The stretch between Thanksgiving and the New Year’s holiday is one of the busiest and most dangerous times of year on Texas highways. Truck drivers typically haul heavier loads on tighter deadlines during the holidays, often battling fatigue, winter weather, and congested interstates.
The result? A sharp rise in holiday truck accidents, many involving catastrophic 18-wheeler crashes that leave families reeling.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a Texas 18-wheeler crash, what you do in the first 72 hours can be critical to protecting your health, evidence, and legal rights.
Why Holiday Truck Crashes Increase
Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, freight demand spikes as retailers rush to meet shipping deadlines. Drivers push long hours, often violating hours-of-service (HOS) limits to keep up. The FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) routinely reports an uptick in fatigue-related and speed-related crashes during the holiday season.
Several factors contribute:
- Tight delivery schedules and corporate pressure to deliver faster
- Fatigue from extended hauls and overnight driving
- Bad weather and shorter daylight hours across Texas highways
- Heavy family traffic on interstates and local roads
Common FMCSA and Hours-of-Service Violations
The FMCSA requires truck drivers to rest for specific intervals to prevent fatigue. When those limits are ignored, accidents follow. Common violations include:
- Exceeding HOS limits to meet delivery deadlines
- Falsified logbooks or tampered electronic logging device (ELD) records
- Improper vehicle maintenance before long-distance hauls
The truck’s black box (ELD or electronic logging device) records driving hours, speed, and braking — all of which can reveal dangerous or unlawful behavior. A DFW truck accident lawyer can retrieve and interpret this data to show whether fatigue, speeding, or negligence caused the crash.
What Injured Families Should Do in the First 72 Hours
Quick action can preserve evidence that might otherwise disappear. Here’s what to do:
- Call 911 and get medical care for everyone involved. Always accept transport or evaluation — even minor pain can mask serious injuries.
- Get the crash report and note the truck’s DOT number, license plate, and company name.
- Take photos and videos of the vehicles, debris, skid marks, and road conditions.
- Contact a Texas 18-wheeler lawyer immediately to send a spoliation letter, a formal legal notice requiring the trucking company to preserve ELD data, driver logs, and maintenance records. Do not speak to the trucking company’s insurer before hiring counsel. Anything you say can potentially be used against you.
Preserving Evidence: Why Every Hour Matters
Federal law requires trucking companies to keep electronic logging devices (ELDs) and maintenance records for only a limited time — often just six months. Some data, such as GPS or dashcam footage, can be erased within days.
A spoliation letter from your attorney legally obligates the trucking company to preserve all relevant evidence. If they destroy or alter it, courts can impose serious penalties. Early legal intervention ensures that key proof of negligence — like fatigue, speeding, or brake failure — is not lost forever.
Understanding Texas Liability in 18-Wheeler Crashes
Texas law allows victims to hold negligent parties accountable after a holiday truck accident. Parties with liability can include any of the following:
- A driver who carelessly or recklessly operated the truck
- A trucking company that pressured drivers to exceed legal limits, skipped safety checks, failed to properly train or monitor drivers, or failed to ensure that hirees had the necessary skill and experience
- Cargo loaders or maintenance providers whose work caused mechanical failure
Texas follows a modified comparative negligence approach when allocating liability after an accident. An injured person who was partially responsible for causing an accident can recover damages only if their percentage of liability is not greater than 50%. A skilled lawyer helps ensure fault is properly assigned to the responsible parties.
Read Also: The Impact of Speeding and Aggressive Driving on Texas Truck Accident Rates in 2025
Get Legal Help After a Holiday Truck Accident in Texas
At The Law Offices of Bailey & Galyen, we help injured Texans and their families recover after devastating 18-wheeler crashes caused by driver fatigue, FMCSA violations, or unsafe trucking practices. Our attorneys act quickly to preserve black box data, secure evidence, and pursue maximum compensation under Texas law.
For a confidential consultation, call Bailey & Galyen at 844-402-2992 or contact us online. Our phones are answered 24/7 — because your recovery cannot wait. Se habla español.
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