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Dallas Commercial Truck Injury Attorneys – U-Haul
The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex ranked first in U-Haul’s 2024 Growth Index. U-Haul ranks cities each year based on the number of U-Haul vehicles, trailers, and portable moving containers rented for one-way moves. In 2024, people using U-Haul services to move their households to the DFW area outnumbered those moving to any other single city.
With 192,000 trucks and over 138,000 trailers available for rent, U-Haul remains one of the county’s top sources of daily rental vehicles. U-Haul trucks can be seen on roads throughout Dallas.
Like any commercial truck crash, a crash involving a U-Haul truck can be a complex matter. An experienced Dallas U-Haul truck accident attorney can help. Speak to the team at Chandler Ross PLLC today to learn more.
Commercial Truck Injury Statistics in Dallas
As one of the top destinations for U-Haul moves and the home of over 30 U-Haul truck rental and drop-off locations, Dallas and its roads are full of U-Haul vehicles. While U-Haul-specific accident statistics are difficult to find, an overview of state and federal large truck crash statistics provides context for understanding U-Haul collisions.
In 2023, 4,354 people died in large truck crashes nationwide. Most of these deaths – about 65 percent – affected people in cars and other passenger vehicles. Seventeen percent were pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists, while 16 percent were truck drivers and passengers. Most crashes (51 percent) occurred on major roads, excluding interstate freeways.
In 2024, Dallas County recorded 29 deaths and 124 serious injuries in commercial truck crashes, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. TxDOT did not specify how many of these crashes involved daily rental trucks.
How do Accidents in U-Haul Trucks Happen?
U-Haul trucks face several risks on the road that are unique to daily rental vehicles. Drivers find themselves in unfamiliar vehicles, often visiting unfamiliar areas. Issues with truck maintenance, cargo securement, and the behavior of other drivers on the road may all cause or contribute to a crash.
Unfamiliar Vehicles and Areas
“Most people aren’t familiar with driving a moving truck until the day they have to move,” notes U-Haul on its corporate website. The company provides tips for drivers who have to learn how to drive a large moving vehicle in an unfamiliar environment – even polling Dallas residents for tips on how to complete a move to Dallas successfully.
Every new vehicle comes with a learning curve. Drivers still in this learning curve may lack the comfort and familiarity required to respond optimally in a sudden emergency situation.
A study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) found that in 56 percent of all daily rental truck crashes, the “critical reason” for the collision stemmed from another vehicle, a driver, or the road environment – not the driver of the U-Haul vehicle. Nonetheless, a lack of familiarity with the U-Haul rental vehicle or the area can prevent a driver from making a nuanced response in an emergency that can prevent a crash.
Cargo Problems
Loading all your possessions into a moving van can be a nerve-wracking experience. When cargo shifts or moves during transport, it can cause even bigger problems – like a sudden change in a U-Haul vehicle’s weight or balance, which may trigger an accident.
U-Haul provides advice on how to load its moving trucks. While this advice can help improve cargo safety, it cannot guarantee that items won’t shift in transit – especially during an emergency maneuver, such as swerving to avoid a road obstacle.
Truck Maintenance
In one FMCSA study, researchers examined how many daily rental trucks received federal inspections in one seven-year period – and how many were placed “out of service” until a dangerous defect could be repaired. With an out-of-service rate of 8.7 percent, U-Haul had the second-highest rate of out-of-service vehicles among the five companies studied.
Truck maintenance and timely repairs are a must to keep vehicles safe on the road. Those who rent U-Haul vehicles don’t have experience with the vehicle’s service record. They rely on U-Haul to perform the maintenance and repairs their rental trucks need.
When U-Haul or its maintenance teams fail to meet this responsibility, serious injuries can result. A critical part or the system may fail while the truck is on the road. The driver may not know there’s a problem until it’s too late.
Other Common Causes of Truck Crashes in Dallas
U-Haul vehicles never take to Dallas’s streets alone. They’re constantly surrounded by additional traffic. Failure by other drivers to use reasonable care can trigger a crash with a U-Haul or other vehicle.
In 2023, TxDOT recorded the following common contributing factors to fatal and serious injury crashes:
- Unsafe lane changes
- Running stop signs and lights
- Distracted driving
- Drunk or intoxicated driving
- Speeding
- Weaving or cutting across multiple lanes
- Failing to yield the right of way at intersections and crosswalks
Drivers who fail to use reasonable care can cause a crash with a U-Haul or other vehicle. U-Haul drivers may be unable to avoid the collision, even if they’re driving with care.
Injuries to U-Haul Workers
Working for U-Haul can be rewarding, but it can also come with risks. U-Haul employees may be injured while moving vehicles, handling tasks in the truck or storage yard, or performing maintenance or repairs.
In Texas, injured employees can seek help via workers’ compensation insurance. Workers’ compensation covers medical bills, supplements lost wages, and may provide other benefits for employees with serious injuries.
A worker injured by a third party may have a claim against that party as well as access to workers’ compensation benefits. For instance, a U-Haul worker struck by a driver who has just rented a vehicle may have a claim against that driver. Talk to an experienced Dallas workers’ compensation lawyer for help navigating benefits and claims.
Challenges in Winning Compensation After a U-Haul Truck Injury
Navigating a U-Haul truck injury can be tough. Unlike a regular car accident, every U-Haul crash involves at least three parties: those involved in the collision and U-Haul itself. Meeting deadlines, demonstrating fault, dealing with insurance, and getting full, fair compensation can all pose challenges – especially when you’re already dealing with serious injuries.
Time Limits
After a U-Haul truck crash, you have a limited time to file insurance and other claims to protect your right to compensation. Insurance company deadlines vary, but some are as short as a few months.
Texas courts set a two-year deadline to file a claim after a serious injury occurs. If your case isn’t filed in court in this time, the court will refuse to hear it. An attorney can help you ensure you meet these vital deadlines.
Proving Fault
Most U-Haul truck crash claims focus on negligence. To win compensation, an injured person has to show that:
- The party that caused the injury had a duty to use reasonable care to prevent harm.
- The other party failed to meet their duty (or “breached” their duty).
- That failure was both the actual and foreseeable cause of your injuries.
- Your injuries resulted in actual damages, which can be compensated.
Proving fault can be challenging. It’s common for the other party to argue that you were partly or totally responsible for your own injuries, for example. An attorney with experience protecting the rights of injured people can push back against these arguments, building a case for the compensation you deserve.
Navigating Insurance Claims
In a U-Haul collision, multiple insurance policies may be applicable. U-Haul typically has insurance for accidents that occur in its vehicles. Those who rent a U-Haul can pay for multiple types and levels of additional coverage. Drivers involved in a crash may also have their own auto insurance policies.
It’s easy to think that more insurance means more coverage. In practice, however, more insurance often means more delays, denials, and arguments. Each insurer tries to make another insurer responsible for paying the bills, leaving you without the compensation you need.
Hiring an experienced Dallas rental truck accident lawyer levels the playing field. Your attorney anticipates and confronts attempts to delay or deny your claim – streamlining the process, negotiating when needed, and working toward a full and fair settlement for you.
Compensation
A U-Haul crash can result in various types of losses. Common losses compensated in an injury claim include medical bills, lost wages, damaged property, physical pain and suffering, and mental and emotional anguish.
The value of your case depends on the specific losses you have suffered. An attorney can help you calculate what your case is worth – and fight for a settlement or court judgment that reflects the full extent of your losses.
How an Experienced Dallas Commercial Truck Injury Attorney Can Help After a U-Haul Accident
Whether you rented a U-Haul truck or were injured by one, you may be struggling. Large truck injuries can be catastrophic.
You don’t have to deal with the situation alone. Speak to a knowledgeable Dallas U-Haul truck accident attorney today. The team at Chandler Ross PLLC has experience helping clients secure full, fair compensation after large truck accidents. To learn more, contact us today to schedule a free, confidential case evaluation with one of our dedicated and compassionate attorneys.
