UT Austin Student Injuries after Car and Pedestrian Accidents in West Campus

If you or your student goes to UT Austin and spends time on campus or in West Campus, you already know how busy the streets can get. This guide explains what usually happens after a UT Austin student car accident or West Campus pedestrian accident, how insurance often works for students, and when it makes sense to talk with a lawyer.

The area around UT Austin has heavy traffic, lots of students on foot, and a mix of cars, scooters, bikes, and buses all using the same space. Studies that looked at crashes within about a half mile of campus found more than two thousand reported crashes between 2017 and 2020, and at least 179 of those involved a pedestrian or bicyclist.

Guadalupe Street and the West Campus neighborhood carry much of the vehicle and foot traffic for the university, with dense student housing on the west side of Guadalupe and campus on the east side.

Focus groups with people who walk and bike around campus report daily safety concerns and many near misses.

The City of Austin also tracks serious traffic injuries and deaths through its Vision Zero program and uses that data to target safety projects across the city, including central Austin.

For parents, this means your student is walking, biking, or riding in cars in an area that is beautiful and lively, but also genuinely high risk for traffic crashes.

Here are some of the most common patterns around campus and in West Campus:

In any of these situations, the same basic Texas personal injury rules usually apply, but the mix of student insurance, parent insurance, and campus systems can make the process feel more complicated.

Under Texas law, drivers generally must stop and yield to a pedestrian who is in a crosswalk when there is no working traffic signal and the person is on the drivers half of the road or close enough to be in danger.

If a pedestrian crosses the road somewhere that is not a crosswalk, Texas law usually requires the pedestrian to yield to vehicles.

In simple terms:

In a proper crosswalk, the driver often has the main duty to watch and stop.

Outside a crosswalk, the pedestrian often has the main duty to wait for a safe gap.

Texas follows a rule called proportionate responsibility. In plain English, this means fault can be shared between the driver, the pedestrian, and sometimes others. If an injured person is more than 50 percent at fault, they usually cannot recover money in a lawsuit.

Example:

A jury might decide both share blame. If they think the student is 40 percent at fault and the driver is 60 percent at fault, the student could still recover, but the award would be cut by 40 percent. If they thought the student was 60 percent at fault, the student would recover nothing.

If you are a parent getting a late night call from Austin, a few steps can help:

Every case is different, but here is how the main pieces often fit together after a UT Austin student car accident or West Campus pedestrian accident.

Texas is an at fault state, so the starting point is usually the liability insurance for the driver who caused the crash. That policy may pay for:

Many students are covered by more than one auto policy:

Texas requires auto insurers to offer Personal Injury Protection, often called PIP. Drivers can reject it in writing, but if they do not, it is usually part of the policy. PIP pays for medical costs and some lost wages for the policyholder and some family members, regardless of who was at fault. 

Important points for students and parents:

Many Texas policies also include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, which can help if the at fault driver has no insurance or not enough insurance.

UT Austin offers a Student Health Insurance Plan, currently through Blue Cross Blue Shield, that pays one hundred percent for covered services at University Health Services and also has in network and out of network benefits off campus, including nationwide coverage. 

In addition, many students are still covered on a parent employer plan or another private health plan. Health insurance usually:

In plain language, health insurance helps keep treatment available while the injury claim is pending. Later, if there is a settlement, part of that money may have to go back to the health insurer.

Sometimes the crash involves a UT shuttle, a UT vehicle, or a city bus, or it relates to a street or sidewalk condition. In those situations, special rules may apply because UT Austin and the City of Austin are government units.

Texas has a law called the Texas Tort Claims Act. It allows people to make certain injury claims against government units, including the University of Texas System, when a government employee negligently uses a motor vehicle or when certain conditions on property cause harm. 

This law also:

Because these rules are strict, students and parents should treat crashes involving UT vehicles, city buses, or dangerous conditions on public property as urgent and speak with a lawyer familiar with Texas Tort Claims Act cases.

For most Texas personal injury cases, including many car and pedestrian accidents, the general deadline to file a lawsuit is two years from the date of the injury. That rule comes from Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code section 16.003 and is often called the statute of limitations. 

However:

If you wait too long, even a strong case can be lost because a court may not allow the lawsuit to go forward. It is usually wise to talk with a lawyer as early as possible so that the right deadlines are identified for your particular situation.

No one needs a lawyer for every small bump or bruise. But it is usually worth talking with a personal injury lawyer, especially one familiar with West Campus pedestrian accidents, when:

An initial consultation is often free. A lawyer can help review the crash report, look at insurance options, and explain possible next steps so that you and your student can make informed choices.

Usually no, not automatically. Your medical bills are typically paid first by your health insurance, any PIP benefits on your auto policy, and the at fault drivers liability insurance.

In some limited situations, such as when a UT vehicle or a dangerous condition on UT property causes the injury, you may have a claim under the Texas Tort Claims Act, but that has strict rules and damage caps. 

The at fault drivers auto liability insurance is usually the first source, regardless of whether the student was walking, biking, or on a scooter. This is where injury and property damage claims often start.

On top of that, your student may have:

A lawyer can help stack these correctly and protect rights under each policy. 

Texas law expects pedestrians who cross outside crosswalks to yield to vehicles, but that does not automatically end the claim. Fault can be shared between the pedestrian and the driver. 

Under Texas proportionate responsibility rules, your student may still recover money if they are 50 percent or less at fault, though the recovery can be reduced. If they are more than 50 percent at fault, they are usually barred from recovery. 

Often yes, but it depends on the policy language. Many auto policies cover household family members who live away at school, even if they do not have a vehicle with them.

That coverage can be very important for:

Because each policy is different, it is smart to have a lawyer or your insurance agent review your specific policy wording. 

Most of the time, students should use every available insurance tool rather than waiting for a settlement.

A lawyer can help negotiate repayment so more of the final settlement stays with your family.

It varies widely. Simple cases with clear fault and modest injuries might settle in a few months. Serious injury cases, or crashes that involve government entities or multiple insurers, can take a year or more.

Factors that affect timing include:

When a UT shuttle, UT vehicle, or city bus is involved, you are likely dealing with a government unit. Claims may fall under the Texas Tort Claims Act, which has special rules, lower damage caps, and strict notice deadlines that can be much shorter than the normal two year statute of limitations. 

Because of this, it is especially important to talk with a lawyer right away in bus or campus vehicle cases.

Legally, many scooter and bike crashes are handled much like car and pedestrian crashes. The key questions are usually:

Recent news about scooter fatalities near UT shows how serious these crashes can be, even at relatively low speeds. 

Be cautious when talking to any insurance adjuster, even your own. Common concerns include:

You can politely say you want time to talk with a lawyer before answering detailed questions or signing anything.

UT Austin and West Campus are exciting places to live and study, but their busy streets make crashes more likely. When a UT Austin student car accident or West Campus pedestrian accident happens, the mix of student life, campus systems, and layered insurance can feel overwhelming.

Understanding the basics of Texas traffic law, shared fault rules, and how student and family insurance work together can help you feel more in control. In any serious injury situation, or whenever there is confusion about fault or coverage, it is usually wise to speak with a licensed Texas personal injury lawyer who understands the campus and West Campus area.

This article is for general educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Laws change, and how they apply can depend on your specific situation. Talk to a licensed attorney in your state, and in Texas if your issue is in Texas, for advice about your particular case.