After a crash with an 18-wheeler in Fort Worth, TX, the carrier holds key records. Its driver logs, repair files and vehicle data can show what happened before the tractor trailer hit you.
Zinda Law Group offers a free consultation about your crash at (800) 863-5312. You pay nothing unless we win.
Article summary
Key things to know
- A loaded tractor trailer can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, and that weight raises the risk of severe injuries in a crash.
- Federal rules require some carrier records for as little as six months, so ask for them early.
- Under Texas law, your share of fault lowers your damages, and a share above 50 percent bars recovery.
- In Texas, the deadline to file an injury lawsuit is generally two years.
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Struck by an 18-wheeler in Fort Worth?
Carrier records and the Texas deadline both shape your claim. We go over each with you.
What an 18-wheeler lawyer does in Fort Worth
An 18-wheeler is a tractor pulling a semitrailer, also called a tractor trailer or a big rig.
A truck accident lawyer handles personal injury claims against truck drivers and the trucking companies behind them. The work starts with a written request that the carrier preserve its logs, inspection reports, maintenance records and other electronic records. Your lawyer answers the insurance company while you pursue compensation for your medical bills and lost wages.
This page covers 18-wheelers in Fort Worth, TX. Our Fort Worth truck accident page covers crashes with other commercial trucks in the city. State rules for every kind of truck are on our Texas truck accident page. The national 18-wheeler accident page covers these crashes in general.
Why an 18-wheeler crash differs from a car accident
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) says trucks are often 20 to 30 times heavier than passenger vehicles.
FMCSA lists other differences that matter in truck accidents.
- Blind spots, which are large on big trucks
- Stopping distance of up to two football fields
- Wide turns that can start with a move to the left
- Underride, where a car slides under a truck in a crash from behind
Truck accidents and 18-wheeler traffic in Fort Worth
TxDOT describes I-35W through Fort Worth as a major national trade corridor. At its busiest point downtown it carries over 165,000 vehicles per day, and trucks average 11 percent of daily traffic on the interstate.
TxDOT counted 2,183 crashes involving a commercial motor vehicle in Tarrant County in 2025. Fifteen were fatal crashes, and 71 people had a suspected serious injury. The count covers the whole county and every kind of commercial vehicle. It does not say who was at fault.
Truck accidents and other serious crashes happen on streets in Fort Worth, TX, as well.
Rules for trucking companies in Fort Worth, TX
Federal safety rules reach trucks in interstate commerce. Texas law tells the Department of Public Safety to adopt commercial vehicle rules consistent with the federal ones.
- Required hours of service logs, which carriers must keep for at least six months and a lawyer checks for signs of driver fatigue
- Maintenance records of inspections and repairs, kept one year for a truck the carrier controls for 30 consecutive days
- Driver records in a qualification file, generally kept while the driver is employed and for three years after
- Cargo, which must be properly distributed and adequately secured before a driver may operate the truck
The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles lists a $500,000 minimum liability insurance policy for motor carriers over 26,000 pounds in its general category. Hazardous materials carriers have higher minimums.
A minimum is not what a claim is worth.
Who can be liable for a Fort Worth truck accident
A truck accident lawyer checks each of these responsible parties.
- The truck driver, who may be liable for unsafe driving such as speeding, distracted driving, driving while fatigued or an unsafe lane change
- The trucking company, when its driver was on the job or when it broke a safety duty and that caused the crash
- A maintenance provider or maintenance contractor, when poor truck maintenance caused the crash
- A shipper or loader, when improperly loaded cargo caused the crash
- A truck manufacturer, when a defective part caused the crash
Commercial carriers and their contractors can each have their own insurance coverage. You can pursue compensation from more than one at-fault party in the same truck accident claim.
What a Fort Worth truck accident claim can cover
Accident victims can ask each at-fault party to pay for what the truck accident cost. Texas law and the proof decide which losses you can recover compensation for.
Medical expenses and lost income
Medical expenses come first. They include hospital bills, medical treatment, medical equipment and future medical care. For medical expenses already incurred, Texas limits recovery to the amounts actually paid or incurred. Lost wages and other lost income count when injuries keep you from work.
Future medical needs are easier to estimate once you reach maximum medical improvement, the point where doctors expect no further improvement.
Property damage is part of a truck accident claim too, as our article on property damage to your car explains.
Pain, mental anguish and physical impairment
Texas law lists physical pain, mental anguish and physical impairment among noneconomic damages. Emotional distress falls in the same group. Catastrophic injuries such as traumatic brain injuries raise these losses.
Wrongful death damages for the family
After a fatal 18-wheeler crash, Texas law gives the wrongful death claim to the surviving spouse, children and parents. The eligible family members have their own deadline, which generally runs from the death.
Filing deadlines
Questions about how much time you have?
What to do after an 18-wheeler accident in Fort Worth
- Seek medical care.
- Call the police. The police report, also called a crash report, records the truck and the carrier.
- Photograph the accident scene.
- Gather witness statements.
- Keep your records. Save your medical records, medical bills and medical documentation.
- Wait on a recorded statement. The carrier’s insurer may ask for one. Talk to a truck accident lawyer first.
Our FAQ explains why early truck accident investigations matter.
How the legal process works for truck accidents
The legal process starts with notice to the insurers and a written request to preserve records. When you hire us, our injury lawyers gather the carrier’s records, document your medical needs and work to recover compensation.
Some truck accidents settle after a demand for fair compensation. Others go to a lawsuit. Tarrant County’s civil district courts sit in the Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building in Fort Worth. The choice to accept an offer of fair compensation is yours.
Our FAQ answers how long you have to file a truck accident claim. Our article on the settlement check explains who is paid from a settlement.
When you are ready
Talk through the next step.
Free consultation with a Fort Worth truck accident lawyer
Start with a free consultation, or use our free case evaluation page. Our injury lawyers explain your legal rights and the deadline that applies.
Zinda Law Group is a personal injury law firm. Our local office is at 5601 Bridge St, Ste 300, Fort Worth, TX 76112.
Our firm works on a contingency fee basis, so there is no out-of-pocket cost to secure the legal representation you need.
Other claims in the city are covered on our Fort Worth personal injury lawyers page. Other Texas cities have their own pages, including Waco 18-wheeler accident and San Antonio 18-wheeler truck accident.
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