Tanker trucks move gasoline, propane, diesel, crude oil, industrial chemicals, and countless other substances across Texas highways every day. The companies that operate these vehicles profit enormously from the freight they haul, and they have a responsibility to enforce safety regulations and prevent the catastrophic crashes that occur when something goes wrong. When a tanker truck collides with a passenger vehicle, the size disparity alone produces devastating injuries. When that tanker is carrying flammable or hazardous materials, a crash can turn into a massive explosion or toxic spill that kills multiple people and leaves survivors with burns, respiratory damage, and injuries that will follow them for the rest of their lives.
Our truck accident lawyers represent individuals and families who have been harmed in tanker truck collisions across Texas. We believe the companies that cause these accidents through negligence — whether by pushing drivers past safe limits, deferring critical maintenance, or failing to enforce federal safety regulations — must be held accountable for the suffering they cause. If you or someone you love was injured in a tanker truck accident, our team can investigate the crash, identify every liable party, and pursue the compensation your family deserves.
Any collision with a large commercial truck poses extreme risk to occupants of smaller vehicles simply because of the size difference. A fully loaded tanker truck can weigh 80,000 pounds or more, while the average passenger car weighs around 4,000 pounds. When the two collide, the smaller vehicle absorbs almost all the force. Truck drivers often walk away from crashes that leave other motorists with life-threatening injuries or worse.
Tanker trucks add a layer of danger that other commercial vehicles do not. The liquid cargo inside a tanker shifts during turns, braking, and lane changes, which can destabilize the vehicle and contribute to rollover accidents. When a tanker carrying gasoline, propane, or industrial chemicals rolls over and ruptures, the result can be a fire or explosion that engulfs multiple vehicles. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, hazardous materials were released in thousands of large truck crashes annually, and a significant percentage of those releases resulted in fires.
Tanker truck operators are required to hold a commercial driver's license with a tanker endorsement and, if hauling hazardous materials, a hazmat endorsement as well. These requirements exist because tanker trucks demand a higher level of skill and judgment to operate safely. When a driver with those credentials causes a crash, they have failed a professional standard that the law holds them to, and our lawyers will investigate exactly how and why that failure occurred.
In most tanker truck cases our truck accident lawyers handle, the crash traces back to multiple contributing factors rather than a single cause. A fatigued driver operating through icy conditions at night. A distracted driver texting at highway speed in a truck with worn brakes. A rushed delivery schedule that pressured the driver to skip rest and push through dangerous weather. Our team investigates every possible cause to determine who bears responsibility.
Driver fatigue remains one of the most common factors in tanker truck accidents. The trucking industry pays most drivers by the mile rather than the hour, which creates powerful financial pressure to stay on the road longer than federal hours-of-service regulations allow. Research has shown that many commercial drivers experience cumulative fatigue — they never fully catch up on rest even when they technically comply with the rules. Fatigued drivers have slower reaction times, impaired judgment, and in extreme cases fall asleep at the wheel entirely.
Driver distraction is equally dangerous. Cellphone use while driving has been shown to impair a driver as much as or more than alcohol at the legal limit. Whether the driver was dialing a number, reading a text, or scrolling through a dispatch app, even a few seconds of inattention in an 80,000-pound tanker can produce a catastrophic crash. Our lawyers obtain cellular phone records and electronic logging device data to determine whether distraction played a role.
Aggressive driving — speeding, tailgating, unsafe lane changes — is especially reckless in a tanker truck. The vehicle's size and the shifting weight of liquid cargo make sudden maneuvers dangerous under any circumstances. When a tanker is carrying flammable materials, aggressive driving can turn a collision into a deadly inferno. Safe operation requires conservative speed, ample following distance, and lane changes that account for the truck's blind spots and stopping distance.
Weather, road design problems, and heavy traffic can all contribute to tanker truck accidents, but external conditions are rarely the sole cause. Commercial drivers are trained to navigate difficult conditions, and professional judgment demands that they slow down or pull off the road entirely when conditions make driving unsafe. Defense lawyers for trucking companies often try to blame weather or road hazards to deflect responsibility away from the driver and the carrier. Our lawyers conduct thorough investigations to determine whether the driver took appropriate precautions or whether negligence turned a challenging situation into a preventable crash.
Maintenance failures are another major factor. A tanker truck driver can only operate as safely as the equipment allows. Worn brakes, bald tires, faulty steering, and improperly secured cargo all contribute to accidents that drivers cannot prevent no matter how skilled they are. Trucking companies are required to perform regular inspections and maintain their vehicles in safe operating condition. When they cut corners to save money, they put everyone on the road at risk. Our lawyers obtain maintenance records, inspection logs, and repair histories to determine whether deferred maintenance contributed to the crash.
Our lawyers handle every type of tanker truck accident that occurs on Texas roads. Rear-end collisions caused by brake failure or driver distraction. Head-on crashes where a tanker crossed into oncoming traffic. Side collisions from unsafe lane changes or failure to check blind spots. Rollover accidents where shifting cargo or excessive speed caused the tanker to tip. Underride accidents where a smaller vehicle became trapped beneath the tanker's trailer. Override accidents where the tanker climbed over a vehicle ahead. Multi-vehicle pileups where a tanker collision triggered a chain reaction that injured or killed multiple motorists.
Each type of collision presents unique challenges for investigation and proof. Rollover accidents may require analysis of cargo loading and securement. Underride crashes may involve questions about whether the trailer had proper rear guards. Multi-vehicle pileups demand careful reconstruction to determine which party's negligence set the chain reaction in motion. Our team has the experience and resources to handle the full range of tanker truck cases.
Tanker truck accidents cause permanent injuries and fatalities every year in Texas. The victims and their families deserve lawyers who understand the trucking industry, know how to investigate these crashes, and have the resources to take on large carriers and their insurers. Our team offers free consultations and works on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for your losses. Contact our office today for a free case review and let us fight for the justice your family deserves.
