Truck accident
Truck Accident Attorneys in Plano, Texas
The firms in this guide
1. The Law Office of Edward W. Sampson
Practice Focus: Truck accidents, 18-wheeler accidents, semi-truck collisions, commercial vehicle accidents, personal injury, wrongful death, catastrophic injuries
Case Types Handled: Driver fatigue accidents, distracted driving accidents, speeding accidents, impaired driving accidents, brake failure accidents, tire blowout accidents, overloaded truck accidents, improper cargo loading accidents, mechanical failure accidents, I-75 corridor accidents, US-75 accidents, Dallas North Tollway accidents
Legal Services: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations investigation, hours of service violation investigation, driver qualification investigation, commercial motor vehicle regulations review, trucking company negligence claims, driver negligence claims, insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, wrongful death claims
Background: The Law Office of Edward W. Sampson focuses exclusively on personal injury law. Edward W. Sampson is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a distinction held by fewer than 5% of Texas lawyers. The firm has handled numerous truck accident cases involving violations of federal regulations and has experience obtaining compensation for catastrophic injuries and wrongful death. The firm serves clients throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area, including Plano and Collin County.
Location: Plano, TX (serves Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area)
Contact: (214) 220-8863 | https://www.edsampsonlaw.com
Consultation: Free consultation available
2. Burress Injury Law
Practice Focus: 18-wheeler accidents, semi-truck accidents, commercial truck accidents, catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death from truck accidents
Case Types Handled: Tractor-trailer accidents, commercial truck collisions, driver fatigue accidents, trucking company negligence accidents, improper maintenance accidents, cargo spill accidents, rollover accidents, jackknife accidents, I-75 corridor accidents, US-75 accidents
Legal Services: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations investigation, trucking company negligence claims, driver negligence claims, driver hiring and training investigation, fleet maintenance investigation, life care plan development for catastrophic injuries, insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations
Background: Jason Burress is a Plano 18-wheeler accident attorney who previously served as counsel for some of the largest insurance firms in the world, providing invaluable perspective on both sides of truck accident cases. The firm has secured multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for truck accident clients. Burress was recognized with the Verdict Search 7th largest motor vehicle accident verdict for 2015. He has been named a Thomson Reuters Super Lawyer for three consecutive years (fewer than 5% of Texas lawyers over 40 receive this honor) and a Texas Rising Star for four years (fewer than 2.5% of Texas lawyers under 40 receive this honor). The firm has offices in McKinney, Frisco, Paris, and Sherman, serving Plano and Collin County.
Location: McKinney, TX (serves Plano and Collin County)
Contact: https://www.mytexasfirm.com
Consultation: Consultation available
3. Hilliard Law
Practice Focus: Truck accidents, 18-wheeler accidents, tractor-trailer accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, personal injury, wrongful death, catastrophic injuries
Case Types Handled: Semi-truck collisions, commercial truck accidents, driver fatigue accidents, distracted driving accidents, mechanical defect accidents, improper maintenance accidents, cargo securement violations, hours of service violations, I-75 accidents, US-75 accidents, Dallas North Tollway accidents
Legal Services: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations investigation, trucking company negligence claims, driver negligence claims, truck maintenance and inspection investigation, mechanical defect investigation, hours logged behind the wheel review, insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, wrongful death claims
Background: Hilliard Law has been representing personal injury clients since 1985. The firm has a national reputation for truck accident litigation and has handled countless truck accident claims. In 2019, Hilliard Law attorneys won a $1.375 million jury verdict for a man who sustained serious injuries in an automobile accident, recognized as a 2019 Top 100 Verdict. The firm is well-versed in Plano trucking laws and regulations, including required maintenance, inspections, mechanical defects, and hours of service requirements. The firm works on a contingency fee basis.
Location: Plano, TX (also serves Corpus Christi and throughout Texas)
Contact: (361) 882-1612 | https://www.hilliard-law.com
Consultation: Free case review, contingency fee arrangement (no fee unless case is won)
4. Patterson Law Group
Practice Focus: Truck accidents, big truck accidents, semi-truck accidents, 18-wheeler accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, personal injury, wrongful death
Case Types Handled: Rolling accidents, underride accidents, equipment failure crashes, brake failure accidents, tire blowout accidents, driver fatigue accidents, distracted driving accidents, I-75 corridor accidents, US-75 accidents
Legal Services: Truck accident investigation, trucking company negligence claims, driver negligence claims, evidence gathering, insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations
Background: Patterson Law Group has personal injury lawyers with decades of experience helping victims of truck accidents and other crashes recover. The firm serves Plano and the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. The attorneys work to gather evidence and engage in negotiations to help clients obtain fair compensation. The firm handles internal injury documentation and complex truck accident claims. The firm works on a contingency fee basis.
Location: Serves Plano, TX
Contact: (817) 784-2000 | https://pattersonpersonalinjury.com
Consultation: Free, no obligation consultation
5. Merritt & Merritt Law Firm
Practice Focus: Truck accidents, 18-wheeler accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, tractor-trailer accidents, personal injury, wrongful death
Case Types Handled: Semi-truck collisions, commercial truck accidents, driver fatigue accidents, distracted driving accidents, mechanical failure accidents, trucking company negligence accidents, I-75 corridor accidents, US-75 accidents, Dallas-area highway accidents
Legal Services: Truck accident investigation, trucking company liability investigation, driver negligence claims, insurance company negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations
Background: Merritt & Merritt Law Firm has more than 45 years of experience in personal injury law. The firm represents truck accident victims throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, including Plano, Denton County, and Collin County. The attorneys work with clients from initial consultation through trial, handling all aspects of truck accident claims including communication with insurance companies and protection of client rights in court.
Location: Serves Plano, TX (offices in Denton and Collin Counties)
Contact: 1-800-738-WE-WIN (1-800-738-93946) | https://www.merrittandmerritt.com
Consultation: Free consultation available
Weekly Hours, Accident Records and City Claims in Plano Truck Crash Cases
A Plano truck crash claim can look back over the driver’s past week of hours and the carrier’s accident and inspection records. If a city truck or city road condition was involved, Texas sets separate liability rules, caps and a notice requirement, and any earlier settlement reduces what remains recoverable.
Weekly Hours
Under 49 CFR 395.3(b), a property-carrying driver may not drive after 60 hours on duty in 7 consecutive days if the carrier does not operate every day, or after 70 hours in 8 consecutive days if it does; 395.3(c) allows a restart after 34 or more consecutive hours off duty.
Accident Records and Inspection
Under 49 CFR 390.5, an accident is a commercial motor vehicle occurrence resulting in a fatality, an injury treated immediately away from the scene, or disabling damage requiring a tow, and under 390.15(b) the carrier keeps an accident register for 3 years. Under 396.17, each commercial motor vehicle, including each unit of a combination, must have passed a periodic inspection within the preceding 12 months.
A City Truck or City Road
Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 101.021, a governmental unit is liable for injury from an employee’s operation or use of a motor-driven vehicle when the employee would be personally liable, and for injury caused by a condition or use of tangible personal or real property. Under 101.023(c), a municipality’s liability is limited to $250,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence for bodily injury or death, and under 101.101 notice is due within six months unless a ratified charter period or actual notice applies. A city truck answering an emergency call is treated differently: under 101.055(2), the chapter does not apply if the action complied with the laws for emergency action or, absent such a law, was not taken with conscious indifference or reckless disregard for others’ safety.
Settlements and Shares
Under Section 33.012(a) and (b), the court reduces the claimant’s damages by the claimant’s own percentage of responsibility and then by the sum of the dollar amounts of all settlements with other persons.
Plano Truck Accident Questions
Can I recover if I was partly at fault?
Yes, unless your percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent under Section 33.001. For example, imagine $200,000 in damages and 30 percent of the responsibility on the injured driver: the recovery would be $140,000, before any settlement credit.
How long do I have to sue the carrier?
Two years after the day the cause of action accrues under Section 16.003(a) for personal injury, and two years after the death under 16.003(b) for wrongful death.
Can my own policy pay my medical bills?
Yes, if it carries personal injury protection. Under Texas Insurance Code 1952.152, an automobile liability policy includes it unless any named insured rejects it in writing, and under 1952.156 benefits are paid no later than the 30th day after the insurer receives satisfactory proof of a claim.