Fort Worth Truck Accident Lawyers

Why Truck Accidents Are Fundamentally Different

A crash involving a fully loaded 18-wheeler weighing up to 80,000 pounds is nothing like a collision between two passenger cars. The forces involved are exponentially greater, the injuries are almost always more severe, and the legal landscape is far more complex. Truck accident cases involve federal regulations, multiple potentially liable parties, large commercial insurers with experienced legal teams, and evidence that disappears quickly if you don't act fast.

Patterson Law Group has the experience and resources to take on trucking companies and their insurers. We understand the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations that govern commercial trucking, we know where to look for evidence, and we know how to hold every responsible party accountable — from the driver to the trucking company to the cargo loader to the vehicle manufacturer.

If you or a family member has been seriously injured in a truck accident in Fort Worth or Tarrant County, do not wait. The trucking company's accident response team may already be at the scene. Call us immediately.

Federal Trucking Regulations — and Why They Matter

Commercial trucking is one of the most heavily regulated industries in the United States. The FMCSA sets strict rules governing nearly every aspect of commercial trucking operations. When a trucking company or driver violates these regulations, they can be held liable for the consequences. Key federal regulations include:

• Hours of Service (HOS) Rules Truck drivers are legally limited in the number of hours they can drive before taking a required rest break. Fatigue is one of the leading causes of truck accidents, and violations of HOS rules are powerful evidence of negligence.
• Electronic Logging Devices (ELD) Federal law requires most commercial trucks to use ELDs that automatically record driving hours. These records are critical evidence — but trucking companies can delete or alter them if you don't act quickly.
• Driver Qualification Standards Trucking companies must verify driver licenses, conduct background checks, and test for drug and alcohol use. Hiring unqualified or impaired drivers makes the company liable.
• Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance Commercial trucks must be regularly inspected and maintained. Brake failures, tire blowouts, and lighting defects caused by poor maintenance are a common cause of catastrophic crashes.
• Weight and Cargo Securement Rules Overloaded trucks and improperly secured cargo create serious hazards. Cargo that shifts in transit can cause a driver to lose control; debris that falls off a truck can cause devastating accidents.

Our attorneys know how to obtain these records and use FMCSA violations to build compelling cases for maximum compensation.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Fort Worth

Fort Worth sits at the intersection of I-35W, I-20, and I-30 — three of the busiest commercial trucking corridors in the state. The sheer volume of truck traffic through Tarrant County means accidents are frequent and often severe. Common causes include:

Types of Truck Accidents We Handle

Our attorneys represent victims of all types of commercial vehicle accidents, including:

Injuries Caused by Truck Accidents

The forces involved in truck collisions routinely produce injuries far more severe than typical car accidents. Our attorneys have represented truck accident victims suffering from:

These injuries often require years of medical care, rehabilitation, and ongoing support. Our attorneys work with medical experts, life-care planners, and economists to ensure your settlement accounts for the full scope of your current and future needs.

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Truck Accident?

One of the things that makes truck accident cases complex — and why they often produce larger recoveries — is the number of potentially liable parties. Depending on the facts of your case, we may pursue claims against:

• The Truck Driver For negligent driving — fatigue, distraction, impairment, speeding, or any other failure to operate the vehicle safely.
• The Trucking Company Under the doctrine of respondeat superior, employers are vicariously liable for their employees' negligence while on duty. We also investigate whether the company had independent failures — inadequate training, negligent hiring, or pressure on drivers to violate HOS rules.
• The Cargo Loading Company If improperly loaded or secured cargo contributed to the accident, the party responsible for loading may share liability.
• The Vehicle Manufacturer If a defective brake system, tire, or other mechanical component contributed to the crash, the manufacturer may be liable under product liability law.
• The Maintenance Company Third-party maintenance contractors who failed to properly inspect or repair the vehicle may also bear responsibility.

Critical Evidence That Disappears Fast — Act Now

Unlike passenger car accidents, truck accidents generate a wealth of electronic evidence — but that evidence is often overwritten, deleted, or destroyed within days or weeks unless someone takes legal action to preserve it. Critical evidence includes:

• ✓ Electronic Logging Device (ELD) data — records hours of service violations
• ✓ The truck's black box (ECM) — records speed, braking, and engine data in the moments before impact
• ✓ Dash cam and onboard camera footage — often overwritten within 72 hours
• ✓ Cell phone records — proving distracted driving
• ✓ Driver qualification files — training records, background checks, prior violations
• ✓ Drug and alcohol testing records
• ✓ Maintenance and inspection logs
• ✓ Cargo manifests and weight records

When you hire Patterson Law Group, we immediately send preservation letters (spoliation notices) to the trucking company and all relevant parties, legally obligating them to preserve this evidence. This is one of the most important actions we take in the early stages of a truck accident case.

Trucking Through Fort Worth & Tarrant County

Fort Worth sits at the center of one of the busiest commercial trucking regions in the country. The Alliance freight hub in far north Fort Worth — anchored by BNSF's intermodal yard and the Alliance Airport cargo facility — generates thousands of truck movements every day. Those trucks flow onto I-35W, US-287, and SH-114, and from there onto I-30, I-20, and Loop 820. The result is that nearly every major Fort Worth highway carries heavy commercial traffic during the work day.

Common crash patterns we see in Tarrant County:

• I-35W north corridor — trucks running between the Alliance hub and downtown, especially in construction zones
• I-20 east-west — the main long-haul truck route through south Fort Worth and Arlington
• I-30 / Loop 820 interchange — heavy mid-cities truck and commuter traffic mix
• SH-121 / SH-183 split near DFW Airport — one of the most dangerous interchanges in North Texas
• East Lancaster Avenue — heavy local commercial traffic on a surface street
• US-287 corridor — the Alliance-to-south freight route

Where Fort Worth Truck Cases Are Filed

Tarrant County truck accident lawsuits are filed in the Tarrant County District Courts at the Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building, 100 N. Calhoun Street, downtown Fort Worth. Trucking defendants frequently remove cases to federal court — the Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division — when they can. We litigate in both. We know the local judges, the defense firms that represent the major carriers, and how each court runs trucking dockets.

Frequently Asked Questions