Swift is one of the largest trucking carriers in North America, part of Knight-Swift Transportation, and a company of that size has a legal and insurance team ready to respond the moment one of its trucks is in a crash. You, meanwhile, are left dealing with injuries and a stack of bills.
A Colleyville Swift Transportation truck accident lawyer at The Texas Law Dog helps even that imbalance. Our founder worked inside the insurance industry before he started representing injured people, so he knows the playbook a carrier’s insurance company runs and how to counter it.
Call us 24/7 for a free consultation with our Colleyville truck accident lawyers. We work on contingency, so you pay nothing upfront and nothing unless we win.
The Federal Rules Swift Drivers Have to Follow
Long-haul carriers like Swift operate across state lines, which puts them under federal safety rules enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). When a Swift driver breaks one of those rules, that violation can become a central part of proving your case.
A few of the rules that come up most often:
- Hours-of-service limits: A property-carrying driver may drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty. Pushing past that limit is a known cause of fatigue crashes.
- Electronic logging devices (ELDs): Federal rules require most long-haul trucks to record driving time automatically, which makes it harder for a carrier to hide how long a driver was really on the road.
- Driver qualification standards: Carriers are responsible for making sure drivers are properly licensed, trained, and medically fit.
A Colleyville personal injury lawyer who understands these federal standards can spot where Swift or its driver fell short. That’s often where a strong claim begins, because a rule violation points straight at who was negligent.
Why Suing a Carrier the Size of Swift Is Different
Going up against a national carrier is a different experience than a claim against a local driver. The company has resources most individuals never face alone.
What you’re up against typically includes:
- A rapid-response investigation team that may reach the scene within hours to gather evidence first.
- In-house and hired attorneys whose job is to keep the company’s payout as low as possible.
- Large commercial insurance policies that can cover serious injuries, but only when someone forces the issue.
That last point works in your favor if you have help. A Colleyville Swift Transportation truck accident attorney knows how to reach the full coverage available instead of settling for the first offer. The Texas Law Dog prepares each claim as though it is heading to trial, which is often what moves a large carrier toward a fair number.
Colleyville Swift Transportation Truck Accident Lawyer Near Me (817) 775-5364
Figuring Out Who Is Responsible
A Swift crash can involve more than just the person behind the wheel. Sorting out every responsible party is part of recovering what you’re owed, since each may carry separate coverage. Responsibility can fall on the following parties:
- The driver, for speeding, distraction, or driving past federal hours-of-service limits.
- Swift Transportation, for how it hired, trained, scheduled, or monitored that driver.
- A maintenance provider, if a mechanical failure like worn brakes contributed.
- A cargo loader, if an unbalanced or overweight trailer made the truck harder to control.
Pinning this down takes the kind of investigation The Texas Law Dog handles before filing, so no responsible party, or available policy, gets left out of the claim.
The Evidence That Supports a Swift Claim
A long-haul crash generates records a passenger-car wreck never would, and a lot of it sits in Swift’s own systems. Some of it can be overwritten within weeks. Worth securing quickly:
- ELD and black box data showing speed, braking, and hours driven.
- The driver’s logbook and qualification file.
- Dispatch and routing records showing the schedule the driver was told to keep.
- Maintenance and inspection history for that truck.
- Dash-cam or surveillance footage, including from businesses along Colleyville Boulevard (SH-26) or near State Highway 121.
Since those records belong to the carrier, obtaining them usually takes legal pressure. The sooner a preservation demand goes out, the less chance critical data disappears.
What to Do After a Swift Truck Crash in Colleyville
What you do in the first days can protect both your health and your claim.
See a Doctor Promptly
Get evaluated even if you feel okay, since some injuries surface days later. A hospital such as Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Grapevine, minutes from Colleyville, can document your injuries and connect them to the crash.
Preserve the Scene
Photograph the vehicles, the Swift markings and truck number, the road, and your injuries. Collect contact details from any witnesses before they leave.
Report It to the Right Agency
A crash inside city limits is handled by the Colleyville Police Department, while a wreck on an interstate or state highway may fall to Texas Department of Public Safety troopers. Ask for the report number.
Talk to a Lawyer Before the Insurer
Swift’s insurer may call quickly, hoping for a recorded statement. Speaking with a Swift Transportation truck accident lawyer in Colleyville first keeps you from saying something that gets used to reduce your claim.
Texas Deadlines and Fault Rules to Know
In Texas, you generally have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit, under Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code § 16.003. Once that window closes, the court will usually refuse to hear the case regardless of how strong it is.
Texas also uses a modified comparative fault rule under Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code § 33.001. You can recover only if you’re found 50% or less at fault; your recovery drops by your share of the blame, and at 51% or more you recover nothing.
Expect Swift’s insurer to push blame your way to trigger that bar, which is exactly why a Colleyville Swift Transportation truck accident lawyer builds the fault case with hard evidence.
Talk to a Colleyville Swift Transportation Truck Accident Lawyer at The Texas Law Dog Today
A carrier the size of Swift will not voluntarily hand over a fair settlement even though you may be seriously hurt. Getting one usually takes a lawyer willing to push, and hiring that help shouldn’t be another thing you have to worry about paying for. We work on contingency, so there’s no fee upfront and nothing owed unless we recover money for you.
Whatever the severity of your injuries, our Colleyville truck accident lawyers can take on Swift’s team and handle your claim from start to finish. Founded by a former insurance-industry insider, The Texas Law Dog is ready to get started. Call us 24/7 for a free consultation.
