Available 24/7 (214) 333-3333
Available 24/7 (214) 333-3333
Available 24/7 (214) 333-3333
Available 24/7 (214) 333-3333
Available 24/7 (214) 333-3333
Available 24/7 (214) 333-3333
A crash with an 18-wheeler changes everything in an instant. When a truck weighing up to 80,000 pounds collides with a passenger vehicle, the damage is rarely minor. One moment you are driving through Fort Worth, and the next you are facing serious injuries, mounting medical bills, and a recovery that could take months or longer. You did nothing wrong. A massive commercial rig and the company behind it did.
We understand how shaken you feel right now, and we want you to know you do not have to navigate this alone.
Truck accident cases are unlike ordinary car accident claims. They demand a thorough look at electronic data recorder evidence, driver logs, maintenance histories, and federal safety compliance records. Our Fort Worth 18-wheeler accident attorneys have spent decades holding large trucking corporations accountable. We know how they operate, and we know how to build the kind of case that gets results.
If you were hurt by a commercial truck in Fort Worth, we have the resources and the experience to pursue the full compensation you deserve.
NO FEES UNLESS WE WIN
1,300+ Five-Star Reviews
$1B+
RECOVERED
30+
DECADES OF COMBINED LEGAL EXPERIENCE
90+
DECADES OF COMBINED LEGAL EXPERIENCE
FREE
CONSULTATION
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Quick Answer
Why can't I handle a truck accident claim on my own?
Trucking companies have large insurance policies and they send their own investigators to the crash scene within hours, sometimes before you have even seen a doctor. Without an attorney on your side, you risk losing critical electronic data, accepting a settlement that does not reflect your real losses, or being blamed for more of the accident than is fair. Frenkel & Frenkel levels the playing field, and it costs you nothing unless we win.
Call (817) 333-3333 — Free Consultation"*" indicates required fields
The size alone sets truck accidents apart. A fully loaded 18-wheeler can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, roughly 20 times more than a typical passenger car. When that kind of weight hits a smaller vehicle, catastrophic injuries or death are far more likely than in an ordinary collision.
On top of that, truck accident cases are governed by federal rules that do not apply to car accidents. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets strict standards for how long drivers can operate, what drug testing is required, and how vehicles must be maintained. A violation of those rules can serve as powerful evidence of negligence.
There is also the matter of who is responsible. In a truck accident, the driver, the trucking company, the cargo loader, and a parts manufacturer could all share some degree of fault. That means more insurance policies, a more aggressive defense from the trucking company, and a more complex investigation. These are not cases to take on without an experienced attorney in your corner.
Your safety comes first. If you are seriously hurt, do not try to move. Call 911 and wait for emergency responders to arrive.
If you are able to move safely, get away from traffic. Make sure a police report is filed at the scene. Photograph the vehicles, the crash area, any visible injuries, and the truck’s DOT number and the name of the trucking company on the cab or trailer. Get the driver’s insurance information and contact details, but do not discuss fault.
Get medical attention as soon as you can, even if you feel okay. Serious injuries such as internal bleeding, spinal damage, and brain trauma may not cause immediate pain. After that, contact a truck accident attorney right away. Evidence in truck accident cases can be lost within hours. Trucking companies routinely send their own investigators to protect their interests before you have had a chance to call anyone.
Quick Answer
How Do I Stop a Trucking Company from Deleting the Black Box Data?
This is not something you can do on your own, but we can. Within hours of being retained, we send a formal spoliation letter placing the trucking company under a legal obligation to preserve:
Once that letter is received, the company cannot lawfully destroy or overwrite this material. The sooner you call, the better your chances of preserving it.
Call Now — (817) 333-3333
Quick Answer
Are There Exceptions to the 2-Year Filing Deadline in Texas Truck Accident Cases?
Yes, but they are very limited. Do not assume an exception applies to you without speaking with an attorney. The standard rule under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Section 16.003 sets a firm 2-year deadline from the date of the accident. Narrow exceptions may exist in the following situations:
This is general legal information, not legal advice. Call us to talk through the specifics of your situation.
Don't Wait — Call (817) 333-3333
At Frenkel & Frenkel, we work on a contingency fee basis. That means you pay nothing upfront. We only collect a fee if we recover money for you.
There is no charge for your first consultation. You can call us, tell us what happened, and we will let you know if we think we can help. There is no pressure and no obligation.
We advance all case costs, including hiring accident reconstruction experts, medical professionals, and investigators. You do not pay us back unless we win your case.
Our attorneys have spent decades fighting for people hurt in truck accidents. We have the knowledge and resources to take on even the most complex cases.
Our founding attorneys used to defend insurance companies. Now, they use that inside knowledge to fight for injured people like you. We know the tactics companies use, and we know how to counter them.
We have recovered over $1 Billion in settlements and verdicts for our clients. For 16 straight years, our attorneys have been named among the Best Lawyers in Fort Worth.
Settlement - Catastrophic Injury Case
Verdict - Commercial Vehicle Collision
Settlement - Trucking Accident Case
Settlement - Serious Motor Vehicle Wreck
Driver Fatigue and Hours of Service Violations: Carriers often push drivers to meet tight delivery windows, which can mean cutting into rest time. Federal rules cap how many hours a driver can operate before they must stop, but violations happen regularly. A fatigued driver reacts as slowly as an impaired one. When an Hours of Service violation is discovered, it can be critical evidence in your case.
Blind Spots and No-Zone Accidents: Commercial trucks have large blind zones on all four sides. A driver who changes lanes or makes a wide turn without seeing a car in one of those zones can cause a serious crash. This is especially dangerous on Fort Worth’s busiest corridors, including the Mixmaster interchange and Loop 820, where lane changes happen at high speed and with little margin for error.
Improper Loading and Cargo Shifts: A load that is not properly secured can shift in transit, throwing a truck off balance. That imbalance can trigger a rollover, a jackknife, or a lost load that becomes a hazard for everyone else on the road. When improper loading is the cause, the company that loaded the truck may share responsibility.
Brake Failures and Poor Maintenance: Federal safety regulations require regular truck inspections and maintenance. Worn brakes, bald tires, and failing steering components can contribute directly to a crash. Carriers that skip inspections or delay repairs to protect their schedules put everyone at risk, and that negligence can form the basis of a claim.
Speeding and Aggressive Driving: A loaded 18-wheeler needs significantly more distance to stop than a passenger car. On high-speed routes like I-35W and I-820, the consequences of speeding or tailgating are severe. Aggressive maneuvers that would be risky in any vehicle become deadly behind the wheel of an 80,000-pound rig.
Distracted Driving: A truck driver who looks away from the road to check a phone, adjust a GPS, or reach for something can travel the length of a football field in just a few seconds. Federal rules ban hand-held cell phone use for commercial drivers, but violations still occur. Any distraction at highway speed increases the risk of a catastrophic crash.
A jackknife occurs when the trailer swings perpendicular to the cab, often sweeping across multiple lanes of traffic. These crashes can pull in several vehicles at once and leave little room for others to avoid the collision. Sudden braking, wet roads, speeding, and unsecured cargo are common triggers.
An underride crash happens when a passenger vehicle slides beneath the side or rear of a trailer. The results are often fatal. An override occurs when a truck rolls over a smaller vehicle in front of it. Both are among the most devastating crashes on any roadway, including Fort Worth's busy freight corridors.
Large trucks must swing left before completing a right turn, creating a gap on the right side that other drivers sometimes try to use. When a car gets caught between the turning truck and the curb or a barrier, the results can be serious. These crashes happen at intersections throughout the Fort Worth area, including busy commercial corridors in the city center.
Trucks can tip over from sharp turns at speed, shifting cargo, tire failures, or driver error. When a loaded 18-wheeler rolls, it can block entire sections of highway and trigger multi-vehicle crashes. I-35W and I-820 have both seen serious rollover incidents tied to these exact factors.
A blowout on a truck tire at highway speed can send the driver into other lanes or scatter large debris across the road, forcing other drivers to react with no warning. Worn tires, overloading, and skipped maintenance inspections are frequent causes.
An 18-wheeler traveling at highway speed needs much more distance to stop than a passenger car. When traffic slows suddenly, the size and momentum of a commercial truck can make a rear-end impact catastrophic for anyone in the smaller vehicle.
Cargo that is not properly secured can slide off a truck and become a direct threat to other drivers. Debris on a high-speed road like I-30 or US-287 can cause serious crashes on its own or force drivers into sudden, dangerous maneuvers. The loading company may share liability for these incidents.
Get to safety first. If you are seriously hurt, stay where you are and call 911. If you can move, get clear of traffic. Make sure law enforcement responds and an official report is filed. Take photos of the vehicles, the scene, any injuries, and the truck's DOT number and company name. Get the driver's contact and insurance details, but say nothing about fault. See a doctor as soon as possible, even if you feel fine, since serious injuries do not always cause immediate pain. After that, call a truck accident attorney right away. Evidence in these cases disappears fast, and the trucking company's team may already be at work.
Responsibility in a truck accident can extend beyond the driver. The trucking company may be liable for how it hired, trained, or supervised that driver, or for pushing drivers to exceed safety limits. If the cargo was not loaded correctly, that loading company may share fault. A maintenance provider who missed critical repairs could also be held accountable, as could a manufacturer if a defective part caused or contributed to the crash. We investigate every angle to identify all responsible parties and all insurance coverage that may apply.
Commercial trucks carry electronic data recorders, often called black boxes or ECMs, that capture speed, braking patterns, engine data, and hours of operation in the moments before and during a crash. That data can be some of the most objective evidence available in your case. It can show exactly what the driver was doing and whether any federal rules were being violated. The risk is that trucking companies can legally overwrite this data on a rolling schedule. An attorney can send a formal preservation demand that legally requires them to keep it.
Texas law gives you two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. If you miss that deadline, you generally lose the right to seek compensation entirely. If a government vehicle was involved, you may need to act even sooner, as notice requirements can be as short as six months. Talk to a lawyer as soon as possible so nothing gets missed.
The differences are significant. Truck accident cases involve federal FMCSA regulations that simply do not apply to car accidents. They often include multiple potentially responsible parties, each with their own insurance coverage. Trucking companies have experienced legal and claims teams that begin working immediately after a crash. Electronic evidence can be lost within days. And the injuries tend to be far more serious because of the size and weight of commercial vehicles. These cases require attorneys with experience in this specific area of law.
Be very careful. That adjuster's job is to pay out as little as possible. They may ask for a recorded statement or try to get you to sign a release before you understand the full scope of your injuries. You are not required to give a recorded statement to the other side's insurer. We strongly recommend speaking with an attorney before having any substantive conversation with a trucking company's insurance representative.
You may be able to recover economic damages, including past and future medical bills, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and property damage. You may also recover non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical impairment, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life. In cases involving serious misconduct or reckless disregard for safety, punitive damages may be possible as well, though those are rare.
Driver fatigue from Hours of Service violations is one of the most common. Speeding and aggressive driving are significant factors on high-volume corridors like I-35W and I-820. Distracted driving, impaired driving, worn or poorly maintained equipment, and improperly secured cargo are also frequent causes. Fort Worth's position as a major freight hub means heavy commercial truck traffic on the city's main arteries every day, which increases exposure to all of these risks.
It depends on the specifics. Cases with clear liability and cooperative insurers can settle in a few months. Cases involving serious injuries, disputed fault, or uncooperative carriers can take a year or longer. Most truck accident cases, roughly 90%, resolve before trial. We work to move your case forward as efficiently as possible without ever pushing you toward a settlement that does not truly reflect what you have been through.
Texas uses a proportionate responsibility rule, commonly called the 51% bar. As long as your share of fault is 50% or less, you may still recover compensation. However, your award will be reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are 20% responsible on $100,000 in damages, your recovery is $80,000. If you are found 51% or more at fault, you cannot recover anything. Trucking companies and their insurers routinely try to maximize the fault assigned to the other driver. An attorney can investigate the crash and challenge any fault assessment that does not hold up to scrutiny.
