Commercial vehicle accidents often result in severe damage, injury, or death—especially in Texas where long hauls and heavy-duty rigs are everywhere. Understanding the top contributing factors can help you stay safe and know what to do if you—or someone you love—are involved. Below are the most frequent causes plus action steps for victims.
1. Driver Fatigue & Hours-of-Service Violations
Long routes, tight schedules, and pressure from employers can push commercial drivers past safe limits. If drivers exceed regulated hours or fail to rest properly, reaction times suffer and fatigue becomes a serious safety hazard.
What you can do: Keep an eye out for driver logbooks, Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs), or any proof that rest periods weren’t followed.
2. Faulty Equipment & Poor Maintenance
From brake failures to worn tires, commercial vehicles need regular inspection and upkeep. When maintenance is postponed or records are incomplete, dangerous failures become more likely.
What you can do: If you’re in an accident, try to document the condition of the vehicle and its maintenance history—oil changes, repair logs, inspection reports.
3. Distracted Driving – Phones & Other Distractions
Even for professionals, distractions can be deadly. Texting, phone calls, GPS adjustments, eating—these interrupt focus, especially in large vehicles that need more time and distance to stop.
What you can do: Phone records, GPS logs, or dashcam footage may help show whether distraction contributed to the collision.
4. Improper Cargo Loading & Unsecured Loads
Uneven or loose cargo shifts during transport can destabilize a vehicle, cause rollovers, or lead to loss of control. Federal safety rules require securement of loads, but violations still happen.
What you can do: Evidence like photos, load manifests, or eyewitness testimony can help show whether cargo was improperly secured.
5. Speeding & Aggressive Driving Behaviors
Tailgating, speeding, abrupt lane changes—these behaviors are especially dangerous for large trucks that need longer stopping distances.
What you can do: Look for dashcam or CCTV footage, witness statements, and check speed limit data to establish unsafe driving.
6. Inadequate Training & Inexperience
Some companies may have high turnover or cut corners in training. Drivers who are unfamiliar with big rigs, complex braking systems, or inexperienced in long-haul conditions are more at risk.
What you can do: Ask for driver employment history, training and certification records.
7. Hazardous Weather & Low Visibility
Fog, rain, ice, strong winds—all these make commercial driving tougher. When drivers don’t adapt speed, following distance, or equipment usage, collision risk rises.
What you can do: Get meteorological reports, traffic cases of similar conditions, and check whether the driver slowed down appropriately.
8. Blind Spot Errors During Lane Changes
Commercial vehicles have large “no-zones”—areas around the vehicle where the driver can’t see other cars. Failing to check mirrors or camera systems increases risk drastically.
What you can do: Evidence like mirror adjustments, camera recording, or witness accounts can show whether the driver neglected to check no-zones.
What to Document After an Accident
To protect your rights and support a legal claim, gather as much of the following as possible:
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Full accident details: date, time, weather, location
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Driver info: name, employer, license details
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Truck & trailer info: make, model, DOT number, license plate
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Photos & videos: damage, scene, visibility, road conditions
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Witness statements
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Maintenance & training records
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Medical & police reports
Why Having a Texas Commercial Vehicle Accident Attorney Matters
Commercial vehicle crash cases often involve complex regulations from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), proof of violations, multiple parties (driver, carrier, shippers), and considerable damages. Working with attorneys experienced in commercial vehicle law helps you:
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Identify which regulations were breached
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Secure evidence (logs, cargo manifests, ELD data)
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Calculate and claim full compensation (medical bills, lost wages, pain & suffering)
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Negotiate with insurers and defend your rights in court if needed
If you or someone you care about has been harmed in a crash involving a commercial vehicle, you don’t have to go through this alone. Grimes & Fertitta handles cases like these every day. Call (713) 224-7644 or contact us online for a free consultation.
