Semi truck accident lawyer, Dallas
A semi truck, a tractor pulling one or more trailers, is long, tall and heavy, and it moves and stops differently from every other vehicle on a Dallas freeway. Each kind of semi crash leaves its own evidence and points to its own records. This page, from the Dallas office of LAWBOSS – Harris, Nelsen & Uvalle, PLLC, walks through the crash types a semi truck accident lawyer sees most and the federal rule each one brings into play.
In brief
The type of crash tells us where to look: the brakes, the driver’s hours, the tires, the load or the turn. We send the preservation letter first and then follow that thread. No Fees or Costs Unless We Win. The firm advances case costs, and you owe no attorney’s fee and no case costs unless money is recovered for you.
Jackknife crashes
A jackknife happens when the trailer swings out and folds toward the cab, often across several lanes. Hard braking, speed for the conditions, an empty or badly loaded trailer and brake problems are common threads. The records we ask for include the truck’s engine and brake data, the maintenance file under 49 CFR 396.3 and the driver’s duty records under 49 CFR 395.8, because a tired driver brakes late.
Underride crashes
In an underride, a smaller vehicle slides under the rear or side of a trailer. These crashes can be very serious because the trailer bed can come in at windshield height. Rear lights, reflective markings and the rear guard on the trailer all matter, as does where and how the truck was stopped. The trailer’s owner and the carrier may both answer for its condition.
Wide right turns
A tractor-trailer often swings left to make a right turn, opening a gap a car or a cyclist may move into. The trailer then cuts across that space. Intersection cameras, the truck’s turn signal and speed data, and the driver’s training file can show whether the turn was made with care. Downtown Dallas streets and suburban arterials with tight corners are common places for this crash.
Rear-end crashes by a truck
A loaded semi needs far more room to stop than a car. When a truck runs into the back of slower traffic, the questions are speed, following distance, distraction and brakes. Texting and hand-held phone use while driving are barred for commercial drivers (49 CFR 392.80 and 392.82), and the rules bind the carrier as well. Phone records and cab cameras can answer them.
Tire blowouts
A failed steer tire can pull a truck out of its lane in an instant. Tire age, wear, pressure and repairs are written down, or should be, in the carrier’s inspection and maintenance file (49 CFR 396.3). Tire debris left on the freeway can also cause crashes for the vehicles behind. The tire itself is evidence and needs to be kept.
Cargo spills and shifted loads
Cargo must be secured so it cannot leak, spill, blow off, fall from or shift on the truck (49 CFR 393.100). A shifted load can tip a trailer on a ramp; a spilled load can block lanes on I-30 or LBJ. The bill of lading names the shipper, and the loading records show who loaded and secured the trailer. That company may share the fault with the carrier.
Lane changes and blind spots
A semi has large blind spots along both sides and behind the trailer. When a truck merges into an occupied lane, the questions are the mirrors, the driver’s attention and the hours the driver had been on duty. In heavy traffic on Stemmons or US 75, lane changes are constant, and dashcam footage often decides what happened.
Fatigue crashes
Fatigue shows up in every crash type above. The hours of service rule limits a property-carrying driver to 11 hours of driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty, with no driving after the 14th hour on duty and a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving (49 CFR 395.3). A carrier may not permit a fatigued driver to drive (392.3). We read the logs against fuel, toll and delivery records to see whether they hold up.
Tell us what kind of crash it was. We know which records to ask for first. Call any hour.
| Crash type | What we look at first | The rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jackknife | Brake data, speed, load, driver hours | 49 CFR 396.3, 395.3 |
| Underride | Rear lights, markings, rear guard, stopping place | 49 CFR 396.3 |
| Wide right turn | Intersection video, turn data, training file | 49 CFR 391.51 |
| Rear-end by a truck | Speed, phone records, cameras, brakes | 49 CFR 392.80, 392.82 |
| Tire blowout | Tire records, the tire itself | 49 CFR 396.3 |
| Cargo spill | Bill of lading, loading records | 49 CFR 393.100 |
| Fatigue | Logs, fuel and toll receipts, dispatch | 49 CFR 395.3, 392.3 |
What we ask on the first call
The first conversation is free and confidential, and it is short. These questions help us decide where to look first.
- Where did the crash happen, and which way was each vehicle going?
- What did the truck look like: one trailer or two, a box, a tanker, a flatbed?
- Was there a name on the cab door or the trailer?
- Did an officer come to the scene, and did you get a report number?
- Who was hurt, and where were they taken for care?
- Has anyone from an insurance company called you yet?
If you do not know some of the answers, that is normal. Finding them is our job.
What to keep after a semi crash
- Every photo and video from the scene, on your phone and anyone else’s.
- The driver’s name, insurer and the vehicle registration number exchanged at the scene (Transportation Code 550.023).
- Medical records and bills, from the ambulance on.
- Your vehicle, or at least photos of it, before it is repaired or sold for salvage.
- Any letter, email or text from the trucking company or an insurer.
How fault is shared in a semi crash
Texas divides fault by percentage. You may recover if you are 50 percent or less responsible, and your recovery is reduced by your share (CPRC 33.001 and 33.012). The carrier, the trailer owner, the shipper and a repair shop may each carry part of the fault. Our truck accident attorney Dallas page explains each party.
The deadline to file suit is generally two years from the crash (CPRC 16.003). The duty records that often matter most may be discarded after six months (49 CFR 395.8). That gap is why we move early. For the full list of federal rules, see our trucking accident lawyer Dallas page.
What a semi crash costs a family
Injuries from a semi crash often mean long treatment: surgery, rehabilitation, time off work and care at home. A claim looks at all of it: the medical care so far and what the doctors expect next, the work you have missed, and the ways the injury changes daily life. We do not put a number on any case before the medical picture is clear, and we never promise one.
Semi crashes on the freeways around Dallas
Dallas semi traffic is heaviest on the corridors the Texas A&M Transportation Institute ranks among the most congested in the state: Stemmons Freeway (I-35E) from SH 183 to I-30, R.L. Thornton Freeway (I-30) east of downtown, LBJ Freeway (I-635) and US 75. Congestion is not a measure of danger, but heavy traffic brings trucks and cars into the merges, lane changes and sudden stops that lead to the crash types above. Our truck wreck lawyer Dallas page has the ranks and the Dallas County crash figures.
Talk to a semi truck accident lawyer in Dallas
Michael Uvalle, founder of LAWBOSS and the attorney responsible for this site, practices from our Dallas office. Five of our attorneys came from the insurance side and know how a carrier’s claim team works a semi case from its first day. No Fees or Costs Unless We Win. The firm advances case costs, and you owe no attorney’s fee and no case costs unless money is recovered for you.
Questions people ask
Is a semi truck case different from a car accident case?
Yes. A semi is run by a regulated business with federal records about its driver and truck, often more than one company is involved, and Texas has its own trial rules for commercial vehicle cases (CPRC Chapter 72).
What if the trucker blames me for cutting him off?
Texas lets you recover if you are 50 percent or less at fault, reduced by your share. Dashcam video, the truck’s data and the scene often show what really happened.
Should the tire or the truck be kept?
Yes, when a part may have failed. Our preservation letter asks the carrier to keep the truck, the trailer and any failed part, and its records.
Do you handle crashes with box trucks and delivery vans too?
Yes. Many commercial vehicles that are not semis are run by companies that keep records and carry business insurance. Call us and tell us what kind of truck it was.
Talk to a lawyer tonight
We answer every call, any hour. The first conversation is free.
No Fees or Costs Unless We Win: the firm advances case costs, and you owe no attorney’s fee and no case costs unless money is recovered for you.
Free case review
Tell us what happened
What helps us start
- Where and when the crash happened, as near as you know it
- Any photos, the other driver’s details and the company name on the truck
- The crash report number, if an officer gave you one
- Who was hurt and where they were treated
No Fees or Costs Unless We Win: the firm advances case costs, and you owe no attorney’s fee and no case costs unless money is recovered for you.