Hit by a car as a pedestrian in Houston: your rights and finding a pedestrian accident lawyer

Last checked November 8, 2026

In 2022, 115 people walking died on Houston streets and 245 were seriously hurt.1 Drivers must stop for you at a Walk signal, and must use care even if you made a mistake.23 You generally have 2 years to sue.4 If a city vehicle hit you, written notice is due in 90 days.5

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Road map of Houston marking the High Injury Network, where 8.9% of streets account for 58% of traffic deaths and serious injuries
Pedestrians were 36% of Houston's traffic deaths in 2022. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

How often are people hit by cars while walking in Houston?

Far too often. People on foot were 36% of the city's traffic deaths in 2022.6 That was 115 lives, up from 106 the year before, plus 245 people with serious injuries.1 Statewide, TxDOT counted 695 pedestrian deaths in 2025.7

The danger is packed into certain places. Houston's High Injury Network is 8.9% of its streets and holds 58% of traffic deaths and serious injuries.8 A 2020 city plan found 43% of deaths and serious injuries were at or tied to an intersection or a driveway.9

Speeding drivers were a factor in 33% of the city's traffic deaths in 2022, and impaired drivers in 32%.1011 A person walking is the one who pays for those choices.

Who has the right of way at a Houston crosswalk?

Where you wereTexas rule
Crossing with a Walk signalDrivers must stop and let you cross2
In a crosswalk with no working signalDrivers must stop for you on their half of the road12
Crossing away from a crosswalkYou must yield to cars, and that can affect blame13
Any time you are on the roadDrivers still have to use care to avoid hitting you3

An insurer may stress that you were not in a crosswalk. Houston has long blocks and big arterials, so a lot of people cross mid-block. That can count against you, but it does not end the claim. You lose only if you are more than 50% responsible.14

What if I was hit on a bike or e-bike in Houston?

In 2022, 11 people on bikes died on Houston streets and 32 were seriously hurt.15 Texas gives a person on a bike the same rights and duties as a driver, except where the law says otherwise.16

A slower rider must stay near the right side of the road, with exceptions for turns, passing, hazards and narrow lanes.17 If a driver says you were in the way, those exceptions may matter. We did not find a Houston rule specific to e-bike crash claims, so treat those as you would a bike case and ask a lawyer.

Who is responsible for a broken sidewalk in Houston?

Often not the city. A City Council page says repair of neighborhood sidewalks is the job of the abutting property owner.18 The city replaces sidewalks only in limited cases, such as on a busy thoroughfare, near a school or for people with mobility impairments.19

That matters if you had to step into traffic because the sidewalk was gone or broken. Take photos showing where the walking path ended. Someone may be at fault besides the driver. If a government body owns the spot, the notice clock is short: 90 days for the city, 180 for Harris County.520 For a fall with no car involved, see the slip and fall guide.

What should you do after being hit by a car in Houston?

  1. Call 911. Two Level I trauma centers here are Ben Taub and Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center.2122
  2. Get the plate, even a partial one. If the driver left, it is a hit-and-run. HPD reported a fatal one on Leander Street involving a person walking on October 27, 2026.23 Its Hit and Run Unit takes information at 713-247-4065.24
  3. Ask people nearby for their names and numbers, and look for cameras on stores and bus stops.
  4. Get the crash report. HPD sells it through BuyCrash or by mail for $6.2526 You need two details, such as the date and location.27
  5. Write down what you remember about the light, the crosswalk and the car's speed the same day.

What if a METRO bus or train hit me in Houston?

METRO's notice form must be completed, signed and delivered within 180 days.28 Send it to METRO Claims at P.O. Box 61429, Houston 77208-1429, or email [email protected].29 To reach METRO Police, call or text 713-224-2677.30 Do this even if the driver or someone at METRO said a claim was already started.

A City of Houston truck or car is different. The charter wants verified written notice within 90 days, and a missed notice can excuse the city from any liability.531 Other Texas government bodies usually get 6 months.32 Children may have extra time on the lawsuit deadline, but do not count on that for a notice.33

Questions

How long do I have after being hit by a car in Houston?

Generally 2 years to sue.4 A claim against the City of Houston needs written notice within 90 days.5

Can I still claim if I was not in a crosswalk in Houston?

Yes, it may still be possible. You had to yield outside a crosswalk, but drivers must still use care.133

Who fixes the sidewalk in my Houston neighborhood?

Generally the property owner next to it, according to the city council's page.18

What is the High Injury Network in Houston?

It is the city's map of the 8.9% of streets with 58% of traffic deaths and serious injuries.8

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Houston

Hit while walking or biking

Texas

Sources

  1. City of Houston, Vision Zero Annual Report 2022, checked 2026-11-08. “Pedestrian 106 115 9 221 245 24”
  2. Tex. Transp. Code § 552.002(b), checked 2026-11-08. “A pedestrian or sidewalk user facing a "Walk" signal may proceed across a roadway in the direction of the signal, and the operator of a vehicle shall stop and yield the right-of-way to the pedestrian or sidewalk user.”
  3. Tex. Transp. Code § 552.008, checked 2026-11-08. “the operator of a vehicle shall: (1) exercise due care to avoid colliding with a pedestrian on a roadway;”
  4. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
  5. City of Houston Legal Department, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “duly verified, within 90 days after the same has been sustained”
  6. City of Houston, Vision Zero Annual Report 2022, checked 2026-11-08. “Pedestrians represented 36% of Traffic Deaths and 16% of Serious Injuries.”
  7. TxDOT, 2025 Pedestrian and Pedalcyclist Injuries and Crashes, checked 2026-11-08. “PEDESTRIAN 698 695 1,352 1,387 2,415 2,496”
  8. City of Houston, High Injury Network layer information, checked 2026-11-08. “represents 8.9% of Houston streets which account for 58% of traffic deaths and serious injuries”
  9. City of Houston, Vision Zero Action Plan, checked 2026-11-08. “43% of traffic deaths and serious injuries are at or related to an intersection or driveway”
  10. City of Houston, Vision Zero Annual Report 2022, checked 2026-11-08. “Speeding 34% 33% 33% 37%”
  11. City of Houston, Vision Zero Annual Report 2022, checked 2026-11-08. “Impaired 28% 32% 14% 10%”
  12. Tex. Transp. Code § 552.003(a), checked 2026-11-08. “The operator of a vehicle shall stop and yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing a roadway in a crosswalk if: (1) no traffic control signal is in place or in operation; and (2) the pedestrian is: (A) on the half of the roadway in which the vehicle is traveling”
  13. Tex. Transp. Code § 552.005(a), checked 2026-11-08. “A pedestrian shall yield the right-of-way to a vehicle on the highway if crossing a roadway at a place: (1) other than in a marked crosswalk or in an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection”
  14. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-08. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent”
  15. City of Houston, Vision Zero Annual Report 2022, checked 2026-11-08. “Pedalcyclist 12 11 -1 47 32 -15”
  16. Tex. Transp. Code § 551.101(a), checked 2026-11-08. “A person operating a bicycle has the rights and duties applicable to a driver operating a vehicle under this subtitle”
  17. Tex. Transp. Code § 551.103(a), checked 2026-11-08. “a person operating a bicycle on a roadway who is moving slower than the other traffic on the roadway shall ride as near as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway, unless:”
  18. Houston City Council District A, FAQ, checked 2026-11-08. “the maintenance and repair of neighborhood sidewalks is the responsibility of the abutting property owner”
  19. Houston City Council District A, FAQ, checked 2026-11-08. “such as on a busy thoroughfare, near a school, or for citizens with mobility impairments”
  20. Harris County, Claim Filing Procedures, checked 2026-11-08. “Written notice of your claim must be mailed or delivered in person within 180 days of the occurrence to: Harris County Commissioners Court 1001 Preston, Room 610 Houston, Texas 77002”
  21. Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “HARRIS HEALTH BEN TAUB HOSPITAL 4/1/2028 Q HOUSTON 77030”
  22. Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “MEMORIAL HERMANN - TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER 5/1/2028 Q HOUSTON 77030”
  23. Houston Police, News Release, October 27, 2026, checked 2026-11-08. “Houston police are investigating a fatal hit-and-run crash in the 8300 block of Leander Street”
  24. Houston Police, News Release, October 27, 2026, checked 2026-11-08. “contact the HPD Hit and Run Unit at 713-247-4065”
  25. Houston Police, Public Information Requests, checked 2026-11-08. “Crash Reports can be purchased online from the Texas Department of Transportation at https://buycrash.lexisnexisrisk.com”
  26. Houston Police, Public Information Requests, checked 2026-11-08. “Send a check / money order for $6.00 (made payable to the City of Houston)”
  27. Houston Police, Public Information Requests, checked 2026-11-08. “You must provide at least two of the following in order to obtain an accident report”
  28. METRO, Notice of Claim Form, checked 2026-11-08. “within 180 days of the incident by anyone desiring to make a claim against METRO”
  29. METRO, Notice of Claim Form, checked 2026-11-08. “Email: [email protected]”
  30. METRO, FAQs, checked 2026-11-08. “Call or text METRO Police at 713-224-COPS (2677)”
  31. City of Houston Legal Department, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “shall exonerate, excuse and exempt the city from any liability whatsoever”
  32. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred”
  33. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.001, checked 2026-11-08. “the time of the disability is not included in a limitations period”

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