Dallas, Texas Truck & Work Vehicle Accident Attorneys

Truck accidents usually cause serious damage and severe injuries. Because semi-trucks and 18-wheelers are so much larger and heavier than most other vehicles, they often cause a devastating amount of damage, and accidents can easily result in death. 

What Are the Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Dallas?

• Driver Fatigue: Driver fatigue is a leading cause of car accidents in Texas. Truck drivers spend several hours on the road at a time, despite regulations set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). These rules limit truck drivers to driving a maximum of 11 hours within a 14 hour window. Drivers must also have 10 consecutive hours of duty off before beginning work. Truck drivers who work long shifts and drive late into the night may doze off behind the wheel or have slower reaction times. 
• Driver Distraction: Distracted driving is a huge problem and a prominent factor in both car and truck accidents in Texas. According to the NHTSA, over 3,000 people lost their lives to distracted driving in 2022. Distracted driving includes negligent behavior like texting and driving, talking on the phone while driving, eating, or focusing on other distractions inside the vehicle. 
• Speeding: Semi-trucks and 18-wheelers already take much longer to slow down than the average car on the road. When large trucks that are carrying a significant amount of cargo are speeding, especially in poor weather conditions, it can result in devastating rear-end collisions that cause substantial damage. 
• Unfamiliar Roads: Commercial truck drivers often travel great distances and encounter new roadways every day. Truck drivers who are unfamiliar with the terrain may make sudden lane changes, miss their exits, or make wrong turns. Poor decision making like this can easily lead to accidents, especially in congested parts of traffic. 
• Blind Spots: Trucks have a much larger blind spot than the average vehicle. Truck drivers may lose other vehicles in their blind spot or fail to check their mirrors properly. This can be particularly dangerous when merging onto the highway or changing lanes. 
• Tailgating: Tailgating is already dangerous for any vehicle on the road, let alone a massive semi-truck. Trucks often require more time to stop and slow down, and drivers have much less time to react when they follow too closely. Tailgating can also result in rear-end collisions that are exceptionally damaging for the driver in front. 
• Overloaded or Improperly Loaded Truck: Semi-trucks haul a significant amount of cargo every day. Improperly loaded and unbalanced cargo can cause the truck to shift and lose control. Accidents caused from overloaded trucks can roll over and potentially cause multi-car pileups. It’s imperative that workers adhere to loading limits and use proper loading techniques to prevent these catastrophic mistakes. 

• Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)
• Broken and fractured bones
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Burn injuries
• Other catastrophic injuries

What Are the Different Kinds of Truck Accidents?

• Rear-end Collisions: The damage caused by rear-end collisions is amplified when a semi-truck is involved. Due to the sheer weight and size of 18-wheelers, it takes significantly longer for drivers to slow down or come to a complete stop. Whether the truck’s brakes fail or the driver was following too closely to the car in front of them, rear-end collisions can be devastating and even end in fatalities. 
• Rollovers: Rollover accidents can be caused by improperly loaded or overloaded trucks when making sharp turns or when a driver loses control of the vehicle altogether. Trucks often have very top-heavy loads and high centers of gravity, making them more prone to rollover accidents. 
• Jackknife Accidents: A jackknife is when a semi-truck or 18-wheeler folds on itself and forms a 90-degree angle between the cab and the trailer of the truck. These accidents usually happen when the driver brakes too hard and causes the cargo in the trailer to force the rest of the truck in on itself. 
• Lane Changing Accidents: As we mentioned earlier, large trucks have substantial blind spots and often have difficulty seeing other vehicles in their blind spot. It is not uncommon for another vehicle to get lost in a truck driver’s blind spot and be forced off the road or cause a collision. 
• Underride Accidents: Semi-trucks are often large enough for other cars and motorists to slide underneath. These accidents typically cause significant damage to the roof of the passenger vehicle. Underride accidents are often fatal for the occupants of the other vehicle. 

Who Is Liable For My Injuries After a Truck Accident in Dallas?

• The truck driver: After an accident, the driver of the truck is usually the first person investigated. The truck driver may be held accountable if they were driving distracted or impaired, or if they were acting negligently behind the wheel. If a trucker driver causes an accident while in violation of their Hours of Service regulations, they may be held liable. 
• The trucking company: The employers of the truck driver may share some responsibility for the accident even if they were not directly involved. If the company was negligent in their hiring process or pressured their drivers to meet strict deadlines and drive unreasonable hours, they could be held liable. Hiring unqualified drivers and failing to properly maintain their vehicles are also examples of trucking company negligence. 
• Cargo Loaders: Trucks may cause accidents when they are either improperly loaded or overloaded. Semi-trucks are subject to strict weight regulations and exceeding these limits can result in serious accidents, especially when braking or making turns. 
• Maintenance Companies: Trucking companies that hire third-party maintenance or repair companies to perform work on their vehicles may be able to hold these businesses liable for their failure to address and resolve safety issues. Truck accidents may be caused by factors completely outside of the driver’s control, like brake failures, tire blowouts, and even worn out belts or hoses. 
• Manufacturers: Manufacturers who produce faulty equipment that contributed to a truck accident may be held liable. Flawed tires or defective brake systems may cause the vehicle to fail and lose control. 

Contact Galliani Injury Law for Your Dallas Truck Accident Case