A truck accident in Irving can involve the truck driver, the company that dispatched the truck and an insurer for each of them.
Free consultations about a truck accident are available at (800) 863-5312.
Article summary
Key things to know
- Carriers of covered trucks must keep a qualification file on each driver they employ and repair records for any truck they control for 30 consecutive days or more.
- The table below lists the lawsuit deadlines.
- Irving’s charter generally requires written notice of an injury claim against the city.
- A jury divides fault by percentage, and a claimant’s own share reduces what the claimant can recover.
Free case review
Hit by a semi truck on SH 183 or Loop 12?
The road, the time and any company name on the cab or trailer help us start looking for the carrier.
What an Irving truck accident lawyer does
A truck accident lawyer investigates the accident, identifies each company that may be responsible and deals with the insurance companies. In a truck accident case, a truck accident lawyer can ask the trucking company in writing to keep the truck and its electronic logs. The request can also cover the maintenance file and the driver’s records. Federal rules set minimum retention periods for some of those records, and a minimum does not promise that the necessary evidence still exists.
An insurance company may call soon after the accident and ask for a recorded statement. A truck accident attorney takes those calls and helps gather evidence. The attorney measures any offer against medical bills and lost wages to judge whether it is a fair settlement.
Beyond those calls, a truck accident lawyer checks the truck driver’s records for speeding and distracted driving. A truck accident lawyer can retain expert witnesses, such as an accident reconstruction specialist, to explain what the evidence shows.
Federal hours-of-service rules generally limit a commercial truck driver hauling property to 11 hours of driving within 14 consecutive hours after coming on duty following 10 consecutive hours off duty. A driver whose alertness is impaired by fatigue or illness to the point that driving is unsafe may not drive, and a carrier may not require or permit it. A carrier also may not let someone drive a commercial truck unless the driver is qualified, so the driver’s training and qualification file belong in the investigation.
Irving crash figures and Dallas County truck data
TxDOT recorded 3,778 crashes involving a commercial motor vehicle in Dallas County in 2025. Thirty-three were fatal crashes that killed 37 people, and 130 people had a suspected serious injury.
Officers mark a commercial motor vehicle indicator on the CR-3 crash report, so the count reaches beyond tractor-trailers and does not decide who caused a truck accident. TxDOT publishes that table by county and not by city, so it is not an Irving count.
TxDOT’s city table counted 4,020 reportable crashes in Irving itself in 2025, including 15 deaths and 98 suspected serious injuries. It counts every kind of vehicle and has no truck column.
NHTSA reports that 70 percent of the people killed in large truck crashes across the United States in 2024 were in other vehicles.
The Irving Interchange and the highways around it
TxDOT says SH 183, SH 114, Loop 12 and Spur 482 meet at the Irving Interchange, which surrounds the old Texas Stadium site. Its $301 million phase built ten new direct connectors, 22 new overpasses and nearly five miles of widened lanes. TxDOT says the new bridges and lanes opened in spring 2024.
Why one Irving truck accident can reach several defendants
A truck accident case can be a complicated process because it often reaches beyond the driver. The trucking company that employs the driver can be named for the driver’s negligence on the job and for its own failures, such as skipped maintenance. When a mechanical problem played a part, a truck accident lawyer can investigate inspection, repair and maintenance records. Cargo matters too, because federal rules require drivers and carriers to ensure it is properly distributed and adequately secured so it cannot shift and upset the truck.
Large trucks have big blind spots, according to FMCSA, and may swing left before turning right. A loaded tractor-trailer can reach 80,000 pounds, and FMCSA says that weight raises the risk of severe injuries. The federal safety rules generally cover large trucks and other commercial vehicles that haul property in interstate commerce at a weight or weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more. So 18-wheeler and semi truck crashes usually fall under them.
State trucking regulations can differ from the federal rules for trips inside the state, so a truck accident lawyer checks which rules apply to the truck. A for-hire carrier hauling general freight in interstate commerce must maintain at least $750,000 in financial responsibility for a truck with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more. That figure is a minimum and not a measure of any case.
A defendant in a commercial vehicle lawsuit can ask the court for a two-phase trial. Evidence that a defendant broke a regulation is admissible in the first phase only if it tends to prove the violation was a proximate cause of the injury or death. The regulation must also be specific and apply to that defendant, its employee, or its property or equipment. A truck accident lawyer examines whether a rule violation meets that test and whether the evidence is otherwise admissible.
Juries decide a percentage of responsibility for each claimant, defendant, settling person and designated responsible third party. Under Texas law, that split is how fault is determined for an Irving crash, and the same rules apply across Texas truck accident cases.
Injuries and compensation after an Irving truck accident
Truck accident victims can face brain injuries, severed limbs, deep lacerations, internal injuries and broken bones. Severe crashes can also cause spinal cord injuries, and expert witnesses can explain the injuries and the care they require.
Compensation after a truck accident falls into economic damages and non-economic damages, and damages vary depending on the injuries and the responsible parties. A truck accident victim seeking compensation can file a lawsuit against those parties, and a settlement offer is another way to obtain compensation. A truck accident lawyer builds the case for compensation from the losses below.
- Past and future medical care
- Lost earnings and lost earning capacity
- Physical pain and emotional suffering
- Property damage, including repair or replacement of your vehicle
Recovery of medical costs already incurred is limited to the amount actually paid or incurred by or for the person hurt. Punitive damages, called exemplary damages, require clear and convincing proof of fraud, malice or gross negligence. Proof of ordinary negligence falls short.
After a death caused by a truck accident, a family member can bring a wrongful death claim for compensation. The law names the surviving spouse, children and parents as the family members who can sue. If none of them files within three months of the death, the executor or administrator brings it unless all of them ask the executor not to. An Irving wrongful death lawyer can explain who files, and the injured person’s own case passes to the heirs and the estate.
Filing deadlines
Questions about how much time you have?
Deadlines after an Irving truck accident
| Claim | General deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Personal injury lawsuit | Two years from the date the claim accrues. | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003(a) |
| Wrongful death lawsuit | Two years from the date of death. | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003(b) |
| Injury claim against the City of Irving | Generally, written notice to the mayor and city council within six months after the injury. | City of Irving Charter, Article III, Section 8 |
The charter lets the city council waive that notice period by five or more votes, and exceptions can apply, so ask a truck accident lawyer about the dates.
A city case can arise from a crash with a city vehicle or a defect in a city street. The Texas Tort Claims Act can make a city liable when an employee’s negligent use of a motor-driven vehicle on the job causes an injury or a death. For a municipality, damages are capped at $250,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence for bodily injury or death.
Dallas County lists 13 civil district courts and five county courts at law. Federal court for Dallas County is the Dallas Division of the Northern District of Texas.
Steps after a semi truck accident in Irving
- Seek medical attention. Describe the truck accident and every symptom, even mild ones.
- Report the accident. Make sure the accident report lists the truck driver and the carrier.
- Record the scene. Photograph the trailer, the USDOT number, the road and the damage, and note any sign of distracted driving.
- Keep your paperwork. Save medical bills, repair estimates for the property damage and pay records, which support a compensation case.
- Call a truck accident lawyer before the adjuster. Do that before giving a recorded statement.
When you are ready
Talk through the next step.
Free consultation with our truck accident lawyers
Zinda Law Group serves clients in Irving. The firm’s truck accident attorneys will explain the trucking rules, the legal process and your legal options, with legal guidance on the deadlines. Send the details through the free case evaluation form.
The firm’s related practice areas for Irving clients include car accident cases. It also handles motorcycle accident cases, and its personal injury team can review other claims from the same crash. The firm also has a Dallas truck accident lawyer for crashes in Dallas and a Carrollton truck accident lawyer for crashes in Carrollton.
Our firm works on a contingency fee basis, so there is no out-of-pocket cost to secure the legal representation you need. That’s our No Win, No Fee Guarantee.
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.
