How Parker Law Firm Injury Lawyers Helps After a Fort Worth Commercial Vehicle Accident
A Fort Worth commercial vehicle accident lawyer holds both the driver and the business behind the vehicle accountable. Companies that put vehicles on the road carry commercial insurance and often have claims teams that respond within hours. You should have someone working for you just as quickly.
When you hire us, we:
- Identify the employer, vehicle owner, and every insurer, including commercial and umbrella policies
- Send preservation letters for telematics, dashcam, dispatch, and maintenance records
- Obtain the crash report and witness statements
- Review the driver’s qualifications, training, and safety history
- Calculate your full damages with input from medical and economic professionals when needed
- Take the case to trial if the company won’t pay a fair amount
What Vehicles Count as Commercial Vehicles?
A commercial vehicle is any vehicle used to carry goods, passengers, or equipment for a business. In Fort Worth, that includes:
- Delivery vans, including Amazon, FedEx, and UPS vehicles
- Box trucks and moving trucks
- Utility, cable, plumbing, and construction service trucks
- Tow trucks and dump trucks
- Company cars and pickups
- Buses, taxis, and shuttles
Large tractor-trailers raise their own issues. See our Fort Worth truck accident lawyer page for 18-wheeler and semi-truck crashes.
Who Is Liable for a Commercial Vehicle Accident?
The driver and the business behind the vehicle can both be liable. Texas law reaches the company in several ways:
- Respondeat superior. An employer is responsible for an employee’s negligent driving within the scope of the job.
- Negligent hiring and retention. Hiring or keeping a driver with a poor record or no proper license.
- Negligent training and supervision. Failing to train drivers or enforce safety rules.
- Negligent entrustment. Letting an unfit driver use a company vehicle.
- Negligent maintenance. Failing to inspect and repair brakes, tires, lights, and cargo equipment.
Other parties can share fault, including a loading company that overloaded the vehicle, a leasing company, a parts manufacturer, or another motorist. When a company calls its driver an independent contractor, the question becomes who controlled the work.
Safety Rules for Commercial Drivers
Many commercial drivers must follow federal and Texas safety regulations, and breaking them can be evidence of negligence.
Federal rules from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration generally apply to commercial motor vehicles of 10,001 pounds or more in interstate commerce. They cover hours of service, driver qualification, drug and alcohol testing, and inspections. Texas adopts similar standards for many intrastate carriers under Chapter 644 of the Transportation Code.
Common violations include driving too many hours, skipping inspections, overloading, and using a handheld phone while driving.
What Should I Do After a Crash With a Company Vehicle?
Get the company’s name and preserve evidence before the business does its own cleanup.
- Call 911 and get a police report.
- Photograph the vehicle, including the company name, logos, USDOT number, and license plate.
- Get the driver’s name and employer information.
- Collect witness contacts and note nearby cameras.
- Get medical care right away.
- Don’t talk to the company’s insurer or sign anything before you talk to a lawyer.
What Damages Can I Recover After a Commercial Vehicle Accident?
You can seek compensation for financial losses and personal harm. Commercial vehicles are often larger and heavier than passenger cars, so injuries tend to be more serious.
Economic damages include medical bills, rehabilitation, future care, lost wages, lost earning capacity, and property damage.
Non-economic damages include pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical impairment, and disfigurement.
When a company acted with gross negligence, such as knowingly keeping a dangerous driver on the road, Texas law may allow punitive damages. If a loved one died, see our Fort Worth wrongful death lawyer page.
How Long Do I Have to File a Commercial Vehicle Accident Lawsuit?
You generally have two years from the crash to file a lawsuit in Texas. If a government-owned vehicle was involved, notice may be due within six months or less. Texas uses modified comparative fault: you can recover if you are 50% or less at fault, with your award reduced by your share.
About Brad Parker
Commercial Vehicle Accident Lawyer Fort Worth, TX FAQs
How much does a commercial vehicle accident attorney cost in Fort Worth?
Parker Law Firm Injury Lawyers handles commercial vehicle accident cases on a contingency fee. You pay nothing upfront, and you don't owe attorney's fees unless we recover money for you. The fee is a percentage of the recovery agreed in writing before we start, and our fee will never exceed your recovery. We explain the exact terms during your free case review.
What counts as a commercial vehicle?
Any vehicle used for business can be part of a commercial vehicle claim, including delivery vans, utility and service trucks, box trucks, tow trucks, company cars, and buses. Federal safety rules for commercial motor vehicles generally apply to vehicles of 10,001 pounds or more used in interstate commerce, and Texas applies similar rules to many in-state carriers.
Is the company responsible if its driver hit me?
Usually, if the driver was working at the time. Texas follows respondeat superior, which holds employers responsible for employees' negligence within the scope of their job. A company can also be directly liable for hiring an unsafe driver, poor training, or bad maintenance. If the driver is called an independent contractor, we look at who controlled the work.
What if the driver was using a personal car for work?
The employer can still be responsible if the driver was doing the employer's business, such as making a delivery or traveling to a job site. The driver's personal policy, the company's commercial policy, and any hired or non-owned auto coverage may all come into play.
What evidence matters in a commercial vehicle case?
Telematics and GPS data, dashcam footage, driver logs, delivery records, maintenance files, the driver's employment and driving history, and drug and alcohol test results are often key. Companies control this evidence, so we send preservation letters quickly before it can be lost or overwritten.
Visit Our Fort Worth Office
Parker Law Firm Injury Lawyers – Fort Worth Office
209 N Hampton St, Fort Worth, TX 76102
- Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Saturday – Sunday Closed