How Parker Law Firm Injury Lawyers Helps After a Truck Accident in Fort Worth
We investigate the crash, preserve the evidence, and deal with the trucking company and its insurer so you can focus on recovering. Trucking companies and their insurers often begin investigating almost immediately after a serious crash. You deserve an investigation that is just as serious.
When you hire us, our attorneys will:
- Investigate how and why the crash happened
- Act to preserve the truck’s electronic data, maintenance records, and hours-of-service logs
- Identify every party that may share responsibility
- Bring in experts who can help prove causation
- Protect you when you’re blamed for the accident
- Calculate the full value of your case
- Negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf
We work on a contingency fee, so you don’t owe attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation for you. Our Fort Worth personal injury attorneys serve all of Fort Worth and Tarrant County.
Why Truck Accident Cases Need a Deeper Investigation
A truck wreck may start with the driver, but the investigation shouldn’t end there. Brad Parker has handled serious injury cases in Texas since 1985, including commercial truck accidents. His approach is to follow the evidence far enough to understand not only who caused the crash, but what allowed it to happen.
That means asking:
- Who owned the truck and trailer?
- Who employed or contracted with the driver?
- Who was responsible for maintaining the equipment?
- What do the driver’s records and the truck’s electronic data show?
- Were federal hours-of-service rules followed?
- Was the driver under pressure to meet an unrealistic schedule?
- Did decisions by the trucking company contribute to the collision?
Some of these records are in the trucking company’s hands. That is why it matters to ask for them to be preserved early.
Who Is Liable for an 18-Wheeler Accident in Texas?
Anyone whose negligence contributed to the crash can be held responsible, and in many truck cases that is more than the driver. Parties who may share liability include:
- The truck driver
- The trucking company or motor carrier
- Freight brokers and shippers
- Cargo loaders
- Truck mechanics and fleet inspection companies
- Manufacturers of defective trucks, tires, or safety equipment
- Other drivers
- Government agencies responsible for the road
To recover compensation, you generally must prove negligence. That means showing the at-fault party owed you a duty of care, breached that duty, caused the crash, and caused you damages. Trucking cases can also raise questions about independent contractor drivers and which company’s insurance applies.
What Causes Semi-Truck Accidents in Fort Worth?
Most truck crashes come down to human error. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Large Truck Crash Causation Study found that driver mistakes play a central role in most truck collisions. Common causes include:
- Speeding or failing to allow for longer stopping distances
- Distracted driving
- Driver fatigue and hours-of-service violations
- Failing to check blind spots or yield the right-of-way
- Tailgating and dangerous turns
- Drug or alcohol use
- Negligent hiring of unqualified drivers
- Poor maintenance and tire blowouts
- Improperly loaded or oversize loads
- Defective safety equipment
Knowing the cause is how we identify everyone who shares the blame. Delivery vehicles raise their own issues; see our pages on Amazon vans and trucks and FedEx and UPS crashes.
Injuries We See in Commercial Truck Accidents
Trucks are much larger and heavier than passenger cars, so the people in the car usually suffer the most serious injuries. Our clients’ cases often involve:
- Traumatic brain injuries and concussions
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Broken bones
- Back, head, and neck injuries
- Amputations and crushing injuries
- Burns
- Internal organ damage
- Whiplash and soft tissue injuries
In a catastrophic injury case, proving liability is only half the job. The other half is understanding what the injury means for your health, work, and independence over a lifetime. When a crash takes a life, families may bring a wrongful death claim. See also our page on catastrophic injuries.
What Is My Fort Worth Truck Accident Case Worth?
The severity of your injuries matters most. We also look at:
- The type of injuries and whether they cause permanent disability
- How long it will take to reach maximum medical improvement
- Your past and future medical costs
- Lost income and whether you can return to the same work
- Property damage
- Whether anyone claims you contributed to the crash
- Whether you got prompt medical care and followed your doctor’s orders
You can seek economic damages (medical expenses, lost wages, reduced earning potential, therapy, nursing care, property damage) and non-economic damages (pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, disfigurement, and loss of consortium). Talk to a lawyer before you accept a settlement offer.
What if I’m being blamed? Texas uses modified comparative negligence. If you are 50% or less at fault, your compensation is reduced by your share. At 51% or more, you recover nothing.
How Long Do I Have to File a Truck Accident Lawsuit in Texas?
You generally have two years from the date of the crash. After the statute of limitations passes, you lose the right to sue. Evidence in truck cases can disappear long before that deadline, so it pays to call early. Claims involving government vehicles can have much shorter notice deadlines.
About Brad Parker
Fort Worth Truck Accident FAQs
Can I sue the trucking company after a Fort Worth truck accident?
Often, yes. A trucking company can be responsible for its driver's negligence and for its own decisions, such as hiring an unqualified driver, pushing unrealistic schedules, or skipping maintenance. Other parties, including freight brokers, mechanics, and parts manufacturers, may also share responsibility. Identifying every responsible party matters because it can affect how much insurance coverage is available for your losses.
Why is a truck accident case different from a car accident case?
Commercial trucks are governed by federal safety rules, carry larger insurance policies, and generate records a car crash does not, such as hours-of-service logs, inspection and maintenance files, and electronic data. Trucking companies and their insurers often start investigating right away. These cases usually need a faster, deeper investigation to preserve evidence and identify every party at fault.
What evidence matters in an 18-wheeler accident claim?
Useful evidence can include the truck's electronic data, the driver's hours-of-service logs, drug and alcohol test results, maintenance and inspection records, the driver's qualification file, dispatch communications, cargo records, photos, video, and witness statements. Some of this evidence is in the trucking company's control, so a lawyer should ask for it to be preserved as early as possible.
Can I recover compensation if I was partly at fault for the truck crash?
Possibly. Under Texas modified comparative negligence law, you lose the right to compensation once your share of fault reaches 51%. If you are 50% or less at fault, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you are found 20% at fault, you can recover 80% of your damages.
How long do I have to file a truck accident lawsuit in Texas?
You generally have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit in Texas, and two years from the date of death for a wrongful death claim. After that, you usually lose your right to sue. Claims involving government vehicles or road conditions can have much shorter notice deadlines.
How much does a truck accident lawyer cost?
We handle truck accident cases on a contingency fee. You pay nothing upfront and don't owe attorney's fees unless we recover compensation for you. Our fee will never exceed your recovery, and we explain the exact terms in writing before we begin.
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