Hurst Truck Accident Lawyer

DOCUMENTED TRUCK & COMMERCIAL VEHICLE CRASHES IN HURST

Not all trucking accidents are the same. The type of crash determines which evidence matters most, who bears legal liability, and how your case should be built. Brian Hargrove has handled all the following truck accident types in the Hurst and Tarrant County area:

1. Rear-End Collisions

One of the most common and destructive truck accidents on Airport Freeway and State Highway121. At highway speeds, an 80,000-pound semi-truck that fails to brake in time strikes with catastrophic force. Causes include driver fatigue, distracted driving, following too closely, and brake system failures. These crashes often result in traumatic brain injury, spinal compression fractures, and rear-seat crush injuries.

2. Jackknife Accidents

A jackknife occurs when the trailer of a semi-truck swings outward, forming an L or V shape with the cab. This typically happens when a driver brakes too hard, especially on wet or icy road surfaces — a real hazard in North Texas during winter weather. Jackknifed trucks can sweep across multiple lanes simultaneously, striking several vehicles at once. These crashes frequently involve brake system violations under 49 C.F.R. Part 396.

3. Rollover Accidents

Large trucks roll over when drivers take curves or highway ramps at excessive speeds, when loads are improperly secured or top-heavy, or when a tire failure causes sudden instability. The Loop 820 / TX-121 interchange has curves that demand speed reduction. A truck that rolls over on an elevated section can fall onto vehicles below. Rollovers generate enormous crush zones and frequently produce fatalities.

4. Wide-Turn (Right-Turn Squeeze) Accidents

Commercial trucks require significant space to execute right turns. A driver who swings wide to the left before turning right — without checking mirrors — can crush a car or motorcycle between the trailer and the curb. These crashes happen frequently at Hurst intersections and commercial entry points. Liability typically rests with the driver and the company for inadequate mirror use and turn signaling.

5. Underride Accidents

One of the deadliest crash configurations: a passenger vehicle slides underneath the rear or side of a truck trailer, shearing off the top of the vehicle. Federal regulations require underride guards on the rear of trailers (49 C.F.R. Part 393.86), but not on the sides. When guards are missing, defective, or non-compliant, the trucking company faces both regulatory violation and negligence per se liability.

6. Blown Tire / Tire Debris Accidents

Commercial truck tire blowouts are catastrophic events. A tire failure at highway speed causes sudden loss of control of the truck itself — and sends tire debris flying into adjacent vehicles at high velocity. Under 49 C.F.R. Part 396, trucking companies are required to inspect tires before every trip. A documented pattern of deferred tire maintenance is evidence of gross negligence.

7. Fatigued Driving Accidents

Federal Hours of Service regulations (49 C.F.R. Part 395) cap how long a truck driver can operate before mandatory rest. But deadline pressure, pay-per-mile structures, and falsified ELD records mean violations are common. According to TxDOT and NHTSA data, fatigue was cited in 21 fatal Texas truck crashes in 2023 alone — and experts widely agree the true number is significantly higher because fatigue cannot be measured at the scene the way alcohol can.

8. Impaired Driving Accidents

Commercial drivers are held to a lower legal BAC limit than civilian drivers — 0.04% under 49 C.F.R. Part 382, compared to the standard 0.08% for non-commercial drivers. Post-accident drug and alcohol testing is federally mandated. When a company fails to test — or when a driver tests positive and the company knew about prior drug issues — the liability exposure is severe and opens the door to exemplary damages.

9. Cargo Spill and Load Shift Accidents

Improperly loaded or unsecured cargo can shift mid-transit, causing a truck to become unstable, tip, or jackknife. Cargo that falls onto the roadway creates an independent hazard for every vehicle behind the truck. Liability can extend to the cargo loading company, the shipper, and the trucking company, depending on who controlled the loading process.

10. Distracted Driving Accidents

Federal law prohibits commercial drivers from texting while driving (49 C.F.R. Part 392.82). Cell phone use, GPS interaction, and in-cab entertainment are documented causes of serious truck accidents. When ELD data, dashcam footage, or cell phone records show distraction at the time of the crash, the case against the driver and company becomes significantly stronger.

Let us be direct about something. The personal injury “lawyers” on TV and billboards are not advertising because they are the best — they are advertising because they need volume. Millions spent on commercials means hundreds of cases signed every month. The only way to handle that volume is to run an assembly line. Here is what that assembly line means for you personally:



• You sign up with a famous name and never speak to an attorney.
• Your truck accident case is assigned to a case manager — not a lawyer. Their job is file movement, not legal strategy.
• Your case gets the same template demand letter and the same settlement push as every other case that month.
• When the insurance company pushes back, the path of least resistance is a quick settlement — even when your case is worth far more.
• These firms are not built for trial. They are built to settle cases quickly. They settle because settlement is the only tool they have.
  

Truck accident cases are more legally complex than car accidents. Multiple parties can be liable, each with their own insurance policy and defense team. Identifying all responsible parties — and building a case against each — is work that requires experience and a full investigation.

• The truck driver — for fatigued, distracted, impaired, or reckless operation.
• The trucking company — for negligent hiring, inadequate training, or pressuring drivers beyond legal Hours of Service limits. Companies are vicariously liable for their employees and directly liable for their own negligence.
• The cargo loading company — if improperly loaded or unsecured freight caused or contributed to the crash (49 C.F.R. Part 393).
• The maintenance contractor — if brake failure, tire blowout, or mechanical defect resulted from documented-but-ignored maintenance deficiencies (49 C.F.R. Part 396).
• The truck or parts manufacturer — if a design defect or product defect in the braking, steering, or tire system contributed to the accident.

We send a preservation letter within hours of being retained, requiring the trucking company to preserve every piece of evidence — EDR/black box data, ELD logs, maintenance records, driver qualification files, communications, and the truck itself — before it can be lost, deleted, or conveniently destroyed.

Commercial trucking is governed by federal law — specifically the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which issues binding regulations under Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations. When trucking companies violate these regulations, they can be found negligent per se under Texas law, meaning the violation itself constitutes evidence of negligence without requiring further proof of unreasonableness.

Economic Damages — documented, measurable financial losses:

• All past and future medical expenses — emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, specialist visits, long-term care
• Lost wages — income lost while you were unable to work
• Loss of future earning capacity — if injuries prevent return to prior occupation
• Property damage — vehicle repair or replacement, personal property

Non-Economic Damages — the human cost:

• Physical pain and suffering — past and future
• Mental anguish — emotional and psychological impact of the crash and recovery
• Physical impairment — loss of function, mobility, or physical capability
• Disfigurement — visible scarring or permanent physical changes
• Loss of consortium — impact on marriage and family relationships

Exemplary (Punitive) Damages — when conduct is especially egregious:

Under Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code Section 41.003, courts may award exemplary damages when a defendant acted with fraud, malice, or gross negligence. In truck accident cases, gross negligence exists when a trucking company had actual, subjective awareness of a specific risk — a driver over their hours, a truck with documented brake problems — and proceeded with conscious disregard for consequences.

The following are verified client reviews from people in the Hurst, Tarrant County, and Mid-Cities area, drawn from Google, Yelp, Avvo, and TopAttorney.com. These are real clients — not fabricated testimonials.

Brian Hargrove is not a national brand. He is not a franchise. He is a personal injury trial attorney who grew up in Fort Worth, built his career in the DFW Metroplex, and has spent more than 25 years representing injured people — never insurance companies, never corporations, always the person on the other side of the claim.

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Call Brian Hargrove Law — Today.

(817) 444-4878

1901 Central Drive, Suite 500  •  Bedford, TX 76021

Free Consultation  •  No Fee Until We Win  •  Serving Hurst & All of Tarrant County