Truck Accident Lawyer Plano, TX | Personal Injury Lawyer

The Basics

What Counts as a Truck Accident Case in Plano, TX

A truck accident case is an injury or wrongful death claim against the driver or owner of a commercial vehicle. A semi truck accident lawyer Plano TX families hire will look at any large truck used for business, whatever its size or cargo.

• Tractor-trailers and flatbeds on US-75 and the tollways
• Gravel haulers, dump trucks and concrete mixers along SH-121 and around Collin Creek
• Box trucks and delivery vans at office campuses near Legacy Drive
• Tankers, tow trucks, garbage trucks and City of Plano service vehicles

If the vehicle was working when it hit you, the claim is probably a commercial truck claim. Our page on commercial truck accident claims covers the categories, and a truck accident lawyer Plano commuters reach can confirm the fit. Not sure your crash qualifies? Ask us, or contact us.

Truck Crash vs. a Car Accident in Plano

A typical car accident in Plano involves two drivers and two personal auto policies. Many car accident claims settle with one adjuster. A truck claim differs in three ways.

• Weight. Federal rules allow a loaded tractor-trailer on the interstate system to weigh up to 80,000 pounds (23 CFR 658.17). A passenger car weighs a small fraction of that, so even a slow vehicle accident with a truck can cause serious injuries.
• Defendants. Texas law can hold a trucking company responsible for the truck driver it employs, and the insurance companies behind those carriers assign adjusters from day one.
• Data. Interstate carriers follow Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rules, and most trucks record speed, braking and driving hours electronically.

A Plano car accident attorney usually works one car accident claim against one insurer. Plano car accident lawyers do good work on two-car collisions. A car accident lawyer or car accident attorney may still not know where truck evidence is stored, and a truck accident lawyer Plano crash victims hire needs those records from the first day.

Who Investigates a Truck Accident in Plano and Where the Case Is Filed

The Plano Police Department investigates a crash inside Plano city limits. Plano has been its own city since 1873, with its own police, municipal code and city government. The investigating officer prepares a Texas Peace Officer Crash Report (Form CR-3) under Chapter 550 of the Texas Transportation Code.

City lines matter after an accident in Plano. A crash south of the Bush Turnpike may fall to Dallas or Richardson police, and one north of SH-121 may fall to Allen or Frisco. Crashes on the Dallas North Tollway, the Bush Turnpike and SH-121 may be worked by a different agency. A truck accident lawyer Plano cases need confirms the agency first, because a records request sent to the wrong department wastes weeks.

Truck routes and construction hours come from the City of Plano Code of Ordinances, and breaking one can support a negligence claim.

Collin County or Denton County?

Most of Plano sits in Collin County, whose district courts sit in McKinney. A small western portion lies in Denton County. Under Chapter 15 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, a lawsuit is usually filed where the crash happened or where a defendant lives or keeps its principal office. A truck accident lawyer Plano families hire should settle venue before filing.

City Vehicles and Notice Deadlines

If a City of Plano vehicle hit you, the claim falls under the Texas Tort Claims Act. Section 101.101 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code requires written notice within six months, and a city charter can set a shorter period. A truck accident lawyer Plano residents hire should send that notice early.

What to request and from whom:

• CR-3 crash report: Plano Police Department or the TxDOT Crash Report Online Purchase System
• 911 audio and body camera video: the responding agency, by public information request
• Carrier registration and USDOT number: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration public records

US-75, the Bush Turnpike and the Tollways: 18-Wheeler Corridors in Plano

TALDT handles 18-wheeler and commercial truck injury claims in and around Plano, Texas, including crashes on US-75, the President George Bush Turnpike, the Dallas North Tollway, SH-121 and Preston Road. As an 18 wheeler accident attorney Plano drivers can call, we start with road design, because it explains most crashes here.

The interchange has a record. In May 2020, an SUV leaving the Bush Turnpike service road went airborne onto US-75 and struck a gravel hauler pulling a trailer, and the hauler driver and one SUV occupant died, according to CBS Texas. In another crash reported by CBS Texas, a flatbed 18-wheeler carrying drainage pipe crashed just before the Bush Turnpike and spilled diesel across southbound US-75. A truck accident lawyer Plano commuters hire needs the ramp layout before talking about fault.

Common Causes of Truck Crashes Around Plano

The usual causes of car accidents, such as distraction and speed, apply to trucks too, but a truck adds weight, blind spots and a schedule. Common causes of truck accidents include:

• Fatigue from breaking federal hours-of-service limits
• Phone use in stop-and-go traffic
• Unsafe lane changes near the interchange ramps
• Unsecured flatbed and gravel loads, which the federal cargo securement rules in 49 CFR Part 393 are meant to prevent
• Lane shifts in work zones and skipped brake maintenance

When a truck driver causes an accident while working, the employer is usually part of the claim. More on freeway freight crashes is on our page about Dallas 18-wheeler accident claims.

Collin County Truck Accident Statistics

Texas Department of Transportation accident statistics show the scale. In 2024, TxDOT counted 694 crashes involving a commercial motor vehicle in Collin County, with 11 deaths and 29 suspected serious injuries. Denton County, which holds the western edge of Plano, recorded 905 such crashes, 8 deaths and 38 suspected serious injuries (TxDOT, Commercial Motor Vehicle Involved Crashes and Injuries by County, 2024). TxDOT does not publish a truck-only count for Plano in these tables, so a truck accident lawyer Plano readers can trust will not estimate one.

Plano-Area Truck Crash Data: Collin County, Denton County and Texas Statistics, 2024 and 2025

Every number below says where it came from. The figures come from the official crash records of the Texas Department of Transportation, compiled from Texas Peace Officer's Crash Reports (CR-3), and from federal crash data published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The "all vehicle types" rows count every reportable crash in the county. The CMV rows count commercial motor vehicle crashes only. TxDOT does not publish a separate commercial vehicle table for the City of Plano, so Collin County, which holds most of the city, and Denton County, which holds its western edge, are shown as the closest official commercial vehicle measures.

Three figures in that table matter to anyone hurt in Plano. Commercial vehicle crashes in Collin County held nearly level at 694 in 2024 and 684 in 2025, while deaths in those crashes fell from 11 to 7. In 2025, commercial vehicle crashes made up about 4.4% of all Collin County crashes but about 10.8% of its traffic deaths. In Denton County, commercial vehicle crashes rose from 905 to 948, about 5%, even as the statewide total fell by about 2%. A truck accident lawyer Plano drivers call uses these totals for context and still pulls the report for each crash.

These counts do not show who caused each crash. A truck being involved says nothing on its own about fault. That question gets answered in each case through evidence.

Figures are taken from published TxDOT and NHTSA data for the calendar years shown. TxDOT 2024 counts reflect CR-3 reports processed as of 9 April 2025, and 2025 counts reflect reports processed as of 7 April 2026. Percentages are our calculation from the published counts. Crash record totals are revised by the agencies over time, and no statistic describes the facts of any individual case or predicts the outcome of any claim.

Construction, Delivery and Commercial Vehicle Crashes in Plano

Work on US-75, bridge demolitions and redevelopment at Collin Creek and Legacy put dump trucks, mixers and flatbeds in narrowed lanes. As a commercial vehicle accident lawyer Plano drivers can reach, we see the same patterns often.

• A dump truck pulls out of a work zone into a travel lane
• A box truck double-parks outside an office campus and pulls out blind

Work-zone crashes raise questions an ordinary serious accident does not. Who hired the hauler? Who set up the lane closure? Was the traffic-control plan followed? A contractor can be liable for a dangerous setup, while claims against a government entity face limits under the Tort Claims Act. A truck accident lawyer Plano workers hire has to answer those questions before job records change hands.

Some trucks leave the scene. When that happens, a truck accident lawyer Plano drivers rely on turns to cameras and fleet records, as in our work on hit-and-run truck crashes.

What a Truck Accident Attorney Proves About Liability in Plano

A truck accident attorney proves that someone was negligent and that the negligence caused your injuries. In a freight case that often means more than one company, each with its own policy. A truck accident lawyer Plano families retain will review the accident and determine which parties below played a part.

• Truck driver: speeding, distraction, fatigue, unsafe lane changes
• Motor carrier: responsible for its employee driver under respondeat superior
• Broker: choosing an unsafe carrier
• Shipper or loader: securing flatbed and gravel loads
• General contractor or sub-hauler: work-zone trucks and schedules
• Owner or maintenance vendor: equipment condition and repairs

Our page on trucking company liability covers each party in detail.

Direct Negligence by the Trucking Company

A carrier can be liable for its own choices. Hiring a driver with a poor record, skipping training, ignoring hours limits and deferring maintenance are all examples. A truck accident lawyer Plano crash survivors hire requests those records in writing early.

When the Driver Is an Owner-Operator

Many drivers own their tractors and lease onto a motor carrier, which may then call the driver an independent contractor. That label does not end the case. We check whose USDOT number was on the door and who controlled the load. A truck accident lawyer Plano drivers trust should read the lease before accepting the label.

Texas Truck Insurance Minimums and What Happens When Coverage Is Thin

How much insurance stands behind a truck depends on the operator type, which a truck accident lawyer Plano residents hire checks before discussing value.

These are floors. A local dump operator hauling only inside Texas may carry far less. When coverage is thin, a truck accident lawyer Plano residents call looks at the broker, shipper and contractor policies, any umbrella policy, the truck owner and your own uninsured motorist and personal injury protection coverage. Find out which policies apply to your crash.

Statute of Limitations After a Truck Accident in Plano

The statute of limitations for most injury claims after a truck accident in Plano is two years from the crash under Section 16.003 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. A wrongful death claim generally has two years from the date of death.

• Minors. Section 16.001 usually pauses the deadline until the child turns 18.
• Government vehicles. Tort Claims Act notice can be due in six months or less.

Opening a claim in Plano with an insurer does not stop the clock. Only a decision to file a personal injury lawsuit in court does. A truck accident lawyer Plano clients hire tracks both dates from day one.

Statutes and federal regulations cited here were current at the time of writing, and application depends on the facts of each matter.