If you have been injured after being hit by a semi-truck near Fort Worth, call 817-329-9001 and speak with local Fort Worth truck accident lawyer Michael Francis for a free consultation.
For nearly a decade, Michael Francis represented many of the largest commercial vehicle companies and he now uses that knowledge and expertise to represent the victims of trucking accidents throughout the State of Texas including Fort Worth. When you hire the Francis Injury for your truck accident claim, you won't pay us any legal fees or costs until we recover money for you.
We offer free personal injury consultations. If you are unable to come to our Fort Worth office, we will come to you.
How is an Accident with a Truck Different than an automobile crash?
While both types of collisions can cause serious injuries, truck accidents are significantly more complex — and more dangerous — than typical car crashes. Understanding these differences is critical if you or a loved one has been injured in a crash involving an 18-wheeler or commercial vehicle.
1. Greater Force and Damage
Large commercial trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, compared to 3,000–4,000 pounds for a typical passenger car. When a semi-truck collides with a smaller vehicle, the force of impact is exponentially greater — often leading to catastrophic injuries or fatalities. Vehicle rollovers, crushed cars, and multi-vehicle pileups are more common in these cases.
2. Multiple Liable Parties
In a standard car accident, liability usually falls on one or more drivers. In truck accidents, several parties may share responsibility, including:
- The truck driver
- The trucking company
- A third-party maintenance provider
- The manufacturer of a defective part
- Shippers or cargo loaders
This makes truck accident claims more complex and requires thorough investigation, often including black box data, GPS logs, and driver logs.
3. Federal and State Regulations
Commercial trucking companies and drivers are governed by both federal and Texas regulations. These include rules from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) on hours of service, maintenance logs, drug testing, and cargo weight limits. Violating these rules can establish negligence and liability.
4. Larger Insurance Policies
Trucking companies carry higher insurance policy limits — often in the millions. While this means more coverage for injuries and damages, it also means the insurance company will work aggressively to reduce or deny your claim. Having an experienced truck accident attorney is critical to level the playing field.
5. Different Evidence Requirements
Unlike standard vehicle collisions, truck accident cases require preservation of specialized evidence — including driver qualification files, maintenance records, electronic logging device (ELD) data, and dispatch communications. If not secured quickly, this evidence can be lost or intentionally destroyed.
At Francis Injury Law, we immediately send spoliation letters to preserve this critical data and launch a full investigation into what caused the crash.
Act Fast After a Truck Crash in Texas
If you've been injured in a truck accident, time is critical. These cases move fast, and the trucking company’s team is already working to defend their side. Contact Francis Injury Law for a free, no-obligation case review. We’ll fight to hold negligent truck drivers and companies accountable — and pursue the full compensation you deserve.
The Department of Transportation (DOT)'s rules and regulations require trucking companies and truck drivers retain documents such as logs and vehicle inspections reports, but only for a short period of time. Without an attorney to stop them, these trucking companies and drivers often destroy critical evidence as soon as the law allows.
Most trucks electronically store data that is accessible by computer download. This data often provides evidence of the driver’s routes and driving time prior to the collision; prior unsafe driving; and the speed and braking data for the truck prior to and at the time of impact. We regularly utilize Texas trucking experts that can access and preserve this data, but only if you contact us as soon as possible after a collision.
Is there an average Fort Worth truck accident lawsuit?
Unfortunately, there is no average Fort Worth commercial truck accident lawsuit settlement we can share with you. There is no such thing because every case is different. Claims are evaluated individually on their own merit, which is what you want. You want to resolve your case for what it’s worth, not what some average range is. Here are some examples of successful settlements below:
Truck Wreck Verdicts & Settlements
$2,250,000 – Wrongful Death Trucking Accident
A young man’s tanker truck caught fire and exploded while working on a job site, causing serious burns that were ultimately fatal. Suit was brought against the site operator and trucking company, resulting in a settlement in the amount of $ 2,250,000. After fees and expenses, the victim’s family recovered $ 1,176,495 with the help of a lawyer.
$1,200,000 – Truck Wreck Causes Back Injuries and Surgery
A truck driver changed lanes on Highway 114 in Southlake, without looking, striking an automobile occupied by two sisters on their way to work. The impact caused the sister’ vehicle to spin and be impacted by other vehicles on the highway. Suit was brought against the trucking company and driver, resulting in a settlement in the amount of $1,200,000. After fees, expenses and the repayment of medical liens and bills, our lawyer recovered $500,581.76 our client
$1,050,000 – Truck Wreck Causes Back and Head Injury
A man driving a commercial tanker truck without the required CDL license struck a vehicle occupied by a husband and wife stopped on I-35 due to heavy traffic. Our firm was able to obtain a settlement for our clients for in the insurance policy limits of the trucking company and our client's underinsured motorist limits in the amount of $1,050,000. The claims against the trucking company were settled in less than seventy-five days from the date of the collision. After fees, expenses, and the repayment of medical liens and bills, $512,722.85 was recovered for our clients by a firm lawyer.
What Should I Do After a Truck Wreck in Fort Worth?
1. If Possible, Move Your Vehicle to a Safe Area
If you cannot do this safely, turn on your emergency flashers and wait for the police and emergency personnel to arrive at the scene.
2. Call 911
Whether you were a driver, passenger, motorcyclist, bicyclist or pedestrian, you have the right to insist the police come to the scene and investigate your accident. 911 operators and police departments will sometimes attempt to avoid investigating collisions when no party claims injury or requests emergency medical care, but you have the right to insist that your collision be investigated and a police report prepared.
3. Make Sure Everyone is Ok
Once everyone is in a safe place and you have called 911, check on the health and status of all of the other involved drivers and passengers if your physical condition allows.
If you are unsure of the degree of your injuries, however, wait in your vehicle until emergency personnel has arrived and assessed your condition.
4. Take Pictures
If possible, always take pictures of all vehicles (including the logo on the door of the truck’s cab), the scene, and the truck driver’s license and insurance card.
If you have any concerns you suffered an injury, allow emergency medical care personnel to examine and take you to the hospital for treatment. Adrenaline often masks the existence of pain or injury, including life-threatening conditions such as head injuries, spinal fractures, or internal bleeding.
5. Don't Communicate With the Insurance Company Without a Lawyer
After a 18-wheeler wreck, you should never speak to the trucking company representative or insurance claims adjuster without first consulting an attorney. These individuals are claims professionals and even if they appear to be nice or sympathetic, their only goal is to defend and minimize your claim. Talk to a lawyer.
Truck Accident Injuries
Even if you did not believe you were injured immediately after a truck wreck, it is common to feel increased levels of pain and physical limitations that night, the following day, or even several days later.
Many accident victims learn for the first time that their Primary Care Physican will either:
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- Not treat motor vehicle injuries, or
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- Conduct an examination but won't provide active treatment.
This is because doctors want to minimize their risk of becoming involved in a court proceeding.
For this reason, it is critical to find medical professionals willing to effectively evaluate and treat all of your injuries. An experienced truck accident lawyer can help you get the treatment you need from qualified medical providers capable of evaluating and treating any injuries caused by a trucking accident.
Don't delay, the Texas personal injury statute of limitations requires you to file a claim within 2 years from the date of your accident.
Tractor Trailer Collisions in Fort Worth
Commercial trucks are vital to the Texas economy. Unfortunately, there has been an increase in large truck injury collisions and fatalities over recent years. These accidents involving passenger vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists often cause serious or even fatal injuries.
For Example:
Fatal Crashes (U.S.): In 2021, there were 5,700 fatal crashes involving large trucks, marking an 18% increase from 2020.
Fatal Crashes (Texas): Texas consistently leads the nation in truck-related fatalities, with over 800 fatal crashes involving large trucks in 2021.
Injury Crashes (U.S.): In 2021, approximately 155,000 injury crashes involved large trucks, an increase from previous years.
With commercial trucks weighing 80,000 pounds or more, the devastating consequences of trucking collisions come as no surprise.
What Are the Most Frequent Factors that Contribute to Truck Crashes in Fort Worth?
When an 18-wheeler, semi, bus, or other large truck is involved in a collision, there may be many contributing factors. Some of the most common causes of truck wrecks in Fort Worth are:
Driver Fatigue
Although state and federal laws limit the number of hours someone may drive a commercial vehicle each day and week to ensure truck drivers obtain a safe amount of rest, unscrupulous trucking companies sometimes pressure drivers to continue driving even when fatigued or exhausted. Driver fatigue leads to poor decision-making and slower response times, which is a major cause of truck accidents in Fort Worth.
Excessive Speed
Commercial drivers are often required to drive at a slower speed than passenger vehicles. Additionally, trucks take much longer to stop or turn than an automobile. When truck drivers fail to abide by posted speed limits or drive too fast for road conditions, significant and sometimes fatal collisions occur.
Equipment Failure/ Negligent Maintenance
State and Federal laws require that all commercial vehicles be inspected and maintained in a manner intended to ensure the safety of other drivers on our public roads. Unfortunately, to save money, trucking companies and drivers often cut corners, driving trucks with unsafe brakes, tires, and other poorly maintained equipment. As a result, equipment failures are all too often a major contributing factor in semi crashes. We will investigate whether DOT safety rules and regulations were violated in your accident and hold unsafe trucking companies and drivers responsible.
Overweight Loads
State and federal regulations require commercial trucking companies to adhere to specified load sizes. When a truck is carrying too much weight, braking distance and vehicle handling can be severely affected and this can lead to collisions resulting in serious injury or death.
Drug or Alcohol Use
Commercial drivers and their employers are required by federal law to follow strict alcohol and drug testing rules and regulations. Nevertheless, drug and alcohol abuse among truck drivers remains a major problem and is often a contributing factor in serious Texas truck accidents. You need a trucking lawyer that knows these rules and the testing requirements and procedures.
Aggressive Driving
Anyone who has driven on Fort Worth highways has witnessed aggressive driving. When a commercial truck driver engages in aggressive or reckless driving, the results can be catastrophic.
Contact Attorney Michael Francis Today
Michael Francis and the Fort Worth truck accident lawyers at Francis Injury have decades of experience litigating cases involving trucks and other commercial motor vehicles.
We will provide the legal expertise and financial resources necessary to fight the trucking companies and pursue justice for you. If you or someone you love has been injured or killed in a trucking collision, let us help.
Let our experienced Fort Worth personal injury lawyers help you understand your rights, get the medical care you need and fight for the compensation you deserve.
Fort Worth Office
640 Taylor St
Suite 1200B
Fort Worth, TX 76102
(817) 329-9001