Got Hit by an 18-Wheeler? We Take On Trucking Companies
In February 2026, a driver admitted he was looking at his phone when his gray sedan ran directly underneath an 18-wheeler on a road. His car got wedged completely beneath the semi. The impact shattered his windshield and crushed his hood. Miraculously, he survived with only minor injuries and was treated at Tanner Medical Center. The police released photos showing how catastrophic distracted driving becomes when commercial trucks are involved.
Just months earlier in April 2025, an 18-wheeler spun out on southbound Interstate 35E at Belt Line Road heading into Dallas around 4:20 AM. The truck driver abandoned the wrecked semi, leaving it blocking all main lanes. Diesel fuel spilled across the highway. HAZMAT crews spent hours cleaning up the mess while commuters sat trapped in major delays. These incidents happen because commercial trucks and 18-wheelers travel Interstate 35E, President George Bush Turnpike, Belt Line Road, and other highways constantly.
When these 80,000-pound vehicles crash into 4,000-pound passenger cars, people in the smaller vehicles suffer catastrophic injuries or death.
If you’ve been hurt in a truck accident, you’re up against billion-dollar trucking corporations with unlimited legal resources. We represent people hurt by commercial trucks and 18-wheelers throughout Carrollton and the Dallas metro area, and we’ve gone head-to-head with these corporations before and won millions for our clients. Multiple truck cases we’ve handled resulted in settlements exceeding $2 million.
Our office is located at 2340 E Trinity Mills Rd Suite 300, Carrollton, TX 75006. Your first conversation costs nothing. You won’t pay us anything unless we win your case.
Call (800) 863-5312 or our Carrollton line: (469) 809-6065. You may also submit an online form and we’ll contact you shortly.
Lawyers Who Know How to Beat Trucking Corporations
Jack Zinda launched this firm in 2008 after seeing too many insurance companies exploit injured people who didn’t know how to protect themselves. He built a practice capable of taking on the biggest trucking corporations in America, and that foundation matters because commercial truck accidents follow completely different legal rules than typical car crashes.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulates the entire trucking industry with strict requirements covering how long drivers can work, how cargo must be loaded, what maintenance must be performed, and who qualifies to drive. Trucking companies violate these federal rules all the time. When their violations cause crashes, those violations become the evidence we use against them. Finding and proving those violations is what we do.
Hiring our firm means you get access to an entire network of over 100 professionals who handle injury litigation full-time. You get investigators who secure evidence before it disappears. You get specialists who reconstruct accidents to show exactly what went wrong. You get experts who understand every federal trucking regulation in existence. You get medical professionals who calculate what your care will actually cost over your lifetime. You get trial attorneys who’ve defeated major trucking companies in front of juries.
We spend time and focus to dig deep into your situation, respond quickly when you call, and pour genuine effort into maximizing your recovery. Our firm has resolved over 6,500 injury cases and recovered more than $400 million for clients across Texas and beyond.
Want to discuss your situation? Call (800) 863-5312 or submit an online form. The consultation won’t cost you anything.
Proven Track Record in Truck Litigation
Jack Zinda holds lifetime membership in the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an achievement reserved for attorneys who’ve won seven-figure and eight-figure awards for catastrophically injured clients. Only the top 1% of American attorneys qualify for this distinction.
Our team includes attorneys recognized by the National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 and the Trucking Trial Lawyers Association’s Top 10. The Better Business Bureau gave us an A+ rating reflecting consistent client satisfaction with how we communicate and deliver results.
AWARDED TO JOHN C. (JACK) ZINDA BY THE NATIONAL TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION (2016-2020) AWARDED TO JOHN C. (JACK) ZINDA (2009, 2011-2012, 2014-2021), & NEIL SOLOMON (2020-2021) AWARDED TO JACK ZINDA (2016-2020) LIFETIME MEMBERS JOHN C. (JACK) ZINDAOur Awards
See How We’ve Helped Others
After a serious injury, the right legal support should make things simpler, not harder. At Zinda Law Group, our goal is to reduce uncertainty so you can focus on recovery while we handle the legal work.
Hear From a Real Client – Jacob
“With Zinda Law Group, I was able to get my life back together.” – Jacob
Hear From a Real Client – Marlon
“Zinda was very prepared and very compassionate.” – Marlon
What Makes Our Truck Accident Representation Different
No Upfront Costs or Hourly Fees
Here’s how our fee structure works. When we recover compensation for you, we take an agreed-upon percentage as payment. If we don’t recover anything, you owe us nothing. We don’t charge hourly rates, and we don’t require any retainer fees. Texas law regulates what percentages attorneys can charge, and we’ll walk you through the exact numbers before you sign any agreement.
Deep Understanding of Federal Trucking Regulations
Most personal injury lawyers stick to simple car accident cases. Commercial trucking operates under an entirely different set of federal regulations governing driver work schedules, cargo weight limits, and mandatory vehicle maintenance. When companies violate these specific rules and people get hurt, we know exactly how to build cases proving those violations.
Immunity to Insurance Company Pressure Tactics
Trucking insurers use delay tactics hoping you’ll get financially desperate and accept whatever low amount they initially offer. They shift blame onto victims before completing any real investigation. They make settlement offers before you fully understand how badly you’re injured. We’ve encountered every manipulation tactic they use. None of them work when we’re representing you.
Complete Support Network Behind Your Case
Evidence preservation specialists act quickly to secure proof before it vanishes. Medical experts analyze what your lifetime treatment needs will realistically cost. Regulation specialists identify violations that other attorneys typically miss. Experienced trial lawyers who’ve won cases against trucking companies in courtrooms handle litigation when necessary. Administrative staff make sure no deadline or detail gets overlooked.
Clear Communication Throughout Your Case
Our A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau stems directly from consistent client feedback praising how well we communicate. Legal processes confuse almost everyone. Many lawyers deliberately use confusing jargon. We take the opposite approach by explaining everything in plain language and updating you immediately whenever anything changes in your case.
Successful History Against Large Carriers
We’ve won complex litigation against major trucking carriers backed by unlimited legal budgets throughout Texas. We’ve recovered millions for our clients in these cases. Well-funded corporate defendants don’t intimidate our team.
CASE RESULTS
How We Handle Truck Accident Cases
Step 1: Free Consultation
We listen to what happened, review available evidence, and give honest assessments without charging you anything or pressuring you to hire us.
Step 2: Immediate Investigation
Time matters critically in truck cases. We deploy investigators immediately to crash scenes. We send spoliation letters to trucking companies demanding they preserve electronic data, maintenance records, driver logs, and all other evidence. We identify and interview witnesses while memories are fresh. We secure surveillance footage before it’s deleted.
Step 3: Gathering Federal Evidence
Commercial trucks contain electronic logging devices recording hours of service, speed, braking, and other data, which we obtain through proper legal channels. We also get maintenance records, inspection reports, driver qualification files, company safety records, and prior violation history. This evidence often proves the violations that caused your crash.
Step 4: Expert Analysis
We work with accident reconstruction specialists who analyze crash dynamics and create demonstrative evidence for negotiations or trial. Medical experts review your injuries and project long-term needs. Economic experts calculate lifetime financial impact. Federal motor carrier regulation experts identify violations.
Step 5: Calculating Full Damages
We account for every loss category including costs that won’t materialize until years from now. Truck crash cases often involve catastrophic permanent injuries requiring lifetime care. Understanding complete future costs prevents settling short.
Step 6: Aggressive Negotiation
We build detailed demand packages showing exactly why trucking companies owe you specific amounts. Because we prepare every case for trial, insurers understand low offers get rejected. That preparation produces better settlements.
Step 7: Trial if Necessary
Many truck cases settle, but some require trials. Our attorneys have courtroom experience defeating trucking companies before juries. We’re always ready to try cases when settlements don’t meet your needs.
The Value of Legal Representation After Truck Accidents
Trucking company insurance adjusters protect corporate profits, not you. Already received a settlement offer? It likely covers a fraction of what your injuries will cost long-term. Legal representation means accurate case valuation, thorough evidence collection, and rejection of lowball offers.
Commercial trucking accidents involve far more parties than you might expect. The truck driver, the trucking company, the truck owner (often a separate entity), cargo loaders, maintenance contractors, parts manufacturers, and sometimes government agencies all carry separate insurance and attempt shifting blame. Insurance companies exploit this complexity hoping confusion pushes you to accept their initial low offer.
Federal trucking regulations provide legal tools regular car cases lack. Hours of service violations, weight limit violations, maintenance failures, improperly secured cargo, and driver qualification deficiencies all become evidence. We know where to look and how to prove violations.
Read: How Is a Trucking Accident Different Than a Car Crash?
Meanwhile, trucking companies deploy legal teams immediately to minimize payouts. They dispatch investigators to scenes within hours gathering evidence to use against you. They extract electronic logging device data. They coach drivers on story presentation. They contact witnesses first. You need equally aggressive representation from day one.
Truck Accident Scenarios We Handle in Carrollton
We represent people injured in every type of commercial truck and 18-wheeler collision:
Underride Accidents
Smaller vehicles slide underneath truck trailers, frequently shearing off vehicle roofs and instantly killing occupants. The February 2026 distracted driving incident where a sedan became completely wedged under an 18-wheeler demonstrates how deadly these collisions become.
Jackknife Situations
Trailers swing perpendicular to truck cabs, creating barriers that sweep across multiple traffic lanes and crush everything in their paths.
Rollover Incidents
Top-heavy commercial trucks tip sideways in curves or across highway exits, blocking entire roadways similar to the April 2025 I-35E crash that closed all southbound lanes.
Tire Failures
When truck tires explode, they launch dangerous debris across highways while drivers struggle to control massive vehicles.
Rear Impacts
Commercial trucks require substantially more stopping distance than passenger cars. Drivers who follow too closely or fail to pay attention cause devastating rear-end crashes.
Wide Turn Collisions
Large trucks require extra space when turning. Drivers who neglect checking blind spots can crush vehicles positioned beside them.
Blind Zone Crashes
The massive blind spots surrounding commercial trucks mean drivers frequently can’t see passenger cars positioned directly beside or behind them. Lane changes and merging maneuvers become lethal.
Cargo Incidents
Loads that aren’t properly secured shift position, fall off trucks, or spill across highways like the diesel fuel that spread across I-35E requiring emergency HAZMAT response.
Head-On Impacts
Exhausted drivers drift across center lines, failed brakes prevent trucks from stopping, and wrong-way highway entries occur. The outcomes are nearly always fatal.
Intersection T-Bones
Commercial trucks that run red lights or fail yielding at intersections crush the sides of passenger vehicles where occupants sit.
Common Causes Behind Truck Accidents
Federal safety regulations exist specifically because trucking companies consistently prioritize profits over safety whenever possible. Common factors we see in crashes include the following:
Exhausted Drivers
Federal rules strictly limit how many hours drivers can work. Companies pressure drivers to falsify logbooks and operate vehicles while exhausted. Tired drivers can’t react appropriately when dangerous situations develop.
Driver Distraction
Cell phones, GPS units, eating, handling paperwork while on the road. Even momentary distractions at highway speeds create disasters.
Excessive Speed and Aggressive Operation
Meeting tight delivery deadlines matters more than safety to many trucking carriers. Drivers exceed speed limits, follow too closely, and make aggressive maneuvers attempting to save minutes.
Cargo Loading Violations
Weight restrictions and cargo securement regulations exist for critical safety reasons. Trucks loaded beyond legal weight limits can’t stop properly. Cargo that’s inadequately secured shifts position causing drivers to lose control or spills hazardous materials across roadways.
Deferred Maintenance
Brakes, tires, lighting systems, and steering components all require regular inspection and proper maintenance. Companies delay necessary maintenance to save money until critical components fail catastrophically.
Insufficient Driver Training
Obtaining commercial driver’s licenses requires training, but the quality of that training varies dramatically. Drivers lacking adequate experience operating 80,000-pound vehicles cause serious crashes.
Impairment Issues
Alcohol and illegal drugs obviously impair driving ability. Some drivers also use stimulants attempting to stay awake longer. Both situations create extreme danger.
Adverse Conditions
Rain, ice, and fog affect large commercial trucks far more severely than passenger cars due to their weight and extended stopping distances. Drivers who fail adjusting speed for conditions cause collisions.
Serious Injuries Resulting From Truck Collisions
Basic physics guarantees catastrophic outcomes when massive commercial trucks collide with smaller passenger vehicles. Common injuries include brain trauma causing permanent cognitive impairment, spinal damage causing paralysis, amputations when limbs get crushed beyond repair, third-degree burns from diesel fires, ruptured internal organs, multiple bone fractures requiring metal hardware, facial disfigurement, mental health trauma including PTSD, and fatal outcomes.
Recovery takes months or years. Some people never fully recover. Medical bills can exceed hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars. Lost income compounds the financial devastation. Pain often never completely stops.
Compensation Available After Truck Accidents
Texas law permits pursuing multiple compensation categories following commercial truck crashes.
Documented Economic Losses
You can recover complete medical expenses including emergency transport, surgery, ICU stays, hospital admissions, specialist visits, therapy, medications, equipment, home healthcare, and all anticipated future treatment. Truck crash injuries frequently require lifetime care. We work with medical professionals calculating realistic long-term costs so you’re not paying out of pocket years later.
You can recover missed wages plus reduced future earning ability if injuries prevent returning to your previous job. Our calculations include lost benefits, retirement contributions, bonuses, and compounding long-term financial impact. You can also recover the complete cost to replace your totaled vehicle and destroyed belongings.
Non-Economic Losses Without Documentation
You receive compensation for physical pain you’ve endured and continue experiencing. You receive compensation for clinical depression, anxiety, PTSD, sleep disturbances, and emotional trauma. If injuries prevent participating in activities or routines that previously brought fulfillment, you receive compensation. Serious injuries fundamentally change how you experience life. Visible scarring and permanent appearance changes affecting self-image deserve compensation.
Learn more: How Much Is My Injury Claim Worth?
Punitive Damages in Extreme Cases
When trucking companies or drivers acted with gross negligence or intentional misconduct, Texas allows punitive damages punishing conduct and deterring future violations.
Steps to Take Immediately After a Truck Crash
Your actions immediately after crashes directly impact recovery amounts.
Get Medical Care Immediately
Visit doctors right away regardless of how you feel. Adrenaline masks pain temporarily, making injuries seem less serious. Brain injuries and internal bleeding frequently show zero symptoms until hours or days later. Without medical records tying injuries to crashes, insurance companies argue you weren’t hurt or something else caused your condition.
Learn more: First Steps After a Car Accident
Call Police and Get Official Reports
Always call 911. Law enforcement responds, documents scenes, and files official reports that become foundational evidence. Make sure police know if you saw the truck driver on a phone, driving erratically, or violating traffic rules.
Document Everything Possible
Photograph all vehicles from multiple angles, entire scenes, road conditions, traffic signs, visible injuries, cargo spills, and anything relevant. Get witness names and contact information. Write everything down while memory is fresh. Your immediate documentation protects you when insurance companies dispute facts later.
Read more: What Evidence Is Needed in a Truck Accident Case?
Don’t Give Statements to Trucking Company Insurers
Trucking company adjusters contact you fast, often within hours. They sound sympathetic but protect corporate profits. They’re trained at getting you to say things limiting payments. Politely decline statements. Tell them to contact your attorney. Then call us: (469) 809-6065.
Preserve Evidence From Your Vehicle
Don’t let insurance companies take your vehicle until we inspect it. Crash reconstruction experts need examining damage patterns. Once your car reaches a salvage yard, critical evidence may be lost forever.
Keep All Medical Records and Bills
Collect everything related to treatment including ambulance reports, emergency room records, hospital stays, doctor visits, therapy sessions, prescriptions, and equipment. Keep receipts for everything you pay out of pocket. These documents prove damages and become essential when calculating what you’re owed.
Contact Attorneys Immediately
Trucking companies deploy lawyers and investigators to crash scenes within hours building defenses. Evidence disappears quickly. Federal regulations require trucking companies preserving certain records, but only after receiving proper notice. The sooner we’re involved, the better we protect your rights and build your case. This urgency matters even more because of Texas’s strict legal deadlines.
Learn more: What to Do After an Accident with a Truck
Critical Deadlines Under Texas Law
Texas law gives you two years from crash dates to file truck accident lawsuits. Miss this deadline and you permanently lose ability to pursue money regardless of how strong your case is. However, evidence doesn’t wait two years. Surveillance footage gets recorded over within days or weeks, witnesses forget details or move away, truck maintenance records disappear, skid marks fade, and companies destroy documents. Early action protects your case.
Learn more: How Long Do You Have to File a Truck Accident Claim?
Building a Strong Case Against Trucking Companies
Successful claims require proving specific elements establishing legal responsibility.
Duty of Care
All drivers owe reasonable care, but commercial truck drivers and companies owe higher duties because of extreme vehicle dangers. Federal regulations impose specific duties including following hours of service limits, maintaining vehicles properly, securing cargo correctly, hiring qualified drivers, and supervising driver conduct.
Breach of Duty
We prove trucking companies or drivers breached duties by violating federal regulations, state traffic laws, or basic safety standards. Hours of service violations, maintenance failures, improper loading, distracted driving, and speeding all prove breach.
Read more: How Is Fault Determined in a Truck Accident?
Causation
Proving breach alone doesn’t win cases. We must also establish clear connections between what they did wrong and what happened to you. Accident reconstruction experts analyze crash dynamics. Federal motor carrier data provides electronic proof. Medical experts tie injuries directly to crash forces.
Damages
We document every loss category including medical expenses, lost income, property damage, pain, emotional distress, and reduced quality of life. Complete damage calculation is the foundation of strong claims and determines what you ultimately recover.
When Fault Gets Shared in Texas
Texas follows modified comparative negligence, which means you can still recover compensation even if you share some responsibility for the accident. If you’re found partially at fault, your recovery gets reduced by your percentage of fault. However, if you’re found 51% or more at fault, you recover nothing.
Insurance companies understand this rule intimately and use it strategically. They’ll claim you were speeding, not paying attention, or violated traffic rules trying to assign you maximum fault and minimize their payout.
We investigate thoroughly, presenting evidence that accurately reflects what happened. Even partial recovery is better than no recovery, and we fight to minimize any fault assigned to you.
Know more: How Comparative Negligence Works in Texas
More Resources for Commercial & 18-Wheeler Truck Accident Victims
- Accident Law Insights: What You Need to Know After a Truck Crash in Your City
- Everything About Substance Abuse and Truck Drivers
- Multi‑Vehicle Truck Accidents: What Victims Need to Know
- What if the Truck Driver Tries to Blame Me for the Accident?
- 3 Important Records to Obtain After a Truck Accident
- Common Causes of 18 Wheeler Truck Accidents: Driver Error
- How Long Does It Take to Settle a Truck Accident Claim?
- 10 Things You Should Do After a Truck Accident
Talk to Our Office About Your Truck Crash
When you contact us, you’ll speak with someone who takes time understanding what you’ve experienced. We’ll walk through options honestly. Consultations are free and confidential. If we move forward, nothing’s due upfront.
An injury victim should never have to worry about their ability to afford excellent legal representation. That’s why we offer 100% free consultations, and why you pay nothing unless we secure a favorable settlement, judgment, or verdict for your case. That’s our No Win, No Fee Guarantee.
Got hit by a commercial truck or 18-wheeler in Carrollton or anywhere in the Dallas metro area? Call (800) 863-5312 or our Carrollton office: (469) 809-6065. You may also submit an online form.
Meetings by appointment.
FAQs
What is a spoliation letter and why is it important in truck accident cases?
A spoliation letter is a formal notice sent to a trucking company requiring them to preserve evidence related to the crash. This can include driver logs, electronic data, maintenance records, and internal communications. Without this notice, critical evidence could be lost or deleted.
Can I recover compensation if I was injured while driving for work but not in a commercial truck?
Yes. If you were driving for your job and another party caused the crash, you may have a personal injury claim in addition to any workplace-related benefits. These situations often involve multiple layers of insurance coverage.
What if the trucking company claims the accident was caused by a mechanical failure?
Mechanical failures do not automatically remove liability. Investigations often look at maintenance records, inspection history, and whether the company ignored known issues. A failure to properly maintain the truck can still make the company responsible.
Can a truck accident case involve claims against a freight or shipping company?
Yes. If a third-party company was responsible for loading or securing cargo, or played a role in logistics decisions that contributed to the crash, they may share liability. These cases often extend beyond just the driver and carrier.
What happens if a truck accident causes multiple collisions involving several vehicles?
Multi-vehicle crashes are common in truck accidents due to the size and weight of commercial vehicles. These cases often involve multiple claims, competing accounts of what happened, and several insurance policies. Sorting out fault requires a detailed investigation.
Can I bring a claim if I was injured as a pedestrian or cyclist in a truck accident?
Yes. Pedestrians and cyclists are especially vulnerable in collisions involving large trucks. If a truck driver failed to yield, made an unsafe turn, or did not see you due to blind spots, you may have a valid claim.
What if the truck driver was new or still in training at the time of the crash?
That can be an important factor. Trucking companies have a duty to properly train and supervise drivers. If an inexperienced or inadequately trained driver caused the crash, the company may be held responsible for putting them on the road.
Can I recover compensation if hazardous materials were involved in the crash?
Possibly. Accidents involving hazardous materials can lead to additional injuries and risks such as exposure, burns, or environmental damage. These cases may involve stricter safety regulations and additional parties responsible for handling dangerous cargo.
What if the trucking company repairs or destroys the truck before it can be inspected?
That can complicate a case, which is why acting quickly matters. Once legal notices are sent, companies are required to preserve evidence. If they fail to do so, it can sometimes be used against them in court.
Can I file a claim if the truck accident worsened an existing medical condition?
Yes. If the crash aggravated a pre-existing condition, you may still be entitled to compensation for the additional harm caused. The focus is on how the accident changed your health and your life moving forward.
Got any more questions? Check out our FAQ page here.
John (Jack) Zinda
Founder / CEO
Over 100 years of combined experience representing injured victims across the country.
Available 24 / 7|Free Consultation
Neil Solomon
Partner
Real results matter. We do not get paid unless we win your case.
Available 24 / 7|Free Consultation
