A Dallas truck accident lawyer starts with the truck, the company that ran it and the records both keep. Carriers covered by federal rules generally hold logs of driving hours, repair records and a file on each driver. Those papers can show what went wrong before the crash.
You pay nothing unless we win. Zinda Law Group’s free consultation about the truck accident starts with a call to (800) 863-5312.
Article summary
Key things to know
- A covered trucking company generally must keep hours-of-service logs, repair files and a qualification file on each driver.
- Truck accident victims in Dallas generally have two years to file an injury lawsuit.
- A crash with a Dallas city vehicle adds a written notice rule under the city charter.
- A claimant at fault 50 percent or less can still recover compensation, minus that share.
- The truck driver, the carrier and any loader or repair shop whose work caused the crash can each be named.
Free case review
Who owns the truck behind the crash?
A Dallas truck accident lawyer will explain which records to request and which deadline controls the claim.
What a Dallas truck accident lawyer does
Dallas truck accident lawyers handle injury claims against commercial truck drivers and the companies that employ them, and deal with the insurers behind both. An early step is often a preservation letter that asks the company in writing to keep the truck, the trailer, the electronic logs and any black box data.
Dallas truck accident attorneys can weigh each insurer’s offer against the medical bills, lost wages and other losses, and the client makes the final call on every settlement offer. Look for an experienced truck accident attorney who knows the federal rules, has handled commercial trucking cases and is ready to try a case.
What sets a Dallas truck accident case apart
A truck accident case usually brings more defendants and more paperwork than a car accident between two passenger vehicles. The truck driver may work for one company, the trailer may belong to a second and a third may have loaded the freight.
The Federal Highway Administration’s 2021 list of major freight bottlenecks names Dallas stretches of Interstates 35E, 30, 45, 345 and 635.
Truck crashes in Dallas and Dallas County
TxDOT counted 3,857 truck and other commercial motor vehicle crashes in Dallas County in 2024 and 3,778 in 2025. In 2025, 33 were fatal crashes in which 37 people died, and 130 people had suspected serious injuries. Only Harris County had more of those deaths in both years.
The count covers all reported crashes with the commercial vehicle indicator marked, not only 18-wheelers. It says nothing about fault.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data on large truck crashes counts 699 large trucks in fatal crashes in Texas in 2024, more than in any other state.
Dallas 18-wheeler and commercial trucking accidents
A semi truck accident, a big rig accident and an 18-wheeler wreck are all large truck accidents. Under the federal safety rules, a commercial motor vehicle includes a truck used in interstate commerce with a weight rating or gross weight of 10,001 pounds or more, among other tests. A loaded big rig far exceeds that weight, so an 18-wheeler accident usually falls under them.
Not every commercial trucking accident involves a big rig. A Dallas commercial vehicle accident can involve a delivery van or another work vehicle. A Dallas tow truck accident can happen at a crash scene while a wrecker clears the lane.
Federal trucking regulations for commercial truck drivers
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets the trucking industry’s safety rules. Trucking companies operate under them, and a truck accident lawyer checks a carrier’s records against them. National carriers such as Swift Transportation answer to them.
Hours of service and driver fatigue
A driver of a property-carrying truck may generally drive at most 11 hours, inside a 14-hour window that begins as the driver comes on duty after 10 consecutive hours off duty. A driver generally may not drive after 8 hours of driving time without a consecutive 30-minute interruption. Federal rules also bar a driver from driving when fatigue or illness makes it unsafe. Interstate carriers generally must have drivers record their hours on an electronic logging device, with exemptions, and keep required driver logs for at least six months.
Driver files, testing and maintenance
Each driver a motor carrier employs needs a qualification file, which the carrier generally keeps for the length of the job plus three years. A carrier may not permit an unqualified person to drive. After fatal accidents on a public road, the carrier of a truck that requires a commercial driver’s license must test its surviving driver for alcohol and drugs as soon as practicable.
A carrier must inspect, repair and maintain each truck. Poor vehicle maintenance, such as worn brakes, can contribute to a crash. It shows up in truck maintenance records, which the carrier must keep for one year, and for six months after control ends, for a truck it controls for 30 consecutive days.
A for-hire carrier hauling nonhazardous freight in interstate commerce in a truck rated 10,001 pounds or more must maintain at least $750,000 in financial responsibility. Texas requires a car owner to carry only $30,000 for one person’s injuries, so a truck claim can have far more insurance behind it.
Truck accident injuries
Truck accident injuries can be severe, and some need long medical treatment. They include traumatic brain injuries, neck injuries, spinal cord injuries and paralysis. Broken bones, crush injuries, internal organ damage and severe burns can also result.
Catastrophic injuries can end a career or require lifelong care. Truck accident victims who see a doctor the same day start the medical record a claim relies on.
Who a Dallas truck accident lawyer can hold liable
A Dallas truck accident case often has multiple parties. Each at fault party is matched to its duty. The jury or judge assigns each liable party a percentage of responsibility. A claim can pursue compensation from more than one liable party.
The truck driver and the trucking company
The semi truck driver comes first. Lawyers check speeding, distracted driving, driver error and hours-of-service violations against the logs, phone records and the crash report. A claim may name the company for an employee’s negligence within the scope of employment or for its own negligence, subject to Texas limits on employer claims.
Cargo loaders, repair shops and truck manufacturers
Improper loading can place fault on a cargo loader, such as a cargo loading company hired to secure the freight. A maintenance contractor, a repair shop or a truck manufacturer may share fault for negligent work or a defect that played a part.
Filing deadlines
Questions about how much time you have?
Filing deadlines for a Dallas truck accident claim
| Claim | Deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Personal injury lawsuit | Generally two years from the day the claim accrues | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003(a) |
| Wrongful death lawsuit | Generally two years from the death | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003(b) |
| Injury claim against the City of Dallas | Written notice within six months after the injury | Dallas City Charter, Chapter XXIII |
Exceptions can change a date. The state limits govern every Texas truck accident claim, and the city rule applies only to claims that name the City of Dallas as a defendant.
A Dallas County injury suit can be filed in one of 13 civil district courts or five county courts at law, all in the George L. Allen, Sr. Courts Building.
What a Dallas truck accident claim can cover
Injury victims can ask the responsible parties to pay for what the crash cost.
- Medical expenses, including future medical care
- Lost earning capacity and lost wages
- Physical pain, mental anguish and the ways a serious injury limits daily life
- Vehicle damage and other property damage
Texas calls punitive damages exemplary damages and allows them only on clear and convincing proof of fraud, malice or gross negligence. Zinda Law Group gives no average settlement figure, since it turns on the injuries, the proof and the split of fault.
When a truck accident in Dallas is fatal
After a fatal truck accident, wrongful death claims in Texas belong to the surviving spouse, the children and the parents. One of them can bring a Dallas wrongful death suit on behalf of all. After the injured person’s death, the injury claim itself carries on for the heirs, legal representatives and estate.
What to do after a truck accident in Dallas
Truck accidents happen fast. After a truck collision, the evidence will not wait.
- Get medical care. Get checked the same day.
- Call 911. Officers note the truck, its driver and the trucking company in the police report.
- Gather evidence. Photograph the accident scene, the damage and the name on the truck’s door.
- Keep your records. Save bills, repair estimates and proof of lost wages.
- Wait on recorded statements. If a trucking company’s insurance adjuster asks for one, talk to a lawyer first.
When you are ready
Talk through the next step.
Free consultation with a Dallas truck accident lawyer
The Dallas truck accident FAQs below cover cost. When you want to begin a truck accident claim, use the case evaluation form. Ask our Dallas truck accident attorneys about the crash and the deadline.
West of Dallas, a TxDOT study calls I-20 through Arlington and Grand Prairie a freight and hazardous cargo route, and Fort Worth lies farther west. Truck claims from Plano and Carrollton, north of Dallas, follow the same Texas limits.
Zinda Law Group’s Dallas personal injury lawyers work from an office at 2626 Cole Avenue, Suite 367, Dallas, TX 75204. From the same office, a Dallas workplace accident lawyer takes injuries at work and a Dallas dog bite lawyer takes dog attacks.
Our firm works on a contingency fee basis, so there is no out-of-pocket cost to secure the legal representation you need.
Founder and CEO
John C. (Jack) Zinda
Jack founded Zinda Law Group and focuses his practice on catastrophic personal injury, 18-wheeler accidents and wrongful death.
