Were you or a loved one involved in a crash with a truck? Accidents involving 18-wheelers, delivery trucks, or other large commercial vehicles are often catastrophic, leaving behind serious injuries, totaled vehicles, and unanswered questions.
These incidents can upend lives in seconds, especially when they’re caused by a negligent or reckless truck driver. While the aftermath of a truck crash can feel overwhelming, you don’t have to face it on your own. Instead, let a truck accident lawyer in Texas represent you.
At The Texas Law Dog, we don’t just bark, we bite if that’s what it takes to get results for truck accident victims across the Lone Star State. Founded in 2018, we have years of experience focusing on helping victims like you in our shared backyard. Our Texas personal injury lawyers are ready and willing to help.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Texas
Truck accidents can stem from a wide range of factors involving the driver, the trucking company, the cargo, or road conditions.
These are commonly reported causes of truck-related collisions in Texas:
- Driver fatigue: Despite federal rules limiting driving hours, fatigue remains a top cause of truck accidents. Drivers may exceed hours-of-service limits to meet delivery deadlines or in response to pressure from their employers. Unfortunately, fatigue impairs reaction times and decision-making abilities.
- Speeding and aggressive driving: Trucks require more time and distance to stop. When truck drivers speed or follow too closely, they increase the risk of rear-end collisions, particularly in high-traffic situations or adverse weather conditions.
- Distracted driving: The use of cell phones, GPS devices, or in-cab systems can divert a driver’s attention away from the road. Even momentary distractions can have serious consequences at highway speeds.
- Improperly loaded or secured cargo: Overloaded or unbalanced trailers can cause rollovers and jackknife accidents. Cargo that shifts or falls off the truck can also create road hazards for other drivers.
- Mechanical failures and poor maintenance: Tire blowouts, brake failure, steering problems, or lighting issues often result from poor maintenance. Trucking companies are legally required to inspect and maintain their vehicles regularly.
- Driver inexperience or improper training: Texas requires a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) to operate large trucks. Still, not all companies properly vet or train drivers before putting them behind the wheel of heavy equipment.
- Impaired driving: Although less common than in passenger vehicle crashes, drug or alcohol use by truck drivers can lead to devastating collisions.
Many of these issues point not just to driver error but to the systemic practices of the trucking companies themselves, which may create unsafe working conditions or fail to enforce safety policies.
Types of Truck Accidents
Truck crashes take many forms, each with its own set of risks and legal implications. For instance, here are examples of common types of crashes involving trucks:
- Rear-end collisions: Due to the size and stopping distance of trucks, rear-end crashes can easily crush a smaller vehicle, causing severe injuries or death.
- Jackknife accidents: When the truck’s trailer swings out to the side and forms a 90-degree angle, it can block multiple lanes of traffic and cause multi-vehicle pileups.
- Rollover accidents: These occur when a truck flips onto its side, often due to making sharp turns, speeding, or shifting cargo. Rollovers are extremely dangerous for nearby vehicles.
- Underride collisions: In these crashes, a smaller car slides under the back or side of a trailer, often resulting in fatal head or neck injuries. Rear underride guards are required, though they might fail or be missing.
- Wide turn accidents: Trucks making right turns may swing too widely and move into adjacent lanes, potentially crushing vehicles or forcing them off the road.
- Lost load incidents: Cargo that falls from a trailer due to improper securement can strike other vehicles or create obstacles in the road, leading to secondary collisions.
Each type of accident may involve different liable parties, such as the driver, trucking company, cargo loader, maintenance provider, or parts manufacturer. Your Texas truck accident lawyer can look into the details of your case and help you identify what caused the crash.
Texas Truck Accident Lawyer Near Me (817) 775-5364
Determining Liability in Texas Truck Accidents
As your Texas truck accident attorney, we will take on the responsibility of proving fault. Texas follows a modified comparative fault system under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 33.001, which means a party can recover damages only if they are less than 51% responsible for the crash.
Any compensation awarded will then be reduced by the injured person’s percentage of fault. Establishing liability in a truck accident often involves identifying multiple responsible parties, such as the following:
- The truck driver: This might apply if the driver was speeding, distracted, fatigued, or impaired at the time of the crash.
- The trucking company: Companies can be held liable for negligent hiring, training, supervising, or forcing drivers to violate HOS rules. They may also be liable under the legal doctrine of respondeat superior, which holds employers responsible for employees’ actions while they are on duty.
- The truck owner or leasing company: Some trucks are leased and maintained by third parties, who may bear responsibility for mechanical failures.
- Cargo loaders or shipping companies: If improperly loaded or secured cargo caused or contributed to the crash, cargo loaders or shipping companies could be found liable.
- Truck or parts manufacturers: These parties might be responsible if a defective tire, brake system, or other component failed and caused the accident.
- Maintenance contractors: If regular inspections and repairs were skipped, done improperly, or logged inaccurately, maintenance contractors could be at fault.
Trucking companies often respond to crashes quickly, sometimes dispatching investigators to the scene before law enforcement arrives. These businesses are often well-prepared to defend themselves and shift blame elsewhere, especially when the evidence is complicated or technical in nature. However, our truck accident lawyers in Texas know how to advocate on your behalf.
Reach Out To Our Truck Accident Lawyers in Texas Today to Learn More About What We Can Do for You
If you or someone you love was hurt in a truck-related collision, you don’t have to go through the aftermath all on your own. These crashes often lead to devastating physical injuries, confusing insurance negotiations, and lasting emotional trauma—but you’re not alone in this fight.
Instead, reach out to The Texas Law Dog. Our truck accident attorneys in Texas have the experience and determination it takes to stand up to the at-fault parties and pursue the compensation you need. You’ve been through enough—let us help you move forward.
Don’t wait to take action. The sooner you contact our Texas truck accident law firm, the sooner we can start building your case and demanding accountability from those responsible. Contact us today for your free case consultation.
