When a Landstar System truck is involved in a serious truck accident, determining who is legally responsible can be far more complicated than in any other type of commercial motor vehicle accident on the road.
Unlike traditional trucking companies, Landstar doesn’t own its trucks or directly employ most of its drivers. Instead, it relies on a network of independent contractors, which it uses to hide from responsibility and avoid paying accident victims the compensation they truly deserve after a catastrophic crash.
If you or a loved one were injured by a Landstar truck, you need a legal team that understands how to hold all of the at-fault parties fully accountable and refuses to back down against the largest trucking and logistics corporations in the world.
Read on to learn how our undefeated truck accident lawyers can protect your rights and secure the justice and compensation you deserve if a Landstar System 18-wheeler harmed you.
About Landstar System
Landstar System is one of the largest transportation companies in the U.S., yet it doesn’t own a single truck. Instead, the Jacksonville, Florida-based company relies entirely on a network of nearly 11,000 independent trucking carriers and owner-operators to haul freight across the country. Despite its massive presence on the road and revenue of more than $3.65 Billion, Landstar directly employs under 1,300 workers. Even its sales representatives, who coordinate load assignments, operate as independent contractors.
Landstar promotes its asset-light business model as an advantage, but in reality, it shifts significant risks onto truck drivers and the public. Because Landstar’s drivers are independent contractors paid per mile, they face intense pressure to complete jobs quickly—leading to fatigue, rushed deliveries, and safety violations that increase the risk of serious accidents.
Additionally, drivers working under Landstar agents frequently report unreasonably low pay rates, “dead zones” that force them to return with empty trucks, and last-minute load cancellations that upend their schedules and earnings. These unpredictable conditions created by this truck company’s negligence not only make it harder for drivers to make a living but also create an environment where cutting corners on safety becomes a financial necessity.
Landstar System Truck Safety Violations
In the past two years alone, Landstar trucks have been involved in at least 367 crashes, including six fatal accidents and 97 crashes resulting in injuries.
Although Landstar’s drivers are independent contractors, they must follow strict state and federal trucking regulations, comply with the company’s safety policies, and operate under its U.S. DOT number.
While the FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System (SMS) gives Landstar System a “satisfactory” safety rating, a closer look at the company’s record from March 2023 to 2025 reveals that its trucks and drivers amassed thousands of safety violations, including:
- 974 driving violations, such as reckless driving and speeding
- 461 hours-of-service violations, including driver fatigue and exceeding legal limits
- 4,939 vehicle maintenance violations, ranging from faulty brakes to dangerously worn tires
Landstar’s vehicle maintenance violations are especially alarming. For a company that doesn’t own its trucks, its safety record rivals that of UPS—a carrier with nearly 130,000 commercial vehicles and drivers on the road (and 5,300 maintenance violations in the same period). Landstar, on the other hand, boasts just 4,473 vehicles and 4,940 drivers, but its record of citations for dangerously low or flat tires, defective brakes, and nonfunctioning lights and turn signals are on par with the biggest trucking company in America.
Compared to similarly sized competitors like J.B. Hunt and Schneider National, who incur far fewer maintenance violations, Landstar’s track record raises serious concerns about its lack of oversight and disregard for the safety of the independent operators hauling its freight.
What Causes Landstar System Truck Accidents?
Many of Landstar’s most common safety violations directly contribute to serious truck accidents. When truck drivers fail to follow safety regulations—or when Landstar turns a blind eye to maintenance and compliance issues—the risks on the road increase exponentially.
Equipment Failures
Leaking or flat tires and worn-out or defective brakes are among the most frequent vehicle maintenance violations cited for Landstar drivers. Each of these failures can cause a driver to lose control, leading to deadly blowouts, rollovers, or multi-vehicle crashes. When these mechanical failures occur at high speeds or in heavy traffic, the consequences can be devastating.
Inadequate Maintenance
Landstar trucks endure extreme wear and tear, yet repairs are often delayed or ignored to cut costs. Common maintenance-related violations include inoperative turn signals and out-of-adjustment brakes, both of which increase the likelihood of collisions. When truck owners and operators neglect routine maintenance, they put everyone on the road at risk.
Failure to Conduct Safety Checks
Routine pre-trip safety inspections are essential for identifying potential hazards before a Landstar truck hits the road. However, because Landstar shifts responsibility onto independent operators, safety checks are often overlooked in an effort to cut costs and maximize profits—leaving dangerous mechanical issues unaddressed.
Speeding
Landstar drivers have been cited 211 times for exceeding the speed limit by 6-10 mph, 105 times for speeding 11-14 mph over, and 57 times for driving 15 mph or more over the limit. Excessive speed makes it more difficult to stop in time to avoid collisions, increasing the risk of catastrophic accidents.
Distracted Driving
Truck drivers spend long hours on the road, and distractions—such as using a cellphone, eating, or adjusting GPS devices—are common. Even a momentary lapse in attention can lead to a devastating crash, especially when operating an 80,000-pound vehicle.
Driver Fatigue
Independent contractors, like those hauling loads for Landstar, are paid per mile, creating immense pressure to drive longer hours and push past legal limits. As a result, hours-of-service violations—including driving beyond federally mandated limits—are rampant. Fatigue impairs reaction time and decision-making, making drowsy driving just as dangerous as driving under the influence.
Reckless Driving
Between March 2023 and 2025, Landstar drivers racked up hundreds of violations for lane restrictions, including illegally driving in left lanes where trucks are prohibited. Reckless behaviors like improper lane changes, tailgating, and aggressive driving further increase the risk of serious collisions.
Common Landstar System Accidents
When truck drivers speed, drive distracted, or ignore critical safety checks, devastating accidents become inevitable. Many of Landstar’s most frequently cited violations—such as speeding, driver fatigue, and vehicle maintenance failures—are directly linked to the types of crashes its trucks are involved in.
Some of the most common accidents involving Landstar trucks include:
- Jackknife Accidents: A jackknife accident occurs when a tractor-trailer folds in on itself at a sharp angle, often due to sudden braking or slick road conditions. These crashes can block multiple lanes of traffic, leading to multi-vehicle pileups.
- Rear-End Collisions: Landstar drivers have been cited for reckless behaviors like distracted driving, fatigue, and excessive speeding—all of which significantly increase the likelihood of a rear-end collision with another vehicle. Given the size and weight of an 18-wheeler, even a low-speed rear-end crash can cause catastrophic injuries.
- Underride Crashes: One of the deadliest types of truck accidents, underride crashes occur when a smaller vehicle collides with the back of a tractor-trailer and slides underneath. These crashes are often fatal, as passenger vehicles can be crushed or sheared apart by the truck’s undercarriage.
- Side-Impact (T-Bone) Collisions: T-bone crashes often happen when a truck driver runs a red light, blows through a stop sign, or misjudges the right of way at an intersection. Due to the size and weight of big rigs, the impact can completely crush the side of a smaller vehicle, leading to severe or fatal injuries for occupants.
- Cargo-Related Accidents: Improperly loaded or unsecured cargo is a major hazard. Shifting loads can cause a truck to swerve, roll over, or jackknife, while overloaded trailers increase the risk of brake failure or tire blowouts. In some cases, cargo spills onto the roadway, creating dangerous obstacles for other drivers
Common Injuries in Landstar Truck Accidents
Collisions involving Landstar trucks and other 18-wheelers are vastly different from ordinary car accidents. Due to the massive size and weight of commercial trucks, crashes often result in severe or fatal injuries, leaving victims and their families facing long-term medical challenges, financial uncertainty, and emotional devastation.
Some of the most common injuries we see in truck accident cases include:
- Spinal cord injuries & Paralysis: Damage to the spine can result in partial, temporary, or complete paralysis, leaving victims with lasting pain, mobility issues, and the need for lifelong medical care.
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI): Even if symptoms aren’t immediately obvious, a TBI can cause lasting cognitive impairment, memory loss, and loss of motor function—permanently altering a person’s ability to work and enjoy life.
- Internal Bleeding & Organ Damage: Blunt force trauma from a truck crash can cause internal injuries that, if left untreated, may be life-threatening.
- Severe or fatal burns: If a truck’s fuel tank ruptures and ignites, victims can suffer third-degree burns, requiring skin grafts and extensive rehabilitation.
- Fractures: Broken bones and herniated discs in the cervical or lumbar spine are common in high-impact truck accidents and can cause chronic pain and mobility issues.
- Amputations & Crush Injuries: Some truck accidents result in limb amputations, which require lifelong medical care, prosthetics, and rehabilitation to restore independence.
Why Hiring the Right Truck Accident Lawyer Matters
When another’s careless actions cause you harm, you have the right to hold them accountable for all the physical, financial, and emotional damages they’ve caused. But securing the full compensation you deserve isn’t easy—especially when Landstar and its insurance companies will do everything possible to minimize your claim.
An experienced truck accident lawyer will:
- Ensure you receive the best medical care to aid your recovery.
- Accurately calculate your damages, including both current and future losses.
- Fight back against the trucking company’s tactics to avoid liability.
- Take your case to trial if the trucking company refuses to pay what you’re owed.
Can Landstar Be Held Responsible if Its Drivers Are Independent Contractors?
Yes. While Landstar may claim its drivers are independent contractors to avoid responsbility, that doesn’t mean they’re off the hook. Under federal law, trucking companies that operate under a U.S. DOT number—like Landstar—can still be held accountable for the safety of the trucks and drivers operating under their authority.
Depending on the circumstances of the crash, other parties may also be responsible, including:
- The truck’s owner: If maintenance failures contributed to the accident, the truck owner (whether Landstar, the driver, or a leasing company) could be held accountable.
- Shippers and brokers: If the cargo was improperly loaded or a broker failed to vet the driver properly, these parties may also share liability.
- Truck and parts manufacturers: If the accident was caused by a defective component (such as faulty brakes or tires), the manufacturer could also be held responsible.
At Zehl & Associates, we conduct in-depth investigations to identify every liable party and ensure Landstar—and anyone else responsible—can’t escape accountability.
Recovering Maximum Compensation After a Landstar Truck Accident
At Zehl & Associates, we are not like high-volume law firms that take on as many cases as possible. Our undefeated truck accident attorneys prioritize quality over quantity, focusing on maximizing results for each individual client.
Because we limit our caseload, we are able to dedicate our full resources, manpower, and expertise to every case—and we stand by our clients every step of the way.
How Our Client-First Approach Works:
- Our clients are more than cases. We work directly with you to ensure you see the top doctors in the nation, that your medical bills and reasonable living expenses are covered while your case is pending, and that you have assistance with financial planning once your case is resolved.
- We conduct independent investigations with top experts. Unlike trucking companies and their insurers—who often hide or destroy critical evidence—we work with the nation’s leading accident reconstructionists, engineers, and industry experts to uncover the truth. From black box data and driver logs to hidden maintenance records and GPS tracking, we leave no stone unturned to prove exactly what happened and who is responsible.
- We fight for maximum compensation—not quick settlements. From day one, we aggressively pursue every dollar you’re entitled to, including:
- Medical Expenses (past, present, and future)
- Lost Wages & Reduced Earning Capacity
- Pain & Suffering
- Disfigurement & Permanent Disability
- Punitive Damages
- Wrongful Death Damages
- We prepare every case for trial from day one. Because of our 100% success rate in the courtroom, trucking companies know we won’t back down—and if they refuse to pay what you deserve, we’ll take them to trial and win.
Every truck accident case is unique. But no matter the circumstances, we use our deep knowledge of federal safety regulations, relentless legal strategy, and unwavering commitment to our clients to hold the trucking company and other at-fault parties fully accountable.
Because of this approach, we’ve consistently secured the largest record-breaking verdicts and settlements in Texas — results that high-volume firms simply can’t match.
We Don’t Just Win. We Set Records.
Trucking companies know our reputation. They know we don’t settle for less than you deserve—and if they don’t pay up, we’ll take them to trial and win.
That’s why truck accident victims in Texas and across the U.S. trust Zehl & Associates to fight for them — and why we continue to set records for the largest verdicts and settlements in the country.
Our recent victories include:
- #1 Largest Truck Accident Settlement in Texas
- $37.5 Million for Texas truck accident victim (2024)
- $35 Million record-breaking 18 wheeler accident settlement in distracted driving crash (2025)
- $32 Million settlement for a Texas family severely injured in a head-on by a fatigued oilfield truck driver
- $23.5 Million settlement for Texas truck accident victim
Contact the Undefeated Texas 18 Wheeler Accident Attorneys from Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers for Help Today. Call (888) 603-3636
With Billions won, including the #1 largest truck accidents and verdicts in Texas, our Undefeated Truck Accident Lawyers don’t just win for our clients and their families – we set records.
For more information, please contact our Undefeated truck accidents attorneys in Texas at Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers to schedule a free consultation today.
We’ll answer all your questions, explain your rights and options, and provide you with all the information you need to decide what’s best for you and your family.
All consultations are free, and you won’t pay us a dollar unless we win your case.
We proudly serve Harris County, Midland County, and throughout the state of Texas. We are located in Houston and Midland and throughout the state of Texas:
Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers – Houston
2700 Post Oak Blvd #1000, Houston, TX 77056
(888) 603-3636
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Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers – Midland
306 W Wall St Suite 701, Midland, TX 79701
(432) 220-0000
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