Common Causes of Truck Wrecks and How to Prove Liability

The Most Common Causes of Truck Wrecks 

You're driving down Highway 67 in Dallas, heading home after a long day. Out of nowhere, a massive 18-wheeler drifts into your lane, slamming into your vehicle. Or in Atlanta on Langford Parkway, a speeding semi fails to brake in time, causing a multi-car pileup and leaving you stuck in a nightmare of wreckage and injuries.

Or maybe on Chicago’s Stevenson Expressway (I-55), a fatigued truck driver, pushing past legal driving limits, loses control and flips his rig, blocking multiple lanes and endangering everyone around.

When a fully loaded truck weighing up to 80,000 pounds crashes, the damage is catastrophic. The injuries are severe, the medical bills pile up, and suddenly, you’re fighting not just to recover, but to hold the right people accountable.

At 1-800-TruckWreck, we know that trucking companies and insurers will do everything they can to avoid paying what they owe. That’s why we fight aggressively to prove liability, uncover the truth, and get you the compensation you deserve.

The 5 Top Causes of Truck Wrecks

“Accidents” don’t just happen—they are caused by negligence, reckless behavior, and companies that put profit over safety. These are some of the most common causes we see in our truck wreck cases:

1. Driver Fatigue: Truck drivers are required by law to follow Hours of Service (HOS) regulations, which limit how long they can be on the road without rest. But many drivers ignore these rules—or are pressured by trucking companies to keep driving.

2. Distracted Driving: Long hours on the road lead some truck drivers to text, check emails, eat, or even watch videos while driving. In an 80,000-pound vehicle, one second of distraction can be deadly.

3. Poor Truck Maintenance: Trucking companies cut corners on maintenance to save money. This leads to:

• Brake failures that prevent a truck from stopping in time
• Tire blowouts that cause rollovers and lane departures
• Steering malfunctions that make it impossible to control the vehicle

4. Speeding & Reckless Driving: When truck drivers speed, tailgate, or change lanes aggressively, they create deadly situations on the road. Because of their size and weight, trucks need more distance to stop—when they don’t have it, crashes happen.

5. Improperly Loaded Cargo: Overloaded or unbalanced cargo increases the risk of rollovers, shifting loads, and jackknife accidents. Trucking companies and cargo loaders are responsible for ensuring trucks are loaded safely, but when they don’t follow regulations, innocent people pay the price.

The Rapid Response Team: Securing Evidence Before It’s Gone

Time is not on your side after a truck wreck. Trucking companies and their insurers send their own teams to the scene immediately—working to control the narrative, shift blame, and minimize their financial responsibility. Critical evidence can disappear within hours.

That’s why our Rapid Response Team acts fast. The moment you call 1-800-TruckWreck, we mobilize investigators to the crash site to collect and preserve the evidence needed to prove liability.

• Photographs and Documents the Wreckage – We capture every detail of the crash, including skid marks, debris patterns, vehicle damage, and road conditions.
• Secures Black Box Data Before It’s Erased – Most commercial trucks are equipped with an Electronic Logging Device (ELD) and Event Data Recorder (EDR) that store speed, braking, steering, and engine performance data. Trucking companies may try to delete or alter this data. We secure it before they get the chance.
• Interviews Witnesses Before Memories Fade – Eyewitness testimony is crucial, but over time, details get lost. Our team gathers firsthand statements from other drivers, passengers, and bystanders who saw the wreck happen.
• Investigates Road and Weather Conditions – Was there low visibility, debris on the road, or a dangerous curve the truck failed to navigate? We document the environmental factors that could have contributed to the crash.
• Demands Access to Dashcam Footage & Surveillance Videos – Many trucking companies equip their trucks with forward-facing and in-cab cameras. We fight to obtain this footage before it disappears.
• Inspects the Truck for Mechanical Failures – A faulty braking system, tire blowout, or improperly secured load could be the root cause of the crash. Our team ensures the truck isn’t moved or repaired before a full inspection is done.
• Challenges the Trucking Company’s On-Site Team – The trucking company will have its own investigators at the scene, looking for ways to protect themselves. Our team pushes back against their attempts to twist the facts or hide key evidence.

Injured in a Truck Wreck? Call 1-800-TruckWreck Now

Truck wrecks are devastating, and the companies behind these massive vehicles will do everything in their power to avoid responsibility. Their lawyers and insurance teams are already working against you—don’t wait to fight back.

At 1-800-TruckWreck, we take action immediately. From the moment you call, our team moves fast to secure evidence, protect your rights, and build the strongest possible case.