Published by Brooker Law, PLLC — Dallas, Texas | Pedestrian Accident Lawyers

Last Updated: November 13, 2025

TL;DR

Loop 12 and East Ledbetter Drive are two of the most dangerous roads in Dallas for pedestrians. Brooker Law, a Dallas-based wrongful-death and catastrophic-injury firm, explains why so many crashes happen on these high-speed roads, how negligent drivers turn risks into tragedy, and what victims and families can do after a collision. Contact Brooker Law for a free, confidential consultation.

Two Dallas Roads, Hundreds of Preventable Crashes

Few Dallas residents need a map to know where the city’s most dangerous roads are. Loop 12 and East Ledbetter Drive have earned reputations as corridors where high speeds, distraction, and impatience collide with everyday life — often literally. Fox 4 has called Loop 12 the "deadliest roadway in Dallas." Vision Zero Dallas is focused on increasing pedestrian safety on these and other Dallas hotspots.

Both are lined with homes, schools, churches, and transit stops. Yet nearly every week, someone is hit crossing or walking alongside these roads. According to City of Dallas data, Loop 12 and East Ledbetter consistently rank among the top corridors for pedestrian deaths and serious injuries. What’s driving those numbers isn’t mysterious, it’s negligent driving.

How Negligence Shows Up on Loop 12 and East Ledbetter

Numerous pedestrian injury and wrongful death cases happen along these roadways, and each time, we see the same preventable mistakes in the police reports.

1. Speeding

On these wide, open stretches, drivers often go 10–20 mph over the limit. At 40 mph, a pedestrian has only a 20 percent chance of surviving a direct impact. At 50 mph, that chance drops to near zero. Yet, the majority of police reports and traffic citations along these roadways include failure to control speed or speeding.

2. Distracted Driving

Phones, infotainment screens, and navigation apps compete for attention. In the seconds it takes to glance down, a driver can travel half a football field, which is long enough to miss seeing a pedestrian enter a crosswalk.

3. Aggressive or Impatient Behavior

Drivers rushing to make lights or beat traffic often turn without yielding or accelerate through changing signals. That moment of impatience has catastrophic consequences for pedestrians who rely on drivers yielding the right of way or stopping.

4. Failure to Yield

Texas law requires drivers to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and to exercise due care anywhere people are walking near traffic. Yet on Loop 12 and East Ledbetter, failure to yield remains one of the most common crash factors listed by Dallas police.

Why Pedestrians Are Vulnerable

Loop 12 and East Ledbetter aren’t neighborhood streets. They’re multi-lane, high-traffic roadways cutting through residential areas. People walking to bus stops, stores, or schools often have no choice but to cross them. That’s why these corridors demand heightened awareness from every driver.

Under Texas Transportation Code § 545.351, motorists must maintain a speed and lookout “necessary to avoid colliding with any person.” That means the driver's duty increases, not decreases, when visibility is low or pedestrian activity is expected. In other words, you can’t drive fast just because the road looks empty.

The Driver's Liability

In most Dallas pedestrian cases, the cause isn’t poor design; instead, it’s poor decisions behind the wheel.

Legally, negligence means a driver failed to act as a reasonably prudent driver would under the same or similar circumstances. In other words, among other things, the driver may have:

  • Failed to control their speed;
  • Failed to yield to a pedestrian;
  • Drove while distracted or under the influence;
  • Ignored traffic signals or lane markings; or
  • Failed to maintain a proper lookout

When those acts cause serious injury or death, the law holds the driver — and, in commercial cases, sometimes their employer — financially responsible. These cases often involve:

  • Company vehicles whose operators are on the clock or navigating aggressive delivery schedules;
  • Delivery vans or rideshare drivers navigating routes with divided attention; or
  • Repeat offenders with prior speeding or DUI citations.

Brooker Law investigates these factors meticulously, using vehicle “black box” data, video evidence, criminal histories, driving records, and witness statements to reconstruct the driver’s behavior in the moments before impact.

What If the Pedestrian Was Outside the Crosswalk?

It doesn’t absolve the driver. Texas law doesn’t give motorists permission to hit someone simply because they weren’t in a marked crosswalk. Drivers still have a legal duty to avoid collisions and to slow or stop when people are visibly present. Even if a pedestrian was outside a crosswalk, drivers who were speeding, texting, or failing to keep a proper lookout can still be found negligent and liable for the harm they caused.

How Families Can Protect Their Rights After a Corridor Crash

  1. Call 911 and insist on a full police report. Make sure it documents lighting, speed, and witness names.
  2. Collect evidence quickly. Loop 12 and East Ledbetter both have surveillance and DART cameras but that footage may be deleted within days if not requested.
  3. Preserve clothing and personal effects. They may hold transfer evidence proving speed or impact angle.
  4. Seek immediate medical care. Some trauma, like internal bleeding or concussions, may not appear right away.
  5. Call a Dallas pedestrian accident lawyer early. The sooner an attorney can access and preserve evidence and communicate with insurers, the stronger your case will be.

Why Brooker Law Focuses on Driver Accountability

At Brooker Law, we don’t generally sue cities for roadway design. Instead, we focus on holding negligent drivers and companies accountable. We believe every Dallas resident has the right to walk, cross, and live safely, even along high-traffic roads like Loop 12 and East Ledbetter. Our job is to uncover the truth behind the crash, present it to a jury, and secure justice for the families left behind. Accountability on the driver level is what ultimately changes behavior, not another study, traffic report, or more construction.

FAQ: Most Dangerous Dallas Roads

Where do most fatal pedestrian crashes happen?
Loop 12, East Ledbetter, Buckner Boulevard, and Hampton Road remain among Dallas’s most dangerous roads for pedestrians.

Can families recover damages even if the victim wasn’t in a crosswalk?
Yes. Drivers still have a duty to maintain control and avoid collisions whenever pedestrians are visible.

What if the driver was working at the time?
If they were in a company vehicle or on duty, the employer may share liability under Texas law.

How soon should we contact a lawyer?
Immediately. Surveillance video and digital data often disappear within days, and the same is true for skid marks and other evidence left on the roadway.

Contact Brooker Law

Brooker Law, PLLC represents victims and families in Dallas pedestrian accidents, Loop 12 and East Ledbetter crashes, and wrongful death cases throughout Texas. Our mission is to make Dallas streets safer by holding negligent drivers and the companies profiting off of them accountable. Contact Brooker Law today for a free, confidential consultation.

Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every case is unique. For advice about your specific situation, contact Brooker Law, PLLC.