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