Delivery Vehicles
Delivery drivers may operate under demanding schedules and frequent-stop conditions that can contribute to unsafe driving or collisions.
Dallas–Fort Worth Commercial Vehicle Accident Attorney
When the vehicle is
part of a business.
A crash involving a commercial vehicle can create issues that do not exist in an ordinary two-car collision. The driver may have been working, the vehicle may belong to a company, and multiple businesses or insurers may be connected to the claim.
The Piri Law Firm represents people seriously injured in commercial vehicle accidents across Dallas–Fort Worth and North Texas. We investigate the driver, vehicle, company relationships, available records, insurance coverage, and other evidence needed to determine who may be responsible.
Driver ConductInvestigate how the crash occurred
Company RelationshipsIdentify businesses connected to the vehicle
Vehicle EvidenceExamine available records and physical evidence
InsuranceEvaluate potentially applicable coverage
North TexasDallas · Fort Worth
Direct Answer
Who may be responsible for a commercial vehicle accident?
Depending on the facts, potentially responsible parties may include the commercial driver, the driver's employer, the vehicle owner, another company that controlled relevant work or operations, a maintenance provider, another motorist, or other parties whose conduct contributed to the collision. Commercial vehicle cases therefore require investigation beyond the driver alone.
Commercial Vehicle Claims
The company behind the vehicle can matter as much as the driver.
Commercial vehicles operate throughout North Texas every day. Box trucks, delivery vans, service vehicles, utility vehicles, work trucks, fleet vehicles, and other business-owned vehicles can create complex liability questions when a serious collision occurs.
Box Trucks
Large box trucks can create significant visibility, stopping-distance, turning, and loading issues during commercial operations.
Company Vans
Service and company vans may be operated by employees performing work-related duties, creating questions about the driver's employment and scope of work.
Fleet Vehicles
Companies operating vehicle fleets may maintain records concerning drivers, vehicles, inspections, maintenance, policies, and prior incidents.
Work Trucks
Construction, landscaping, utility, maintenance, and other work vehicles may carry equipment or materials and operate in changing roadway environments.
Other Commercial Operators
The proper investigation depends on the vehicle, business relationship, driver's work activity, and the circumstances surrounding the crash.
The Evidence Matters
Look beyond the crash report.
A police report can be important, but a commercial vehicle investigation may involve evidence held by the business operating or controlling the vehicle. Identifying those records early can help establish what happened and which parties should be included in the investigation.
01Driver and employment information
02Vehicle ownership and company relationships
03Available maintenance and inspection records
04Electronic, video, dispatch, or route evidence when available
05Medical and financial documentation
Building The Case
Follow the vehicle back to the business behind it.
Determining responsibility can require understanding who employed the driver, who owned the vehicle, why the driver was on the road, who controlled the work, and whether additional companies were involved in operating or maintaining the vehicle.
Identify the driver and vehicle.
Determine who was driving, who owned the commercial vehicle, and what business activity was taking place when the collision occurred.
Identify the companies.
Examine employment, ownership, contracting, leasing, and other relationships that may connect businesses to the driver or vehicle.
Preserve commercial records.
Relevant company, vehicle, electronic, maintenance, dispatch, or other records may need to be identified before they are lost or overwritten.
Document injury and loss.
Medical treatment, future care, lost income, impairment, and other legally recoverable losses should be supported by appropriate evidence.
Commercial Vehicle Injuries
Business vehicles can cause life-changing injuries.
Commercial vehicle crashes can cause traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, fractures, orthopedic trauma, internal injuries, nerve damage, scarring, disfigurement, and other serious injuries.
For severe injuries, the claim may need to address hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, future treatment, lost income, reduced earning capacity, physical impairment, disfigurement, and the long-term impact on the injured person's life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Texas commercial vehicle accident questions.
What is considered a commercial vehicle accident?
Commercial vehicle accidents generally involve vehicles being used for business or commercial purposes. Depending on the circumstances, this may include delivery vehicles, box trucks, company vans, service vehicles, fleet vehicles, work trucks, and other business-operated vehicles.
Can the driver's employer be responsible?
An employer may potentially be legally responsible depending on the driver's employment relationship, whether the driver was acting within the relevant scope of employment, the employer's own conduct, and other facts. The relationship should be investigated rather than assumed.
Is a commercial vehicle accident the same as a truck accident?
Not necessarily. Commercial vehicle cases can include many business-operated vehicles that are not tractor-trailers or large commercial trucks. Truck accident cases may also involve additional regulations, carrier relationships, and evidence specific to the trucking industry.
What evidence can be important in a commercial vehicle case?
Depending on the case, relevant evidence may include photographs, video, driver records, employment information, vehicle ownership records, maintenance records, dispatch or route information, electronic data, witness statements, and medical documentation.
What damages may be available?
Depending on the evidence and applicable law, recoverable damages may include qualifying medical expenses, lost income, reduced earning capacity, pain, physical impairment, disfigurement, and other losses resulting from the injuries.
How long do I have to file a commercial vehicle accident lawsuit in Texas?
Texas generally applies a two-year limitations period to personal-injury claims, subject to exceptions and circumstances that can affect the deadline. Potential evidence may need to be preserved much sooner, so waiting until the limitations period approaches can create additional problems.
Confidential Consultation
Injured By A Commercial Vehicle?
Tell us what happened, what type of commercial vehicle was involved, what company information you have, what injuries you suffered, and what insurance or business representatives have contacted you.
Start with the evidence you have.
Photographs, company names, vehicle markings, witness information, police records, medical records, insurance correspondence, and documentation of missed work can help begin the investigation.
Request a Consultation → Call 833-FOR-PIRIContacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship.