Hit by a Truck in Saginaw, TX
Short answer: Truck crashes involve more than one insurer and more evidence that can disappear fast. Interstate trucks must carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage, and the company, not just the driver, can be responsible. Get medical care, get the crash report, and ask a lawyer to send a preservation letter quickly.
Who can be responsible
- The driver, for speeding, distraction, fatigue or unsafe lane changes.
- The motor carrier (the trucking company), for the driver's conduct on the job and for its own hiring, training, hours-of-service and maintenance practices.
- The shipper or loader, if an overweight or shifting load contributed.
- A maintenance contractor or parts maker, for brake, tire or lighting failures.
Texas compares everyone's share of fault. Your recovery is reduced by your own percentage and barred if you're more than 50% responsible (CPRC §§33.001, 33.012).
Insurance minimums are much higher for trucks
Federal rules require for-hire carriers hauling general freight across state lines in vehicles of 10,001 pounds or more to carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage. Oil and some hazardous materials require $1 million, and other hazardous loads $5 million (49 CFR §387.9). Compare that with the $30,000 per-person minimum for a passenger car in Texas (Transp. Code §601.072).
Evidence that disappears
Commercial trucks carry data most cars don't: electronic logging device (ELD) hours-of-service records, engine control module data (speed, braking), dash and driver-facing cameras, dispatch messages, and inspection and maintenance files. Carriers keep some of it only for limited periods. A written preservation ("spoliation") letter, sent early, asks the carrier to keep it. Take your own photos of the truck's DOT number, company name and trailer number at the scene if you safely can.
Trucks on Saginaw roads
Saginaw-area truck traffic concentrates on Saginaw Blvd (Business 287), Blue Mound Rd, Bailey Boswell Rd. TxDOT's public CRIS extract we use records crash location, time, severity and collision type, but not vehicle type, so we don't publish Saginaw-only counts for this crash type. For all vehicle types, police reported 2,479 crashes inside Saginaw in 2021–2025, 531 with an injury (Original analysis of TxDOT CRIS crash reports, 2021–2025, crashes where the CRIS city field is Saginaw).
What to do in the first week
- Get checked by a doctor, even if you feel okay. Truck crashes involve far more force than car-to-car crashes.
- Order the CR-3 crash report once it's available.
- Don't give a recorded statement to the carrier's insurer before you understand your injuries.
- Open PIP and UM/UIM claims on your own policy for early bills (Ins. Code §1952.151).
- Talk to a lawyer about a preservation letter. The two-year filing deadline (CPRC §16.003) is long, but evidence windows are short.
Local help in and around Saginaw
- Emergency: call 911. Inside city limits the Saginaw Police Department responds; on some highways it may be the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office or Texas DPS.
- Crash report: the CR-3 is available from TxDOT about 10 business days after the crash (how to get it).
- Emergency care nearby: Medical City ER Saginaw (Freestanding 24/7 ER); Medical City Alliance (Hospital emergency room); Texas Health Alliance (Hospital emergency room); JPS Health Network (John Peter Smith Hospital) (Hospital emergency room).
- Not sure where to start? Our first-steps checklist covers the first 72 hours.
Common questions
How much insurance does a semi truck have to carry?
Interstate for-hire general-freight carriers need at least $750,000 in liability coverage under 49 CFR 387.9. Some hazardous loads require $1 million or $5 million.
Can I sue the trucking company and not just the driver?
Often yes. Carriers are usually responsible for drivers acting on the job, and for their own safety practices.
How long do I have to file?
Generally two years from the crash in Texas (CPRC §16.003). Claims against government vehicles may need notice within six months.
What is a spoliation letter?
A written demand that the carrier preserve evidence such as logs, ECM data and video. It is best sent within days.
Questions after a Saginaw wreck?
A trusted local attorney will contact you promptly and evaluate your case for free. It takes about two minutes to ask, wherever in Texas the crash happened.