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Sugar Land Pedestrian Accident: Texas Right-of-Way Rules and How a Claim Works

June 26, 2024

Written and legally reviewedWritten by Sam A. Maida, Jr., Owner and Managing Attorney · Reviewed by Bernard G. Johnson III, Litigation Managing Attorney

Published June 26, 2024 · Last updated October 5, 2026

Part of Houston Car Accident Claims · see also Before You Talk to the Insurance Adjuster After a Car Accident in Texas · How to Prepare for a Consultation With a Houston Auto Accident Attorney · Tips for a Successful Insurance Claim After Texas Car Accident · Houston Auto Accident Attorney: Top 5 Causes of Accidents

A driver in Texas must stop and yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk when no signal is operating and the pedestrian is on the driver’s half of the road, or close enough to it to be in danger (Tex. Transp. Code § 552.003(a)). A pedestrian hit by a car in Sugar Land can recover damages as long as their own share of responsibility is not greater than 50 percent, and a suit has to be filed within two years.

Across Texas, 768 pedestrians died in traffic crashes in 2024, according to the Texas Department of Transportation crash facts for 2024. This article covers who had the right-of-way, how fault is divided, where a Sugar Land case is handled and which insurance pays. For collisions between vehicles, see our Sugar Land car accident page.

The short version

Crosswalk, no signal: the driver stops and yields (§ 552.003(a)). “Walk” signal: the driver stops and yields (§ 552.002(b)).
Away from a crosswalk the pedestrian yields (§ 552.005(a)), but the driver must still use due care to avoid a collision (§ 552.008).
Fault is shared by percentage. Nothing is recoverable above 50 percent responsibility; below that, damages are reduced by your share (§§ 33.001, 33.012).
Two years to file suit for personal injury (§ 16.003(a)).
Sugar Land is in Fort Bend County; the officer’s crash report is bought from the state for $6 (§ 550.065(d)).

Pedestrian crossing warning sign beside a marked crosswalk — A marked crosswalk with a pedestrian warning sign.

Who has the right-of-way when a pedestrian crosses a Texas road?

In a crosswalk with no working signal, the driver must stop and yield to a pedestrian who is on the driver’s half of the roadway or approaching closely enough to be in danger. At a signal, a pedestrian facing “Walk” has the right-of-way. Away from a crosswalk, the pedestrian must yield to vehicles.

Texas pedestrian right-of-way rules, Transportation Code Chapter 552
Situation	What the statute says	Section
Crosswalk, no signal in place or operating	The driver stops and yields if the pedestrian is on the driver’s half of the roadway, or approaching so closely from the other half as to be in danger	§ 552.003(a)
Stepping off the curb	A pedestrian may not suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and move into the path of a vehicle so close that the driver cannot stop and yield	§ 552.003(b)
A vehicle has stopped at a crosswalk for a pedestrian	A driver approaching from behind may not pass the stopped vehicle	§ 552.003(c)
“Walk” signal	The pedestrian may cross in the direction of the signal, and drivers stop and yield	§ 552.002(b)
“Don’t Walk” or “Wait” signal	The pedestrian may not start to cross; one who is already crossing continues to a sidewalk or safety island	§ 552.002(c)
Crossing away from a crosswalk	The pedestrian yields to vehicles. Between adjacent intersections that both have working signals, crossing is allowed only in a marked crosswalk	§ 552.005(a)-(b)
Driveways, alleys and private roads	A driver entering or leaving stops and yields to a pedestrian approaching on the sidewalk	§ 552.006(c)
Every situation	The driver must exercise due care to avoid colliding with a pedestrian on a roadway, and sound the horn when necessary	§ 552.008

Source: Texas Transportation Code, Chapter 552 (Pedestrians), read October 5, 2026.

Can I recover damages if I was crossing outside a crosswalk?

Yes, unless your share of responsibility is greater than 50 percent. Texas bars recovery only above that line; below it, the damages are reduced by your percentage. A driver still has to exercise due care to avoid hitting a pedestrian on a roadway, including one who should have yielded.

The bar is in Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001: a claimant “may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent.” Under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.012(a), a claimant who is not barred has the damages reduced “by a percentage equal to the claimant’s percentage of responsibility.” The judge or jury sets the percentages for each person involved (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.003(a)).

For illustration only: if the damages are found to be $100,000 and 30 percent of the responsibility is placed on the pedestrian, the recovery is $70,000. At 51 percent it is nothing. That is why the details matter: where the crosswalk was, what the signal showed, the driver’s speed and whether the driver was looking. Our article on how shared fault works in a Texas injury claim goes through the rule in more depth.

Where is a Sugar Land pedestrian case handled, and how do I get the crash report?

Sugar Land is in Fort Bend County, whose website lists ten district courts. The officer’s crash report is bought from the Texas Department of Transportation’s online system, which is where the City of Sugar Land sends people who ask its police department for one. A copy costs $6.

An officer who investigates a crash that caused injury, death or at least $1,000 in apparent property damage must file a written report with the state within 10 days (Tex. Transp. Code § 550.062(a)-(b)). The report is released to a person involved in the collision and to that person’s authorized representative (Tex. Transp. Code § 550.065(c)(4)); the fee is $6, plus $2 for a certified copy (§ 550.065(d)).

The City of Sugar Land’s police FAQ points to the state’s crash report purchase system, and its Records Division, at City Hall, 2700 Town Center Boulevard North, handles other open-records requests. Fort Bend County’s district courts page lists the 240th, 268th, 328th, 387th, 400th, 434th, 458th, 501st, 502nd and 505th District Courts.

Maida Law Firm has no office in Sugar Land. It serves Sugar Land from its Houston office at 8313 Southwest Freeway #102, Houston, TX 77074, about 8.7 miles away in a straight line. More on what the firm handles there is on the Sugar Land personal injury page.

How long do I have to bring a pedestrian injury claim in Texas?

Two years. A suit for personal injury must be brought not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues, and the same period applies when an injury results in death. For an injured person younger than 18, the time before the eighteenth birthday is not counted in the period.

The two-year periods are in Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003(a) and (b). The rule for a person under 18 is in Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.001, which treats a person younger than 18 as under a legal disability and says the time of the disability “is not included in a limitations period.” Deadlines can be shorter when a government vehicle is involved, so the date of the crash should be checked against the facts with an attorney.

The driver has duties at the scene as well: to stop, to give a name, address, vehicle registration number and liability insurer, and to give reasonable help to anyone injured (Tex. Transp. Code § 550.023). A crash that injures someone must be reported immediately to the local police (Tex. Transp. Code § 550.026(a)). Our guide to the first steps after a crash covers the rest.

What insurance pays when a driver hits a pedestrian?

The driver’s liability insurance pays first. Texas requires at least $30,000 for each injured person, up to $60,000 per crash, and $25,000 for property damage, and a serious injury can cost more than that. Your own auto policy’s uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage and personal injury protection may then apply.

The minimum limits are set out in the Texas Department of Insurance auto insurance guide. An insurer may not issue a Texas auto liability policy without uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage unless a named insured rejects it in writing (Tex. Ins. Code § 1952.101(b)-(c)), and the same is true of personal injury protection (Tex. Ins. Code § 1952.152). Whether either one covers you while you are on foot depends on the wording of your policy, so the policy itself has to be read.

If the driver left and is never identified, two rules matter. The statute requires “actual physical contact” between the unknown driver’s vehicle and the insured person or their property for an uninsured motorist claim (§ 1952.104(3)), and the insurance department’s guide says the coverage will not pay for a hit-and-run that was not reported to police. See our page on hit-and-run claims.

Questions people ask after a pedestrian accident in Sugar Land

Is it a crime to hit a pedestrian in a crosswalk in Texas?

It can be. Under Transportation Code § 545.428, a person who, with criminal negligence, operates a motor vehicle within the area of a crosswalk and causes bodily injury to a pedestrian commits a Class A misdemeanor, or a state jail felony if the injury is serious bodily injury. It is an affirmative defense that the pedestrian was violating a rule on walking or movement in a crosswalk or on a roadway. A criminal case is separate from the injured person’s civil claim.

How many pedestrians are killed in Texas each year?

Pedestrian fatalities totaled 768 in 2024, a 5.19 percent decrease from 2023, according to the Texas Department of Transportation’s crash facts for calendar year 2024, which are based on reports received as of April 9, 2025.

Do I have to use the sidewalk?

Yes, where there is one. A pedestrian may not walk along and on a roadway if an adjacent sidewalk is provided and is accessible. Where there is no sidewalk, a pedestrian walking along a highway walks on the left side of the roadway or the shoulder, facing oncoming traffic, unless that side is obstructed or unsafe (Transportation Code § 552.006).

Does a driver turning right on red have to yield to me?

Yes. A driver facing a steady red signal must stop, and may turn right only after yielding the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully in an adjacent crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection (Transportation Code § 544.007(d)).

What is the penalty for a driver who leaves after hitting a pedestrian?

Failing to stop and comply after a collision that causes death is a second-degree felony, and a third-degree felony when it causes serious bodily injury. For other injuries the punishment is up to five years in prison or up to one year in county jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both (Transportation Code § 550.021(c)).

Maida Law Firm’s office is at 8313 Southwest Freeway #102, Houston, TX 77074. To talk through a pedestrian injury in Sugar Land, call (713) 785-9484 or send the details through the contact page.