Under Dallas City Code Chapter 43, Section 63, abutting property owners are legally responsible for maintaining sidewalks in a safe condition. While the City of Dallas offers a 50/50 cost-sharing program for repairs, legal liability for a fall typically rests with the private property owner or business—unless the City received formal written notice of the specific defect prior to your accident.
Common Injuries and the Impact of a Sidewalk Fall
A trip and fall on a Dallas sidewalk can range from a minor incident to a life-altering, catastrophic injury. Victims of sidewalk accidents frequently suffer from:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and Concussions: Often occurring when a pedestrian strikes their head on concrete or a sharp curb.
- Spinal Cord and Neck Injuries: Including herniated discs or paralysis from a high-impact fall.
- Complex Fractures: Specifically broken wrists, hips, or ankles that may require surgical intervention.
- Soft Tissue Damage: Including muscle sprains, strains, and severe lacerations or contusions.
In 2026, research indicates that sidewalk falls involving surgical repairs result in settlements that are, on average, 3.2 times higher than non-surgical cases. These injuries can compromise your ability to earn a living, perform daily tasks, and secure your financial future.
Proving Liability: The "Negligence" Standard in Texas
Recovering compensation requires proving that another party was negligent. To build a successful claim in Dallas County, you or your personal injury attorney must demonstrate the following:
- Existence of a Hazard: There was an "unreasonably dangerous" condition, such as uneven concrete, a raised lip, or a pothole.
- Responsibility: The party you are suing owned or controlled that specific area of the property.
- Knowledge: The owner knew or should have known about the hazard. This is often proven through maintenance logs, prior complaints, or evidence that the hazard existed for a long enough time that a reasonable person would have discovered it.
- Failure to Act: The owner failed to repair the defect or provide a clear warning to pedestrians.
Who is Responsible? Residential vs. Commercial vs. Public
Liability depends largely on the location of the sidewalk:
- Residential Neighborhoods: Liability usually rests with the homeowner whose property is adjacent to the sidewalk.
- Commercial Areas: Business owners are responsible for maintaining sidewalks that abut their property, including those in parking lots.
- Public and City Property: While Dallas is an "at-fault" state, the City has significant legal protections under the Texas Tort Claims Act. You can only move forward against the City if you can prove the hazard was a "special defect" and you submitted proper written notice within a strict timeframe (often as short as 90 days).
Dallas Neighborhood Hotspots
Accidents are often rooted in poor urban design. In Dallas, pedestrian injuries are frequently concentrated in "stroad" environments—hybrid roads that function as high-speed connectors but are situated in dense urban districts:
- Deep Ellum and Uptown: High rates of falls involving uneven tiles and garage exit fender-benders.
- Downtown Dallas: Hazards involving commercial delivery zones and non-functional pedestrian signals.
- Oak Cliff: Freeway exit frontage roads where high speeds meet poor sidewalk infrastructure.
If you are injured, use the Dallas 311 mobile app to report the specific location and defect. This creates a digital paper trail that can serve as evidence of the owner's knowledge of the hazard.
Deadline to File: The Two-Year Statute of Limitations
Under Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code §16.003(a), you generally have two years from the date of the fall to file a lawsuit. However, cases involving government entities have much shorter notice requirements. Waiting to file can result in the loss of critical evidence, such as surveillance footage or witness testimony.
Why Choose MR.LAW: Your Fearless Advocates
At MR.LAW Accident & Injury Attorneys, our founders—Damon Mathias and Ori Raphael—are sons of refugees who built this firm on a shared vision: to fight for the underdog against the powerful.
Our "Until Victory Always" philosophy means we don't settle for less than justice. We leverage our team's unique insider knowledge of insurance defense tactics to anticipate how property owners will try to shift blame or downplay your injuries. We meticulously investigate every case, drawing on Dallas-specific crash patterns and expert testimony to maximize your recovery.
If you’ve been injured on a Dallas sidewalk, don't face the insurance companies alone. Contact MR.LAW today at (469) 689-0200 for a free, results-driven case evaluation.