Board Certified Fort Worth Truck Accident Lawyers
A wreck with an 18-wheeler is not a bigger car accident. It is a different kind of case entirely, and it deserves a Fort Worth truck accident lawyer who is board certified in exactly this work. Steve Laird and Seth McCloskey both are. Consultations are free.
How Our Fort Worth Truck Accident Lawyers Can Help
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a collision with a commercial truck, you are probably dealing with serious injuries, mounting medical bills, and an insurance company that started working against you before you left the hospital. Trucking companies often instruct their drivers to call dispatch rather than 911 after a crash, which means their legal team can begin building a defense within hours, sometimes while you are still at the scene.
That head start is exactly why the lawyer you choose matters. Many firms treat truck wrecks like car accidents, but nothing could be further from accurate. Commercial trucking is governed by hundreds of pages of federal safety regulations, commercial driver handbooks, and industry standards that most lawyers have never read. We have built our practice on them.
For over 35 years, our law firm has represented accident victims in serious truck accidents across Fort Worth and Texas. We handle every type of truck collision, including tractor-trailer jackknifes, 18-wheeler accidents, big rig rollovers, semi-truck underride crashes, commercial truck wrecks, and delivery truck collisions. In each case we work to secure the full financial recovery our clients are owed, and we push trucking companies to make operational changes so the roads are safer for everyone.
Why Truck Accident Cases Are Different Under Texas Law
Truck accidents produce some of the hardest injury cases to litigate, and the reasons are structural rather than accidental.
Truckers and their employers carry layers of protection that ordinary drivers do not. Rapid-response investigators, preferred defense counsel, and dispatch protocols all exist to limit what the company pays. A Fort Worth truck accident attorney who knows these systems can counter them, preserving driver logs, electronic control module data, maintenance records, and hours-of-service documentation before they disappear.
Federal law adds another layer. Commercial carriers and their drivers must follow the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations covering everything from rest periods to drug testing to cargo securement. A violation of those rules is often the strongest evidence in a truck accident case, but only if your lawyer knows where to look for it. Those same rules explain many of the common causes of truck accidents, from driver fatigue and skipped rest periods to poor maintenance, improperly loaded cargo, and inexperienced drivers behind the wheel of a large commercial truck.
Responsibility is rarely limited to the driver. The trucking company, a maintenance contractor, a cargo loader, or a parts manufacturer may each share blame, and Texas law weighs the fault of every party involved. Under the state’s proportionate responsibility rules, you can recover compensation as long as you are not more than 50 percent at fault, though your recovery is reduced by your share of the blame. Identifying every negligent party, and proving their percentages, is where a board certified truck accident attorney Fort Worth clients can sit across from makes a measurable difference.
Time matters too. Texas generally gives you two years from the date of a crash to file suit, and in a fatal crash the clock for a wrongful death claim runs from the date of death. Evidence in trucking cases degrades much faster than that, so the sooner an investigation starts, the stronger your case will be.
We Investigate Exhaustively
We take the time to investigate each truck accident exhaustively. Instead of working a little on a large number of cases, we take on a small number of cases and work them wholly and thoroughly. That choice is deliberate. It is also why our opponents usually understand that we are prepared to go to trial, which often strengthens our position when we negotiate on your behalf.
Here is a small sample of what we have uncovered while investigating truck accidents for our clients:
- A trucking company failed to conduct the required background check on its driver.
- A truck driver entered false information in his logbook to skip mandatory rest periods.
- A driver provided false or misleading information to obtain his medical clearance.
- A driver operated without a valid commercial driver’s license, or lied to obtain a fraudulent one.
We obtained verdicts or other monetary awards for our clients in each of these cases. Whether a truck accident claim resolves in arbitration, mediation, or before a judge or jury, we know what evidence to gather and how to present it as we pursue the compensation you deserve.
Why Work With Laird & McCloskey
Board certification is the clearest line between a firm that advertises truck cases and a firm that has proven itself in them. Each partner is board certified in Personal Injury Trial Law through the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and in Truck Accident Law through the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Steve Laird is additionally board certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. That is six board certifications between two attorneys, and it makes them 2 of only 12 board certified trucking lawyers in Texas.
The trial experience behind those credentials is just as unusual. in an era when many lawyers try fewer than five in an entire career. Together they bring more than 60 years of combined experience to every truck accident case, along with recognition from Super Lawyers and membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates, an invitation-only organization.
They also do the unglamorous work of understanding trucks themselves. Both attorneys attended the hands-on Legacy Trucking Course for Legal Professionals to gain a first-hand understanding of what it is like to drive a commercial vehicle, the kind of perspective that matters when cross-examining a truck driver about what he saw and when.
Serving Fort Worth, Tarrant County, and North Texas
The Law Offices of Laird & McCloskey is at 1119 Pennsylvania Ave. in Fort Worth, minutes from the Tarrant County civil district courts in the Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building at 100 N. Calhoun St., where most Fort Worth truck accident lawsuits are heard. We represent people injured on the freight corridors that carry commercial trucks through this region every day, including I-35W, I-30, I-20, and U.S. 287, and we serve clients throughout Tarrant County and surrounding communities such as Arlington, Weatherford, and Denton.
Serious truck accidents are not confined to one city, and neither is our practice. As DFW truck accident attorneys, we handle cases across the Metroplex, and through our Texas commercial truck accident practice we represent clients statewide.
Fort Worth Truck Accident FAQs
How much are most truck accident settlements?
There is no standard number, and any truck accident lawyer Fort Worth families interview should tell you that honestly. The value of a truck accident case depends on the severity of your injuries, your medical costs, lost income, the insurance coverage available, and how clearly fault can be proven. Commercial policies are typically far larger than personal auto policies, which is one reason these cases are fought so hard. We can give you a realistic assessment of your specific case in a free consultation.
Can I afford a truck accident lawyer?
Yes. We work on a contingency fee basis with no fee unless we win. You can schedule a free consultation 24/7, and you pay nothing out of pocket to hire us or to fund the investigation of your case.
Is it worth getting a lawyer after a truck accident in Texas?
In a commercial truck case, almost always. The trucking company’s insurer and defense team begin working immediately, and the evidence that decides these cases, such as driver logs, electronic data, and maintenance records, can be lost or overwritten within weeks. This evidence is specialized, and a personal injury attorney who rarely handles trucking cases may not know to request all of it. An experienced Fort Worth truck accident lawyer can preserve that evidence and deal with the insurer so you can focus on recovering.
How long do I have to file a truck accident claim in Texas?
Generally two years from the date of the crash, and two years from the date of death in a fatal-crash wrongful death claim. Some situations shorten or extend that window, so do not wait to get specific advice about your own deadline.
What should I do if the trucking company’s insurance adjuster contacts me?
Be polite, take their information, and say nothing about fault or your injuries until you have spoken with a lawyer. Adjusters and defense lawyers often use manipulative or aggressive tactics to minimize your claim, and a recorded statement given early can follow you through the whole case. We have written about what you should know before speaking to an insurance adjuster.
What types of truck accidents do you handle?
All of them. Our caseload has included tractor-trailer jackknifes, 18-wheeler rear-end and head-on collisions, rollovers, underride crashes, wide-turn and blind-spot accidents, and wrecks caused by equipment failure, improper loading, or any other commercial motor vehicle accident scenario. If a commercial truck hurt you, we can evaluate the case.
Where will my truck accident case be heard?
Most cases arising from Fort Worth area crashes are filed in the Tarrant County civil district courts in downtown Fort Worth, though venue can change depending on where the crash happened and where the defendants are based. We regularly try cases in Tarrant County and across Texas.
Related Practice Areas
- Texas Commercial Truck Accident Attorneys
- Wrongful Death Lawyers
- Car Wrecks
- Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist Claims
COMMERCIAL TRUCK ACCIDENTS – RESOURCES
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
This website contains information about commercial truck safety programs, trucking industry regulations, regulation enforcement, adjudication decisions, and civil penalties. The site also contains facts related to the prevention of commercial motor vehicle-related injuries and fatalities.
American Trucking Associations
This site includes information and research to help you if you are injured in a collision with a commercial truck. The site provides information on the trucking industry, best practices for commercial truck highway and driver safety, and reports on current trends.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety / Highway Loss Data Institute
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is an independent, nonprofit scientific and educational organization dedicated to reducing the losses – deaths, injuries, and property damage – from motor vehicle crashes.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
This site provides information about crash statistics and articles about traffic accidents and vehicle safety.
National Safety Council (NSC): Driver Safety
This site features articles on commercial trucking industry safety and training, car maintenance safety, airbag, and seat belt safety, and more.
Share The Road Safely – The No-Zone
This site includes information about truck blind spots and truck blind spot accident prevention.
U.S. Department of Transportation
This site features statistics, dockets, rules, and references regarding automobiles, commercial trucks, buses, and public transit.
Insurance Information Institute
This site includes information on vehicle safety, insurance, and more.