Princeton Truck Accident Attorneys

A truck wreck can have dramatic, life-changing effects. If you were hurt in a collision with a tractor-trailer, you likely have questions about who is responsible for paying for your damages. Multiple parties may share liability, which is why it is important to have an attorney on your side who can help you seek full compensation.

At Burress Injury Law, our Princeton truck accident attorneys have decades of collective experience, giving the firm a wealth of legal knowledge to draw on. With hundreds of 5-star reviews and a case success rate of over 99.9 percent, we have become renowned across Texas for our skills in personal injury claims, including complex truck accidents.

Firm History

Burress Injury Law has represented injured Texans since 2008, growing from a single office into a practice with multiple locations that now reaches clients throughout Princeton and the surrounding Collin County area. Attorney Jason Burress spent his early career on the insurance defense side of personal injury law before shifting his focus entirely toward representing injured people instead. Truck accident litigation has remained one of the more demanding and consistent parts of our practice throughout nearly two decades of growth, given both the severity of injuries these wrecks typically cause and the resources trucking companies deploy in their own defense.

A serious truck wreck rarely gives anyone time to prepare. Our attorneys respond with the same urgency, launching an investigation immediately, preserving evidence before it disappears, and pursuing full compensation rather than settling for whatever a company's insurer initially offers.

Careless Behavior Behind the Wheel Can Lead to Truck Accidents

Commercial drivers operate under real pressure, compounded by tight delivery windows, demanding schedules, and companies that sometimes prioritize speed over caution. That pressure can translate into careless decisions behind the wheel, whether that means following too closely, changing lanes without properly checking mirrors and blind spots, or simply failing to slow down in response to changing road or traffic conditions.

Given the size and weight of a commercial truck, even a brief lapse in attention can produce consequences far more severe than a similar mistake made in a passenger vehicle. A truck traveling at highway speed requires significantly more distance to stop than an ordinary car, and a driver who misjudges that distance, or who simply is not paying attention when traffic ahead slows, can cause a wreck capable of causing catastrophic harm to everyone involved.

Are Truck Companies Liable for Wrecks Caused by Employees?

Under a legal principle known as vicarious liability, an employer can be held responsible for the negligent actions of an employee performed within the scope of their job duties. Applied to trucking, this generally means that if a driver causes a wreck while working, delivering a load, following a dispatched route, operating during their assigned shift, the trucking company that employs them can share responsibility for the resulting harm, not just the driver individually.

This principle frequently comes up in truck accident litigation, since a driver's personal insurance policy is often woefully inadequate to cover the kind of catastrophic injuries a truck wreck can cause. Pursuing a claim against the trucking company directly opens access to far larger commercial insurance policies, though companies frequently attempt to avoid this liability by arguing that a driver was acting outside the scope of employment at the time of the wreck, or by misclassifying drivers as independent contractors rather than employees.

Third-Party Liability in Princeton Truck Accidents

The driver and trucking company are rarely the only parties who could bear responsibility for a serious wreck. A cargo loading company that improperly secures freight, allowing it to shift or spill during transit, can share liability when that cargo contributes to a collision. A maintenance provider that performs substandard repairs or overlooks a known mechanical issue can also face responsibility if that failure leads to a wreck.

Manufacturers of defective truck parts, such as faulty brakes or tires prone to blowouts under normal conditions, represent another potential source of liability entirely separate from anyone's conduct behind the wheel. Identifying every party who may share fault in a truck accident case often requires substantial investigation, since trucking companies and their insurers frequently attempt to shift blame toward independent contractors or third parties rather than accept responsibility themselves.

What Is a Jackknife Accident?

A jackknife wreck happens when a truck's trailer swings out at an angle from the cab, folding the vehicle much like the blade of a pocketknife closing against its handle. This typically occurs when a driver brakes too hard or too suddenly, loses traction on a wet or icy road, or takes a turn at a speed the trailer simply cannot handle without losing control.

Once a trailer begins to swing, the driver often has little ability to correct the situation, and the resulting collision can span multiple lanes of traffic, striking any vehicles unlucky enough to be nearby. These wrecks frequently raise questions about driver training, vehicle maintenance, and whether the truck was operating at a safe speed for the conditions present at the time, all factors our firm investigates closely when building a jackknife accident claim.

The Dangers of Rollover Truck Accidents

A rollover wreck occurs when a commercial truck tips onto its side or roof, often triggered by a sudden swerve, an overcorrection after drifting out of a lane, or cargo that shifts unexpectedly and destabilizes the vehicle's center of gravity. Given how top-heavy a loaded truck can be, especially one carrying liquid or loosely secured freight, even a relatively minor steering mistake can escalate into a full rollover.

These wrecks pose serious dangers not just to the truck driver, but to anyone in surrounding vehicles who might be struck as the truck goes over or as cargo spills across the roadway. Investigating a rollover typically involves examining the truck's speed, the condition of its tires and suspension, how the cargo was loaded and secured, and whether the driver took reasonable action to prevent the vehicle from becoming unstable in the first place.

Frequently Asked Questions About Truck Accidents in Princeton, Texas