Most Dangerous Intersections in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Arlington

The number of people driving in the Dallas – Fort Worth area has exploded and of course there are many more car wrecks here. Most of them are caused by drivers running lights, speeding, and texting while driving.

But certain intersections and roads are literally accidents waiting to happen.

Many Of The Most Dangerous Intersections in Texas are in Dallas

A lawyer analyzed crash data from the Texas Department of Public Safety and identified about 300 of the places you are most likely to get into a collision over three recent years.

Fort Worth and Arlington fared pretty well. Only six Fort Worth intersections made the list, including Henderson/Weatherford on the west side of downtown pictured here which had 119 collisions. My office has represented people injured in crashes at all of the locations, including the man who was broadsided in the red car and is about to have back surgery as a result.

Arlington had four of the worst intersections, all of them along Watson Road/Highway 360.

But Dallas had 39 of the most dangerous intersections in Texas.

See the full list of the worst intersections in Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, and other cities below.

Hopefully if this list is publicized, it will encourage drivers to use extra caution and cities to act and thus reduce the number of automobile collisions in the Metroplex.

Can You Sue the Government For Building A Dangerous Intersection Or Road?

The state or city is often aware that a road or intersection is unusually dangerous and does nothing about it. It fails to add a better design, additional lanes, blinking lights, warnings, or police to intersections or repair poorly constructed roads, ramps, bridge abutments, extruding signs or poles, barriers, potholes, or uneven drop-offs.

Clients who have been injured at these dangerous locations sometimes ask us whether they can sue the state, county, or city in addition to the driver who hit them.

Usually you cannot sue a governmental unit for failing to make a road or intersection as safe as it could be. Texas and local municipalities enjoy what is termed sovereign immunity from most types of lawsuits. However there is an important but limited exception in the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code.

Under the Texas Tort Claims Act, an injured person might be entitled to file a tort claim for damages resulting from a car crash if

  • A negligent state or government employee operating a motor-driven vehicle or equipment, while acting within the scope of employment, caused the collision and would have been personally liable
  • The state or city would have been liable had it been a private individual

For example, you might have a viable tort action if

  • A government employee ran into you while conducting government business driving a government vehicle
  • In very limited circumstances, a road was inadequately maintained, such as a pothole, downed stop sign or broken traffic signal

The law and procedures are complicated and a personal injury lawyer should be consulted.  For example, this is one of the few causes of action where notice must be given prior to the filing of suit. There is a cap on damages that limits recovery  against the state of Texas to $250,000.00 per person/$500,000.00 all persons injured and against local governmental unit to $100,000.00 per person. Defective roads are governed by other highly technical distinctions.

You’ve got to wonder, when dozens of crashes occur at a given spot, why doesn’t the state or city take action? Think of how expensive it is to send police and fire trucks to the scene, idle traffic, and pay for emergency service at taxpayer-supported hospitals, not to mention prevent often huge expenses, injuries, and pain caused by injuries.

The state legislature begins its biennial session next Tuesday. This is an important issue they should address.

These Are The Most Dangerous Intersections in Arlington, Fort Worth, and Dallas

2012 – 2015 statistics

Arlington
Street 1 Street 2 Crashes Injuries Deaths Score
SIX FLAGS DR WATSON RD 98 68 0 302
E PARK ROW DR WATSON RD 69 69 0 276
E ABRAM ST WATSON RD 67 63 0 256
MAYFIELD RD WATSON RD 54 40 0 174

 

Fort Worth
Street 1 Street 2 Crashes Injuries Deaths Score
HENDERSON ST WEATHERFORD ST 119 105 0 434
BELKNAP ST HENDERSON ST 58 51 0 211
E LANCASTER AVE RIVERSIDE DR 52 45 1 197
7th ST HENDERSON ST 52 42 0 178
BRYANT IRVIN RD SOUTHWEST BLVD 64 32 0 160
I-35 WESTERN CENTER BLVD 71 24 0 143

 

Dallas
Street1 Street2 Crashes Injuries Deaths Score
LYNDON B JOHNSON FWY SKILLMAN ST 132 107 0 453
CENTRAL EXPY LYNDON B JOHNSON FWY 78 90 0 348
BELT LINE RD DALLAS PKWY 133 66 0 331
NORTHWEST HWY WALTON WALKER BLVD 105 70 0 315
BUCKNER BLVD MILITARY PKWY 88 63 1 287
BUCKNER BLVD JOHN WEST RD 50 75 0 275
COMMERCE ST LAMAR ST 68 62 0 254
NORTHWEST HWY STEMMONS FWY 73 60 0 253
BUCKNER BLVD SAMUELL BLVD 56 59 1 243
LYNDON B JOHNSON FWY WEBB CHAPEL RD 53 61 0 236
LYNDON B JOHNSON FWY MARSH LN 50 61 0 233
CENTRAL TEXAS EXPY E LOVERS LN 67 55 0 232
LYNDON B JOHNSON FWY MIDWAY RD 66 55 0 231
AUDELIA RD FOREST LN 62 55 0 227
S HAMPTON RD W WHEATLAND RD 48 59 0 225
BUCKNER BLVD NORTHWEST HWY 50 58 0 224
N HAMPTON RD W JEFFERSON BLVD 64 49 1 221
BUCKNER BLVD SCYENE RD 55 54 0 217
CENTRAL EXPY WALNUT HILL LN 53 51 0 206
GREENVILLE AVE LYNDON B JOHNSON FWY 67 42 0 193
S HAMPTON RD W ILLINOIS AVE 48 44 0 180
CENTRAL EXPY LEMMON AVE 53 40 0 173
DALLAS PKWY LYNDON B JOHNSON FWY 52 40 0 172
HILLCREST RD LYNDON B JOHNSON FWY 54 37 0 165
MARKET CENTER BLVD STEMMONS FWY 53 36 0 161
CENTRAL EXPY ROYAL LN 52 36 0 160
BUCKNER BLVD ELAM RD 56 30 0 146
INWOOD RD LYNDON B JOHNSON FWY 49 32 0 145
ABRAMS RD LYNDON B JOHNSON FWY 56 29 0 143
BUCKNER BLVD E RL THORNTON FWY 53 28 0 137
LYNDON B JOHNSON FWY PRESTON RD 66 23 0 135
DALLAS DR TEASLEY LN 59 24 0 131
DALLAS PKWY TRINITY MILLS RD 51 25 0 126
DALLAS PKWY KELLER SPRINGS RD 54 21 0 117
ELM ST GRIFFIN ST 48 20 0 108

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