Trucking Accidents

18-Wheeler & Truck Accident Attorney in North Texas & Dallas, Texas

A fully loaded 18-wheeler weighs up to 80,000 pounds — 20 times the weight of a passenger vehicle. When a commercial truck crashes into a car, the results are catastrophic. Spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, amputations, severe burns, and death. And while you are dealing with the worst day of your life, the trucking company has already dispatched an accident response team to protect its interests.

Ford Law fights back. Attorney Matthew Ford spent years defending insurance companies and understands the playbook trucking companies use to minimize liability. He knows how they destroy evidence, pressure drivers to alter their stories, and deploy teams of defense lawyers to delay and deny your claim. That knowledge is now your weapon.

Free Consultation — No Fee Unless We Win
Call (214) 227-9972 or Request a Free Case Review Online

Why Truck Accident Cases Require a Specialized Attorney

Truck accident cases are fundamentally different from car accident cases. Commercial trucking involves federal regulations (FMCSA rules), corporate defendants with aggressive legal teams, multiple insurance policies with limits of $750,000 to $5 million or more, and electronic evidence that can be destroyed within days of a crash.

Within hours of a serious crash, the trucking company dispatches a rapid response team — adjusters, investigators, and defense lawyers — to the scene. They photograph evidence, interview witnesses, and begin building their defense while the victim is still in the hospital. You need an attorney who moves just as fast.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents on North Texas Roads

Driver Fatigue — Federal law limits truck drivers to 11 hours of driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty. Trucking companies routinely pressure drivers to exceed these limits. Fatigued driving is as dangerous as drunk driving — reaction times plummet, drivers lose situational awareness, and they fall asleep at the wheel.

Distracted Driving — GPS devices, dispatching systems, cell phones, and CB radios all compete for a truck driver’s attention. At 65 mph, an 18-wheeler covers the length of a football field in 3.5 seconds. A few seconds of distraction is deadly.

Improper Loading & Overweight Trucks — Cargo that is improperly loaded, unsecured, or overweight causes rollovers, jackknifes, and cargo spills. The cargo loading company may be liable alongside the trucking company.

Inadequate Maintenance — Brake failures, tire blowouts, steering malfunctions, and lighting defects cause crashes that should never happen. Federal regulations require regular inspections and maintenance — companies that cut corners put everyone on the road at risk.

DUI & Drug Use — Despite mandatory drug testing requirements, some truck drivers operate under the influence of alcohol, prescription drugs, or illegal stimulants used to stay awake during long hauls.

Negligent Hiring & Training — Trucking companies that hire unqualified drivers, skip background checks, or fail to provide adequate training are directly liable for the crashes those drivers cause.

Dangerous Truck Accident Corridors in DFW

North Texas is one of the busiest commercial trucking corridors in the United States. High-risk areas include US-75 (Central Expressway) through Plano, McKinney, and Allen, US-380 through North Texas, Prosper, and Denton, I-35E through Dallas and Denton County, the Dallas North Tollway through North Texas and Plano, Sam Rayburn Tollway (SH-121) through Collin County, and I-635 (LBJ Freeway) through North Dallas. These corridors see heavy commercial truck traffic daily, and fatal truck crashes are tragically common.

Who Is Liable in a Truck Accident?

Unlike car accidents with one at-fault driver, truck accidents often involve multiple liable parties:

The Truck Driver — For fatigue violations, distraction, impairment, speeding, or reckless driving.
The Trucking Company — For negligent hiring, inadequate training, pressuring drivers to violate hours-of-service rules, or failing to maintain vehicles.
The Cargo Loading Company — For improper loading, overweight cargo, or unsecured loads.
The Truck/Parts Manufacturer — For defective brakes, tires, steering components, or other mechanical failures.
Maintenance Companies — For negligent repairs or failure to identify dangerous mechanical issues.

Identifying all liable parties is critical because it opens access to multiple insurance policies and increases your potential recovery.

What Compensation Is Available?

Truck accident cases typically involve significantly higher compensation than car accidents due to the severity of injuries and higher insurance limits. You may recover past and future medical expenses (surgery, rehabilitation, long-term care), lost wages and lost earning capacity, pain and suffering and mental anguish, disability and disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, punitive damages (in cases of egregious negligence or DUI), and wrongful death damages (if a loved one was killed).

There is no cap on economic damages in Texas truck accident cases. Punitive damages may also be available if the trucking company or driver acted with gross negligence.

Critical Evidence in Truck Accident Cases

Time is your enemy in a truck accident case. Critical evidence can be legally destroyed within days or weeks:

Electronic Logging Device (ELD) data — Shows hours of service compliance, driving time, rest periods.
Event Data Recorder (black box) — Captures speed, braking, acceleration, and steering inputs in the seconds before a crash.
GPS records — Shows the truck’s exact route, speed, and stops.
Driver qualification file — CDL status, training records, driving history, medical certifications.
Drug and alcohol test results — Post-accident testing is required by federal law.
Maintenance and inspection logs — Shows whether required inspections and repairs were completed.
Dashcam and surveillance footage — From the truck’s cameras and nearby businesses or traffic cameras.

Ford Law sends immediate spoliation letters to the trucking company demanding preservation of all evidence. This prevents destruction of records and creates legal consequences if evidence is lost.

Why Choose Ford Law for Your Truck Accident Case

Insurance Defense Background — Matthew Ford knows the trucking industry’s defense playbook because he used to run it. He understands how trucking companies hide evidence, shift blame, and pressure victims into low settlements.

Immediate Evidence Preservation — We send spoliation letters within 24 hours of being retained. Critical truck accident evidence disappears fast — we move faster.

Federal Regulation Knowledge — FMCSA hours-of-service rules, ELD requirements, drug testing mandates, maintenance standards — we know these regulations and use violations as evidence of negligence.

Trial-Ready — Trucking companies have big defense budgets. They only pay fair value when they believe you will go to trial. We prepare every case as if it will.

No Fee Unless We Win — Zero upfront cost. We invest our own resources in your case and only collect if we recover compensation for you.

Frequently Asked Questions About Truck Accidents in Texas

What makes truck accident cases different from car accidents?

Higher insurance limits, multiple liable parties, federal regulations, electronic evidence that can be destroyed, and corporate defense teams with large budgets. You need an attorney experienced in trucking litigation.

Who can I sue after a truck accident?

Potentially the truck driver, the trucking company, the cargo loading company, the truck manufacturer, and maintenance companies. Multiple liable parties means access to multiple insurance policies.

How quickly should I contact an attorney after a truck accident?

Immediately. Trucking companies dispatch rapid response teams within hours. Critical evidence — ELD data, dashcam footage, maintenance logs — can be legally destroyed in days. An attorney sends preservation letters to protect this evidence.

What federal regulations apply to trucking companies?

FMCSA regulations govern hours of service, electronic logging, drug testing, vehicle maintenance, driver qualifications, and cargo securement. Violations are powerful evidence of negligence in your case.

Hit by a Truck? Time Is Critical — Call Now.

Evidence in truck accident cases disappears fast. The trucking company is already building its defense. Contact Ford Law today for a free, urgent case evaluation.

No Fee Unless We Win — Available 24/7
Call (214) 227-9972