Getting hit by an 18-wheeler is nothing like a typical car accident. The size and weight of a commercial truck means injuries are often catastrophic — broken bones, spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injuries, and worse. If you or someone you love was hurt in a trucking accident on Highway 380, US-75, the Dallas North Tollway, I-35, or anywhere in North Texas, here’s what you need to understand before you do anything else.
Why Trucking Accident Cases Are So Much More Complex
When a commercial truck is involved in a crash, you’re not dealing with a single insurance policy. Multiple parties may share liability — each with their own attorneys and adjusters working against you from day one.
- The truck driver — personal negligence, fatigue, or distraction
- The trucking company — negligent hiring, inadequate training, or pressure to violate safety rules
- The cargo owner — if improperly loaded or unsecured freight caused the crash
- The truck manufacturer — if a defective part contributed to the collision
Federal Regulations Trucking Companies Must Follow
Commercial trucking is heavily regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). These rules exist because the stakes are enormous — and violating them is powerful evidence in a personal injury case.
- Hours of service limits — Drivers cannot operate more than 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty. Driver fatigue is a leading cause of commercial truck crashes.
- Electronic logging device (ELD) requirements — Truckers must use electronic logs to track driving hours. Falsifying these records is illegal.
- Weight and load limits — Overloaded or unbalanced cargo makes trucks dangerously unstable and dramatically increases stopping distances.
- Mandatory vehicle maintenance — Trucking companies must document inspections and repairs. Brake failures, tire blowouts, and faulty lighting are preventable — and all grounds for liability.
Critical Evidence That Disappears Fast
The evidence window closes quickly in trucking cases, and once it’s gone, it’s gone.
- Black box (ECM) data — Records speed, braking, and engine data in the seconds before impact
- Driver logs and ELD records — Show whether the driver violated hours-of-service rules
- Maintenance and inspection records — Reveal whether known defects were ignored
- Dashcam footage — May capture the moments leading up to the crash
- Cell phone records — Can show whether the driver was texting or on a call
- Cargo loading records and weight slips — Establish whether the load was legal and properly secured
One of the first things Ford Law does in every trucking case is send a litigation hold letter — a formal legal demand requiring the trucking company to preserve all evidence immediately. Every day you wait is a day that evidence could be destroyed.
What Ford Law Brings to Your 18-Wheeler Case
Attorney Matthew Ford didn’t approach trucking cases from a textbook. He spent years as defense counsel for one of the largest insurance companies in the world, defending personal injury and commercial vehicle claims. He knows how trucking company adjusters are trained to minimize your claim, what evidence they hope you won’t find, which defense arguments come up most often and how to defeat them, and how to value a catastrophic injury case so you don’t accept a fraction of what you deserve.
When you hire Ford Law, you work directly with Matthew Ford — from the first call to the final resolution.
What You Can Recover in a Texas Trucking Accident Claim
| Damage Type | What It Includes |
|---|---|
| Medical expenses | All past and future treatment, including long-term care |
| Lost income | Wages lost and reduced future earning capacity |
| Pain and suffering | Physical pain, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life |
| Disfigurement or disability | Permanent physical changes from the injury |
| Wrongful death | Full damages if you lost a family member in the crash |
Texas does not cap compensatory damages in most personal injury cases — there is no artificial limit on what you can recover when the facts support it.
Hurt in a Trucking Accident? Don’t Wait.
The trucking company’s lawyers are already working. Your evidence window is closing. Ford Law represents trucking accident victims across all of North Texas — including Dallas, Plano, McKinney, Allen, Prosper, Collin County, Denton, Lewisville, Garland, Irving, and Richardson.
Call (214) 227-9972 — available 24/7. Free consultation. No fee unless we win.
Ford Law is a personal injury firm based in North Texas, with a focus on serious injury and wrongful death cases throughout the DFW metroplex.
Related Articles
- What to Do After an 18-Wheeler Accident in Texas
- How a Former Insurance Defense Attorney Fights for Truck Crash Victims
- The First 72 Hours After a Truck Accident
If you or a loved one was injured in a trucking accident, contact our North Texas trucking accident lawyers for a free consultation. Attorney Matthew Ford has the insider knowledge to fight for the compensation you deserve.