Pedestrian Critically Injured in Southeast Austin Crash on Todd Lane

Texas Transportation Code Section 552.006 addresses pedestrians who cross a roadway outside of a marked crosswalk, requiring them to yield the right-of-way to vehicles. Critically, the same section also requires every driver to exercise due care to avoid colliding with a pedestrian on the roadway and to sound a warning when necessary, regardless of who has the right-of-way. This dual duty is frequently central to auto-pedestrian crash investigations like the one on Todd Lane. Investigators typically look at both the pedestrian’s location at the time of the crash and whether the driver took reasonable steps to avoid the collision.

Under Texas’s proportionate responsibility law, an injured pedestrian can still recover damages even if found partially at fault for a crash, as long as their share of responsibility does not exceed 50 percent. Any compensation awarded is reduced by the injured person’s own percentage of fault. This framework often comes into play in auto-pedestrian cases where liability may be disputed between the driver and the pedestrian. A careful review of the police report and any witness accounts is typically needed to establish how fault should be apportioned.