Dallas Truck Accident Lawyer

Commercial Truck Accident Attorneys in Dallas, Texas

Have You Been Injured in a Truck Accident in Dallas or Fort Worth? We Can Help! 

Office Location: 1910 Pacific Avenue, Suite 6000, Dallas, TX 75201

As the number of large box trucks and tractor-trailers continues to grow on Dallas's bustling roads, so does the risk of severe motor vehicle accidents.

The motivation for speed often pushes truck drivers and their employers toward decisions that prioritize profit over safety.

This hurry to deliver cargo faster can result in careless or reckless driving, setting the stage for devastating accidents and life-altering injuries.

If you or a loved one have experienced serious injuries due to a truck accident in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, you may have the right to seek financial relief.

Our Dallas truck accident attorneys and legal professionals are well-versed in standing up to trucking companies and their insurers.

The legal professionals at Stewart J. Guss, Injury Accident Lawyers, are available for your free consultation

Call us 24 hours a day/seven days a week, at 800-898-4877, or you may contact us now by CLICKING HERE.

Dallas Truck Accident Guide

National Trucking Accident Attorney Stewart J. Guss discusses trucking safety on national news with Mike Papantonio on America’s Lawyer

Why Choose Our Dallas Truck Accident Lawyers?

How Do I Find a Good Truck Accident Lawyers?

Choosing a law firm is an incredibly personal decision. You want to choose the right accident Dallas truck accident attorney for you and your case, but where do you start?

You can start by giving us a call! Our Dallas truck accident attorneys have over 2 decades of experience helping injured accident victims like you.

We know the uphill battle you face after a serious truck crash and we work quickly to build your case and help you obtain maximum compensation.

Give us a chance to show you why so many injured Dallas 18 wheeler accident victims chose us to represent them in their darkest hours.

We want to be the first – and only call you ever have to make. Let us take the legal burdens off of your shoulders, so you can focus your energy on your recovery.

**No matter where you are, it’s our mission to ensure that you have the finest representation for your case.**

Reach out now to learn more about how we can help.

Know your rights. Know your worth. We do.

If you choose to hire us, you pay us nothing upfront, and you will pay absolutely nothing at all unless and until we’ve won your case.

If you are uninsured, or cannot afford health insurance deductibles or co-pays, we may be able to help you obtain the medical treatment you need at no upfront out-of-pocket cost to you!

We Know How to Handle Trucking Companies and Their Insurers

It’s no secret: trucking companies don’t play fair. They have plenty of tricks up their sleeve to make your recovery difficult or impossible, especially if you try to handle a truck accident claim on your own.

The first step to recovering monetary return for your damages is to file a claim against the trucking company.

If their insurance company refuses to offer the appropriate settlement amount for your personal injury claim, you may need to file a truck accident lawsuit against the negligent truck driver and trucking company.

Although trucking companies generally have deep pockets with millions of dollars worth of insurance coverage at their disposal, they will do everything in their power to undervalue your truck accident claim in order to pay you less than what your case is actually worth.

The experienced team of Dallas truck accident lawyers and legal professionals at Stewart J. Guss Injury Lawyers, are ready to help you take on the insurance company and fight for your right to the compensation you deserve.

Don’t face this alone. You deserve the best team of Dallas large truck accident lawyers on your side to help you win this fight.

Our law firm has over 20 years of experience grappling with trucking companies and insurance adjusters on behalf of victims of truck accidents. Count on us to fight diligently.

After suffering an injury in a traumatizing semi-truck crash, there are bound to be many questions swirling around in your head.

What are your rights? Will you have to pay for your medical bills? How can you make the truck company compensate you?

You have many things to consider in a situation like this, and our law firm can help shed some light on the situation for you.

If you’ve suffered injuries in an accident with a large commercial vehicle in Dallas, call us right now at 866-935-1455 or click HERE to submit the facts of your case for a FREE evaluation.  We’re open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so contact us NOW to start getting answers to all of your questions.

Why Take Chances? Let Us Help You!

Schedule a Free Virtual Visit by Calling 866-720-7920 or Send us a Message Today

How Much Is My Dallas Truck Accident Case Worth?

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Collecting Damages After a Dallas Truck Wreck

If you have suffered serious injuries in a Dallas truck accident, you may be entitled to recover monetary return for your physical and emotional damages.

While money is incapable of compensating you for a lifetime of pain or for the inability to use a body part, it can help to lessen your financial burdens resulting from the accident.

In addition to recovering the costs of time missed from work and medical bills, you may also be able to receive compensation for noneconomic losses, including the following:

  • Past and future physical pain and suffering
  • Lost wages and income
  • Loss of future earning capacity
  • Costs of rehabilitation
  • Mental anguish and emotional distress
  • Loss of spousal or family support
  • Loss of the use of a body party
  • Loss of quality or enjoyment of life

Methods of Proving Injuries and Damages

In some Dallas truck accident cases, insurance companies will try and show that the accident victim was not injured all that badly.

The insurance adjuster may argue that the accident victim had preexisting injuries or degenerative findings on an x-ray or MRI, for example.

In these cases, expert medical testimony can go a long way in showing that an accident victim sustained a permanent injury—and that the injury directly resulted from the truck accident.

In other cases, co-workers or friends of the accident victim may be able to testify that in their observation, the accident victim’s ability to function personally (or at work) diminished significantly after the truck accident.

How Are Dallas Truck Drivers Negligent?

Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Dallas

Dallas truck drivers are negligent when they operate their trucks in a careless manner. They put everyone else on the road at serious risk when they don't follow the rules of the road.

Some of the most common ways in which truckers are negligent include the following:

  • Breaking the law - Dallas traffic laws are in place to keep motor vehicle operators and their passengers safe while they are on the road. Truck drivers violate these traffic laws when they exceed the posted truck speed limits, run red lights, or fail to yield the right-of-way at the appropriate times. When a large truck or tractor-trailer collides with a much smaller vehicle at a high rate of speed, the results can be catastrophic and deadly.
  • Distracted driving - Driving a tractor-trailer or big rig can be a monotonous job, with drivers often forced to drive for hours on end with very little human interaction. Consequently, there is a strong temptation for truck drivers to make cell phone calls or text while driving—even when it is not safe for them to do so. Distracted driving turns a driver’s mental and physical attention away from the roadway, and at highway speeds of 70 miles per hour or more, that can be a recipe for disaster.
  • Driving while intoxicated (DWI) - Under the Texas DWI statute, it is illegal for anyone in the State to operate a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or more—or while under the influence of drugs. Given the long hours on the road and time away from family and friends, some truck drivers resort to alcohol or drugs. It goes without saying that drugs and alcohol can significantly impair a truck driver’s mental state and reaction time while behind the wheel, potentially resulting in a serious accident.
  • Cutting curves too sharply - Large trucks and tractor-trailers are very long vehicles. Consequently, they usually need extra room in order to negotiate sharp turns and corners. When truck drivers fail to follow the roadway markings or miscalculate the turning radius at an intersection or curve, serious accidents can result.
  • Truck Driver Fatigue - When truck drivers in Dallas operate their trucks and tractor-trailers for hours on end, it is very easy for them to become fatigued while behind the wheel. Driving for long hours can also lead to “highway hypnosis” and may even result in a driver falling asleep at the wheel. When that happens, a driver may switch lanes or veer across a double line, striking a smaller vehicle head-on and causing injuries and damages.
  • Abrupt lane changes - Large trucks have many blind spots and limited visibility. When truck drivers try to change lanes too quickly—or switch lanes without using a turn signal—they can cause serious accidents and injuries.
  • Failing to assess road and weather conditions - Various factors can affect road conditions in a given area. For example, large amounts of rain can cause hydroplaning or skidding, while roadway repairs and construction sites can create grooved pavement and uneven lanes. When truck drivers fail to acknowledge these hazards while operating their vehicles, they significantly increase their chances of colliding with another vehicle.
  • Disobeying the state and federal motor carrier regulations - State and federal motor carrier guidelines are in place to regulate everything from tractor-trailer load sizes to load overhang, warning lights, oversized loads, and escort vehicles. These regulations are in place to keep drivers safe and to keep unsafe vehicles off the road. When truck drivers violate these regulations, dangerous accidents can occur.

If you have been injured due to the negligence of a commercial truck driver, the team of Dallas truck accident lawyers and legal professionals at Stewart J. Guss Injury Lawyers may be able to help pursue legal recovery on your behalf.

Common Types of Truck Accidents in Dallas

When truck drivers are reckless and careless, they significantly increase their chances of causing a serious accident. Some of the most common types of truck accidents that occur in the greater Dallas metropolitan area include the following:

  • Chain reaction collisions involving multiple vehicles
  • Tractor or trailer overturns
  • Chemical spills on the roadway
  • Truck or trailer cargo dislodging into the roadway
  • Jackknife accidents
  • Underride truck accidents
  • Truck rollovers
  • Truck tire blowouts

At the office of Stewart J. Guss, Injury Accident Lawyers, our Dallas truck accident legal team has litigated a great number of various types of truck accident cases. Contact us now to see if yours is a case we can assist with.

Who is to Blame For My Dallas Truck Accident?

To obtain compensation for your Dallas truck accident-related losses, you must prove that you can hold one or more parties liable for the crash.

Trucking companies and drivers in Dallas are not often forthcoming when it comes to admitting liability or even turning over potential evidence, making this a complicated task.

Our personal injury law firm, however, has the resources and experience to fully investigate what caused your crash and file the right claims against all possible liable parties.

Because you could hold so many different parties liable for a Dallas 18-wheeler accident, you should always hire a law firm with the resources to delve deep into the reasons behind your crash and determine all possible sources of liability.

Never sign anything until you’ve met with a lawyer. You could risk losing some or all of the compensation that you deserve.

A trucking company may have a substantially larger insurance policy than an individual driver, which can be important if your injuries are severe.

You don’t want to miss out on the compensation you deserve under the law, so you need a truck accident law firm that will ALWAYS cover all the bases for you.

After a truck accident in Dallas, multiple parties may share the blame. Some of the parties that might bear liability for your truck crash include:

  • Truck driver - When a truck driver fails to abide by the rules of the road, such as by speeding, failing to yield the right-of-way, or misjudging a turning radius, they likely violated the applicable standard of care—but victims can only prove this negligence by filing a legal case. Truck drivers are held to the standard of a “reasonable truck driver” who is acting under the same or similar circumstances. If the truck driver violated a criminal law or statute, such as by drinking and driving, then he or she may be deemed negligent per se. In that instance, the accident victim need only prove causation and injuries/damages.
  • Trucking company - While some truck drivers are independent contractors, there are also trucking companies that employ their drivers. While employed drivers usually have set hours and regular pay, independent contractors are more likely to set their own schedules and have more sporadic pay schedules. Generally speaking, trucking companies can be held liable for the negligent actions of their employees. This is called vicarious liability. Moreover, in the event a particular truck driver is a repeat roadway offender, the trucking company could be held responsible for negligently retaining, supervising, or hiring the offending truck driver. This could subject the trucking company to additional damages.
  • Another driver. Inexperienced and reckless drivers who cut off big rigs, break traffic regulations, and linger in a semi-truck’s blind spots can cause a truck driver to lose control of their rig which can lead to a dangerous and deadly truck accident.
  • Truck manufacturer. When defective trucks or truck parts cause an accident, truck manufacturing companies and any party in the truck’s chain of distribution might be partially or wholly responsible for a truck accident. Tires and brake systems can be especially dangerous when they fail on a semi. This can cause truckers to lose control of their large truck, resulting in an accident. 
  • Shipping company - A shipping company must take care to properly load truck beds and secure cargo so it does not shift during transport. When they fail to secure loads properly, this can result in the large truck becoming unbalanced while on the road. The result can be catastrophic and can lead to disastrous Dallas truck accidents.

The skilled legal team at Stewart J. Guss, Injury Accident Lawyers, can ensure that every potentially responsible party is named in your claim or lawsuit, thereby maximizing your chances of fair and just monetary recovery in your Dallas truck accident case.

Common Injuries Sustained in Dallas Truck Accidents

It goes without saying that truck accidents can result in serious damages and injuries. This is because truck accidents often occur on busy highways, at highway speeds, and can involve a variety of collisions.

Potential types of collisions include T-bone accidents, rear-enders, side impact collisions, and head-on collisions. In fact, some collisions are so forceful that they cause a motor vehicle driver or passenger to be completely ejected from the vehicle.

Truck accident victims can suffer serious and catastrophic injuries in the blink of an eye. Potential injuries sustained in Dallas truck accident cases include the following:

  • Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
  • Bone Fractures
  • Paralysis and spinal cord injuries
  • Abrasions and cuts
  • Permanent scars
  • Soft tissue injuries (especially to the neck and back)
  • Death

Some of these injuries—especially TBIs, fractures, and paralysis—can be catastrophic and may result in ongoing medical treatment, physical and occupational therapy, and extensive medical procedures, in order to improve or correct them.

The Dallas truck accident lawyers and legal professionals at Stewart J. Guss, Injury Accident Lawyers, can help you recover damages to compensate you for the painful injuries and medical treatment you sustained following your accident.

If you lost a loved one in a Dallas truck accident, our personal injury attorneys can help you examine your legal options and whether you can file a wrongful death claim against the negligent parties.

What Are the Trucking Laws in Texas?

All commercial truck drivers and trucking companies must comply with many different regulations and laws on both the federal and state levels.

When they violate these laws, serious collisions and injuries to motorists can often result. Anyone who violates any safety laws and causes injuries should be held fully accountable for their actions.

In most cases, law enforcement officers will arrive at the scene of a truck accident and should always examine whether they believe that the truck driver violated the law in the course of the accident.

The trucking company and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) should also investigate possible violations in the days and weeks following the crash.

The following is a brief overview of some of the laws and regulations that may come into play in a truck accident claim.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) enacts and enforces a wide variety of regulations that apply to all commercial vehicles operating on an interstate basis in the United States.

This can include semi-trucks, hazardous materials (hazmat) trucks, tanker trucks, flatbed trucks, buses, and more. The regulations set the standards of behavior for many aspects of trucking, including:

  • Licensing – Everyone who operates a commercial truck must have the proper commercial driver’s license (CDL) and training for that particular type of vehicle. Each CDL requires training and examinations, and driving special trucks like HAZMAT may require an additional endorsement on the CDL. Companies should never allow someone without the necessary license and/or endorsement to operate one of their commercial trucks.
  • Health conditions – Approved medical professionals must conduct a thorough examination of CDL applicants or renewal applicants and determine that drivers do not have any potentially dangerous medical conditions that would interfere with their abilities to operate trucks. Dangerous and disqualifying conditions include untreated heart disease or diabetes, seizure disorders, musculoskeletal problems like arthritis, sensory loss, or untreated sleep disorders.
  • Hours of service – Fatigued driving is a serious issue in the trucking industry, as drivers who fall asleep at the wheel regularly cause devastating and tragic crashes. To prevent fatigued driving, strict rules curb the number of consecutive hours and consecutive days a driver can work without taking breaks to rest and sleep. These rules are complicated, though each driver should understand their restrictions and companies should enforce compliance.
  • Intoxicated driving – Commercial drivers face stricter intoxicated driving laws than regular drivers, with a legal limit of 0.04 percent blood alcohol content (BAC) compared to 0.08 percent for everyone else. Even a non-commercial drunk driving conviction can result in the suspension or revocation of a CDL. Truck drivers are also subject to random and post-accident drug and alcohol testing. If a commercial driver fails a drug or alcohol test, the trucking company should take necessary measures, including possible suspension, to prevent that individual from operating a truck in the future while under the influence.
  • Distracted driving – Commercial drivers break the law whenever they engage in text-based messaging or read on a smartphone, and they also have strict rules regarding hands-free communications. For example, a truck driver may not make or answer a call if it requires hitting more than a single button. The can use hands-free and voice command programs to make calls, but they cannot search through their phones for a number. In addition to smartphones, many other activities can distract a truck driver. These include eating and drinking (which many drivers do on the road), having passengers, talking on a CB radio, grooming, and more. While other distractions may not violate regulations, they are still highly dangerous.
  • Truck inspections – By law, drivers must inspect certain aspects of their trucks pre-shift, and companies must inspect and maintain the trucks in their fleets regularly. It can be easy for companies to gloss over inspections or regular maintenance, which can save the company money and prevent a truck from being out of commission during repairs. However, putting possible defective 18-wheelers on the road is extremely dangerous, as all it takes is a sudden tire blowout or brake failure to affect the lives of other motorists forever.
  • Size and weight – Depending on the size and number of axles on a particular rig, the FMCSA sets out strict maximum weight limits when a truck is fully loaded. The maximum weight of any type of commercial truck in the United States is 80,000 pounds without special exceptions. Truck drivers must pass through all required weigh stations to ensure compliance, as an overloaded truck can cause increased braking times or even brake failure and runaway truck accidents.

Numerous additional federal regulations apply to both trucking companies and the drivers themselves. After a truck accident, you need a law firm that fully understands trucking safety standards and regulations to properly identify when violations occurred.

Truck accidents in Dallas usually occur when you least expect them. If you were injured in a motor vehicle collision that a truck driver or owner’s negligence caused, time is of the essence.

The skilled Dallas truck accident lawyers and legal professionals at Stewart J. Guss Injury Lawyers, are equally as effective at the negotiating table as they are in the courtroom.

Let an experienced Dallas truck accident lawyer help you obtain the compensation that you deserve.

We take pride in investigating all angles of truck accident cases, obtaining valuable evidence, such as black box data, and protecting accident victims at every turn.

We are experienced in representing truck accident victims in Dallas and it shows in our testimonials from former clients.

Because we take all of our personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, you will not owe us a DIME unless we win your case.

We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so call us today at 800-898-4877 or contact us now by CLICKING HERE.

Our Dallas personal injury lawyers have helped accident victims in Dallas and throughout the state of Texas after suffering injuries in Dallas car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, and more! Call our law office today to see what we can do for you!

Don't take chances—let us help you!

See what other clients are saying:

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"I was very pleased with how Stewart handled my case. He acted professionally at all times and really had my best interests at heart. I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome too! I would definitely recommend my friends and family to use him as their lawyer.”
-Joshua L.