Truck Accident Lawyer Carrollton TX | Free Consultation

The Basics

What Counts as a Truck Accident Case in Carrollton 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 Carrollton TX families hire looks at any vehicle used for business, whatever its size.

• Tractor-trailers and tankers on I-35E and the tollways
• Box trucks and refrigerated trucks leaving warehouses on Valwood Parkway, Belt Line Road and Sandy Lake Road
• Delivery vans serving Downtown Carrollton and the shops along Old Denton Road
• Garbage trucks, tow trucks and City of Carrollton service vehicles

If the vehicle was working when it hit you, a truck accident lawyer Carrollton families call will treat it as a commercial truck claim. Our page on commercial truck accident claims covers each category. Not sure your crash qualifies? Ask us.

Truck Crash vs. a Standard Car Accident in Carrollton

A car accident in Carrollton between two drivers usually involves two personal auto policies. A truck claim differs in three ways.

• Weight. Federal law allows a loaded tractor-trailer on the interstate to weigh up to 80,000 pounds under 23 CFR 658.17. Even a slow vehicle accident with a truck can cause serious injuries.
• Defendants. Trucking companies can be responsible for the truck driver they employ, and their insurers assign adjusters on day one.
• Rules and data. Interstate carriers follow Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rules, and most trucks record speed, braking and driving hours.

A car accident lawyer who mostly handles standard car accident claims may not know where truck records are kept. A truck accident lawyer Carrollton crash victims hire should know that on the first call. An auto accident with a truck is a different kind of case.

Who Investigates a Carrollton Truck Crash and Which County Hears the Case

The Carrollton Police Department investigates crashes inside Carrollton city limits. The officer prepares a Texas Peace Officer Crash Report (Form CR-3) under Chapter 550 of the Texas Transportation Code. On I-35E and the tollways, the agency may be Carrollton Police or the Texas Department of Public Safety.

A truck accident lawyer Carrollton families hire confirms the agency first, because a request sent to the wrong office wastes weeks. The North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) operates the Bush Turnpike and the Sam Rayburn Tollway.

Dallas, Denton or Collin County?

Most of Carrollton sits in Dallas County and Denton County, with a small piece in Collin County. Under Section 15.002 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, a lawsuit can generally be filed in the county where all or a substantial part of the events happened. A crash near Trinity Mills Road may belong in a Denton County court and one near Belt Line Road in Dallas County, so a truck accident lawyer Carrollton residents retain checks the CR-3 county field before filing.

City Vehicles and Notice Deadlines

If a City of Carrollton vehicle hit you, the Texas Tort Claims Act applies. 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.

What to request and from whom:

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

I-35E, the Bush Turnpike and Belt Line: Where 18-Wheeler Crashes Happen in Carrollton

TALDT handles 18-wheeler and commercial vehicle injury claims in and around Carrollton, Texas, including crashes on I-35E, the President George Bush Turnpike, the Sam Rayburn Tollway and Belt Line Road. As an 18 wheeler accident attorney Carrollton drivers can call, we start with road design, because it explains many accidents in Carrollton.

Many Carrollton truck accidents start where the freeway meets the tollway. A truck accident lawyer Carrollton commuters hire needs the ramp layout before anyone talks about fault. More on freeway freight crashes is on our page about Dallas 18-wheeler accident claims.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents on Carrollton Roads

The common causes of truck accidents we see here follow national patterns shaped by local roads:

• Fatigue from breaking federal hours-of-service limits under 49 CFR Part 395
• Phone use and distraction in stop-and-go traffic
• Speeding into the interchange and unsafe lane changes
• Following too closely in breach of Texas traffic laws on safe distance
• Backing out of docks without a spotter
• Unsecured loads, brake failures and tire blowouts

Some causes of truck accidents point past the driver. A defective part can make the truck manufacturer responsible, so a truck accident lawyer Carrollton residents hire has the truck inspected before repairs.

Carrollton Truck Accidents by the Numbers

The Texas Department of Transportation publishes commercial vehicle crash counts by county, and Carrollton straddles three.

Source: Texas Department of Transportation, Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Involved Crashes and Injuries by County, 2024. Statewide, TxDOT counted 39,393 crashes involving a commercial motor vehicle in 2024, with 608 deaths. TxDOT does not publish a truck-only count for Carrollton in these tables, so a truck accident lawyer Carrollton readers trust should not estimate one.

Carrollton Truck Crash Data: Dallas, Denton, Collin 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 Crash Reports (CR-3), and from federal crash data published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

They describe commercial motor vehicle crashes county wide and statewide. TxDOT does not publish a separate commercial vehicle table for the City of Carrollton. Carrollton lies in Dallas, Denton and Collin counties, so those three counties are the closest official measure.

Two figures in that table matter to anyone hurt in Carrollton. Deaths in Dallas County commercial vehicle crashes rose from 29 to 37 between 2024 and 2025 even though the number of crashes fell slightly, and suspected serious injuries rose from 124 to 130. Denton County commercial vehicle crashes rose from 905 to 948 over the same two years.

Texas also recorded 720 deaths in large truck crashes in the federal 2024 count, the highest of any state. That is the volume of commercial claims the carriers and insurers on the other side of your file handle every year. Street-level counts for I-35E, the Bush Turnpike, the Sam Rayburn Tollway and Belt Line Road can be pulled from the TxDOT Crash Records Information System (CRIS) for the exact segment where your crash happened. Ask us to pull the crash history for your road.

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. 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.

Warehouse, Distribution and Delivery Truck Crashes in Carrollton

Industrial parks along Valwood Parkway, Belt Line Road and Sandy Lake Road move trailers, box trucks and yard trucks on and off public roads all day. As a commercial vehicle accident lawyer Carrollton workers and drivers can reach, we see the same patterns.

• A tractor-trailer backs out of a dock driveway across a travel lane
• A yard truck crosses a public street between lots
• A delivery van double-parks near Downtown Carrollton and pulls out blind

These crashes raise new questions. Who controlled the dock? Who loaded the trailer? A truck accident lawyer Carrollton warehouse workers hire answers those questions before records change hands.

What a Truck Accident Attorney Proves About Liability in Carrollton

A truck accident attorney proves that someone was negligent and that the negligence caused your injuries. In a freight case, that often means several companies, each with its own policy. A truck accident attorney can help by naming every party below.

Negligence is proved with records. The truck driver's logbook, the carrier hiring file and the load paperwork often show what went wrong. When the truck driver was at fault, the carrier usually answers for it too. Our page on trucking company liability covers each party. A truck accident lawyer Carrollton clients hire requests these records in writing early.

Direct Negligence by the Company

A carrier can be liable for its own choices: hiring a driver with a poor record, skipping training, ignoring hours limits or putting off maintenance. A truck accident lawyer Carrollton residents retain asks for the hiring file first.

Tanker and Hazmat Crashes

Tankers and hazmat loads carry higher federal insurance minimums and shipping papers that name the shipper. After a fire like the June 2026 I-35E crash, a truck accident lawyer Carrollton families hire also looks at cleanup and spill records.

When the Driver Is an Owner-Operator

Many drivers own their tractors and lease onto a motor carrier, which may call the driver an independent contractor. That label does not end the case. A truck accident lawyer Carrollton drivers rely on checks whose USDOT number was on the door and who controlled the load.

Injured in a Truck Accident While Working

If you were injured in a truck accident while on the job, workers' compensation does not stop a claim against the trucking company. Under Section 408.001 of the Texas Labor Code, comp benefits are usually the only remedy against a subscribing employer. Section 417.001 preserves claims against third parties such as the truck company and its driver.

• If your employer carries comp, you can collect benefits and bring an injury lawsuit against the truck company.
• If your employer is a non-subscriber, Section 406.033 of the Texas Labor Code limits the defenses it can raise if you sue.

A truck accident lawyer Carrollton delivery drivers hire should coordinate both claims.

What Insurance Companies Owe After a Carrollton Truck Crash

How much insurance stands behind a truck depends on the operator. Insurance companies pay only up to their limits, so a truck accident lawyer Carrollton residents call identifies every policy before anyone talks about value.

These are floors, and many carriers buy more. When coverage is thin, other sources may apply: the broker or shipper policy, an umbrella policy, the truck owner, and your own uninsured motorist and personal injury protection coverage.

Statute of Limitations After a Truck Accident in Carrollton

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

Texas law allows you to file an insurance claim at any time, but that does not stop the clock. Only a lawsuit filed in court does. Two years after the accident to file is the outer limit, and evidence fades long before that. A truck accident lawyer Carrollton 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.