Plano Truck Accident Lawyer

After a Crash, Reach Out to an Experienced Plano Truck Accident Lawyer

Plano is Collin County’s largest city and a bustling place to live. Plano’s population exceeded 285,000 people in the 2020 census, making it Texas’s ninth-largest city and one of the top 75 largest cities in the United States. 

Plano’s close connections to Hebron, Frisco, Allen, Parker, and other areas in the Dallas–Forth Worth metroplex make it a thriving place to live, work, and do business. All this activity also increases truck traffic. 

Truck crashes can cause devastating injuries. If you or someone you love has been injured or killed in a truck wreck, speak to an experienced Plano truck accident attorney today. The team at Chandler Ross PLLC can help. 

Truck Accident Statistics

In 2024, 4,150 people died in Texas motor vehicle accidents. Another 18,218 people suffered serious injuries. 

2024 saw over 39,000 collisions in Texas that involved at least one commercial motor vehicle, such as a truck or bus. These crashes claimed 608 lives and caused over 1,600 serious injuries. Mild or moderate injuries were reported in over 13,000 large truck collisions. 

Collin County recorded nine fatal large truck crashes in 2024, causing 11 total deaths. Another 29 people experienced serious injuries in Collin County truck crashes, and nearly 200 more suffered mild or moderate injuries. 

Nationwide, about 5,375 fatal large truck crashes occurred in 2023. Between 2013 and 2023, large truck crash deaths in the US increased 22 percent – indicating that more must be done to prevent these collisions, injuries, and fatalities. 

Where Do Plano Truck Crashes Occur? 

Truck crashes may involve any type of truck, from box trucks used for local deliveries to fully-loaded eighteen-wheeler tractor-trailers. Many types and styles of trucks frequent Plano roads, carrying freight from Texas’s railways, airports, and waterways. 

Within Plano, several roads stand out as arteries for commercial truck traffic – and common sites of truck crashes. These roads include:

• Highway 121 (TX-121), which serves as Plano’s northern boundary and connects the city to McKinney, Lewisville, and The Colony;
• US-75, which passes through Plano to route trucks and other traffic from Dallas, Texas to points as far north as the US-Canada border in Minnesota; 
• Highway 289 (TX-289), serving Plano’s west side along with County Road 13 (CR-13). 

As major roads and freeways passing through Plano, these roads are common sites for truck crashes. Yet a truck wreck can occur on smaller roads and side streets as well. Roads unsuited for tractor-trailer freight may still admit smaller commercial trucks, whose size relative to passenger vehicles can cause devastation. 

Common Causes of Truck Crashes

Identifying the cause of a truck crash can be challenging. Large trucks contain many complex parts. A commercial truck’s operation may be overseen by several different people and companies. Any of these parties may fail to use the reasonable care needed to prevent harm – causing serious injuries as a result.

Driver Error

A truck’s driver is essential to the safe operation of the truck. Without a trained, alert driver behind the wheel, a truck trip can turn deadly. 

Common causes of truck driver error include:

• Intoxication with drugs or alcohol, 
• Drowsiness or sleepiness, especially when drivers work beyond their limits or don’t get adequate rest, 
• Distraction, which can result from checking maps or GPS, answering phone calls, or doing other tasks,
• Failing to watch the road or follow road rules. 

A driver’s mistake can cause serious injuries. Investigation of any truck crash must include checking on the driver’s behavior leading up to the incident.

Trucking Company Error

Drivers are essential to safe trucking, but drivers don’t work alone. Many work for trucking companies. These companies must follow federal and state law to ensure their drivers have the training and support needed for safe driving. 

A trucking company may be responsible for a collision in several ways, including:

• Failing to screen, train, or supervise drivers appropriately. 
• Pushing drivers to violate Hours of Service (HOS) or other rules, increasing the chances drivers will drive while fatigued, speed, or take other risks that can cause a crash, 
• Neglecting truck maintenance and other key safety tasks. 

Determining whether a trucking company’s actions or omissions contributed to a crash can be tough. An experienced attorney can help you figure out what happened.

Mechanical Negligence

Trucks are complex machines. A tractor-trailer’s complex parts include the truck, its trailer, and the connections between the two components. All the parts of these items must be manufactured, designed, maintained, repaired, and replaced with due care, or a crash may occur. 

Mechanical negligence may be at fault for a crash in several cases, such as:

• A hidden defect in the manufacture or design of a truck part or piece of equipment causes a failure, triggering a crash.
• Maintenance teams neglect the truck’s upkeep or perform tasks without due care, causing issues. 
• Repairs are ignored or neglected, leading to problems that cause a crash. 

Mechanical issues can be particularly dangerous on the road. The driver may not know a problem exists until it’s too late to avoid a wreck. 

Cargo Mistakes

Many truck drivers handle “no-touch” cargo. These drivers never interact with the truck’s load. Rather, the truck is loaded and unloaded by cargo teams. When these teams fail to use reasonable care in their work, serious injuries can result. 

Examples of cargo issues that can cause a wreck include:

• Improperly loaded cargo may shift or fall during transport, causing a truck to swerve, tip, or otherwise cause injuries.
• Cargo falling off a large truck can cause serious injuries to others on the road. 
• Hidden defects or improperly used chains, links, straps, or tie-downs may fail, resulting in injuries.
• Cargo that is not labeled correctly may pose risks, because drivers don’t know the cargo requires special care (such as hazardous materials). 

Putting a large truck on the road is a team effort. When any member of the team fails to use reasonable care in their duties, serious injuries can occur.

The Process of a Truck Accident Lawsuit

Truck crash lawsuits can be complex. Yet the legal process is often necessary for an injured person to receive the full, fair compensation they deserve. Understanding the basics can help you ask informed questions about your specific situation. 

Time Limits

Texas requires personal injury claims to be filed within two years of the date of injury. In a truck accident, this usually means the case must be filed within two years of the crash date. Only a few narrow exceptions apply to this rule. 

A case that isn’t filed within two years cannot be brought to court. Talk to a lawyer as soon as possible to protect your right to file a lawsuit. 

Proving Fault

In a personal injury case, an injured person must prove that someone else (the defendant) was legally at fault for their injuries. 

Most personal injury cases are based on negligence. Negligence requires an injured person to show that (a) the other party had a duty to use reasonable care, (b) the other party breached that duty, (c) the breach was the actual and foreseeable cause of the injury, and (d) the injured person suffered damages the court can compensate. 

In a truck crash, more than one party may share responsibility. Other parties may argue that you were partly responsible for your injuries or that you shouldn’t receive compensation for other reasons. An attorney can help you prepare for these arguments and respond with the facts. 

Compensation

Compensation in a truck wreck cases focuses on both financial and personal losses. Financial or “economic” losses” include the money you’ve lost due to your injuries, missing work, needing to fix your vehicle, and other expenses. Future medical bills and lost wages may be included as well if your injuries require ongoing medical care or prevent you from working again.

Personal or “non-economic” losses include your physical pain and suffering, mental or emotional anguish, and the loss of the ability to do things like household chores or hobbies that you once enjoyed. 

Your compensation is unique, just as your life and your injuries are unique. Talk to an attorney to learn more about the compensation available in your case. 

While Texas’s general rules apply to all personal injury claims, they can’t spell out exactly what happens in every case. The facts of your case and your injuries are unique. Talk to an attorney to learn more about the outcomes you might expect in your case. 

Contact Our Experienced Plano Truck Accident Attorneys Today!

A truck wreck can occur in an instant yet change your life forever. Serious injuries, hefty medical bills, crushing uncertainties, or the devastating loss of a loved one derail all your plans for the future. Instead, you face a present full of challenges you struggle to meet. 

Don’t fight alone. Talk to a knowledgeable Plano truck accident lawyer today. The team at Chandler Ross PLLC is here to answer your questions. We’ll help you make an informed choice about your legal options and work to protect your rights. To learn more, contact us today to schedule a no-cost, no-obligation consultation.