical agony and chronic pain endured.
• Emotional Distress: Including severe anxiety, depression, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) related to the incident.
• Disfigurement/Impairment: Compensation for permanent scarring, mobility loss, and reduced quality of life.

Punitive Damages

In some instances, Texas law permits the award of punitive damages (or exemplary damages) to punish the defendant for exceptionally malicious or grossly negligent conduct. 

The most common scenario for pursuing punitive damages in a pedestrian case is when the driver was intoxicated (DUI/DWI) at the time of the crash. These damages send a powerful message against reckless disregard for public safety.

How to Maximize Your Austin Pedestrian Accident Compensation

To ensure the maximum settlement value, immediate, organized action is essential. Do not delay seeking comprehensive medical care and getting legal advice.

• Secure Visual Evidence: Obtain all intersection and dash camera footage immediately, as this evidence is essential to proving the right-of-way violation.
• Follow All Medical Advice: Consistent medical treatment eliminates any arguments from the insurance company that your injuries are not serious or unrelated to the crash.
• Avoid Discussion of Fault: Never admit fault or discuss the incident with the driver or their insurer. Let Lee, Gober & Reyna handle all communications.

Fatal Pedestrian Accidents in Austin

When a loved one is killed due to a driver’s negligence, Texas law allows surviving family members (spouses, children, and parents) to file a wrongful death claim. A wrongful death claim seeks compensation for the profound lifetime losses suffered by the family. 

• Economic Losses: Compensation for the future lost earning capacity and financial support the deceased would have provided to the family, as well as funeral and burial expenses.
• Non-Economic Losses: Damages for the mental anguish and profound grief suffered by the survivors, plus the critical loss of companionship, society, and guidance the deceased would have provided.

Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents in Texas

Most pedestrian accidents in Austin and Terrell, TX could have been prevented. They are typically caused by driver negligence. Understanding the common factors is the first step toward proving fault and securing justice for your injuries.

• Distracted Driving: Motorists focused on cell phones (texting, browsing) or in-car technology, leading them to miss pedestrians in crosswalks or on sidewalks.
• Failure to Yield: Drivers illegally turning through a crosswalk or intersection without stopping for pedestrians who have the right-of-way.
• Running Red Lights and Stop Signs: Drivers violating traffic signals at intersections, resulting in high-speed, devastating T-bone or side-impact collisions with pedestrians.
• Impaired Driving (DUI/DWI): Drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs often exhibit delayed reaction times and poor judgment, frequently leading to fatal accidents at night.
• Speeding: Excessive speed, particularly in urban areas like Austin, drastically reduces a driver’s ability to stop or avoid a pedestrian, increasing the severity of the impact.
• Unsafe Backing/Turning: Drivers hitting pedestrians in parking lots, driveways, or while making wide turns, often due to blind spots or impatience.
• Poor Visibility: Accidents occurring at dawn, dusk, or night when drivers fail to see pedestrians due to inadequate street lighting or failure to use headlights.

Injuries Often Suffered by Pedestrians in Motor Vehicle Accidents

Pedestrians lack any protection against the force and weight of a motor vehicle, which means injuries sustained in these collisions are almost always severe, often life-altering, and sometimes fatal. 

Pedestrians Experience Multiple Forces in a Crash

The impact of a pedestrian accident subjects the victim’s body to multiple forces: the initial strike, impact with the hood or windshield, and the final impact with the pavement. This multi-stage trauma leads to complex, catastrophic medical conditions.

Understanding Potential Injuries to Pedestrians

Recovery from these injuries is not measured in weeks, but in months or years, requiring extensive hospitalization, multiple surgeries, and long-term rehabilitation. Our pedestrian accident law firm in Austin, TX ensures that the compensation sought reflects the true lifetime cost of these injuries.

• Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs): Caused by the head striking the pavement or windshield, ranging from severe concussions to permanent cognitive or neurological impairment.
• Spinal Cord Injuries: Fractures or displacement of the vertebrae often resulting in permanent paralysis (paraplegia or quadriplegia).
• Compound Fractures: Shattered or severely broken bones, particularly in the lower extremities (legs, pelvis), requiring complex orthopedic surgery and extensive rehabilitation.
• Internal Organ Damage: Trauma to the chest or abdomen resulting in ruptured organs, internal bleeding, and a high risk of fatality.
• Road Rash and Soft Tissue Damage: Severe friction burns that may require skin grafts and lead to permanent scarring and infection.