Personal Injury
Commercial Truck Wrecks
18-wheeler and commercial vehicle collisions, including federal motor carrier rule violations.
A loaded 18-wheeler weighs roughly 20 times what a passenger car weighs. When one strikes you on US-83, IH-69, or any of the produce and oilfield corridors that cross the Rio Grande Valley, the physics of the impact are different and so is the legal case. Truck wrecks are not just bigger car wrecks. They are governed by federal regulations, involve more potential defendants, and the carriers know it.
Within hours of a serious commercial collision, the motor carrier dispatches a rapid-response team: an adjuster, a defense investigator, sometimes an accident reconstructionist. They photograph the scene, secure the driver's qualification file, and start building a defense before the injured driver leaves the emergency room. If you do not move just as fast, evidence disappears: hours-of-service logs are overwritten, ECM (engine control module) data is downloaded by the defense, dash-cam footage is "lost" in the 30-day retention cycle.
These cases routinely involve violations of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations - hours-of-service, driver qualification, vehicle maintenance, drug and alcohol testing, cargo securement. We pursue both the driver and the motor carrier under direct negligence and negligent hiring / training / retention theories, and where the equipment failed, we look at brake manufacturers, trailer owners, and shippers.
Damages in truck cases tend to be larger because the injuries tend to be more severe: traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, multiple orthopedic surgeries, and wrongful death. Recovery often requires going after multiple insurance layers - the primary policy, excess/umbrella, and sometimes the shipper's coverage - which takes preparation, not luck.
Common scenarios
Situations we see often
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Tractor-trailer rear-ends you in stopped traffic on US-83
You slow for construction. The 18-wheeler behind you does not. The driver was 11 hours into a shift and the carrier's log was edited after the crash.
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Unsecured load comes off a flatbed
A piece of oilfield pipe shifts and falls into your lane on FM-755. The driver, the trucking company, the shipper, and the loading crew may all share fault.
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Underride at a rural intersection
A trailer makes a slow left turn across a dark FM road with no working underride guard. The injuries are catastrophic and the carrier disputes everything from speed to visibility.
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Produce truck rollover in a rain event
A refrigerated trailer rolls in heavy rain after the driver took a curve too fast. Maintenance records show overdue tire replacement.
What to do
If this happens to you
Call 911 and get DPS or local police to the scene. Federal regulations require the trucking company to investigate, but you need an independent record. Take photos of the truck cab door, USDOT and MC numbers, trailer markings, and any visible cargo. Note whether there was a dash camera mounted in the cab. Get the names of every responding officer.
Seek medical care immediately and do not minimize symptoms. Get a lawyer involved within days, not weeks - we need to send spoliation letters to the carrier before the ECM data, dash-cam footage, and electronic logging device (ELD) data are overwritten. Never give a recorded statement to the trucking company's adjuster.
How we help
How our firm can help
We send same-day spoliation letters demanding preservation of the ELD data, ECM download, driver qualification file, drug and alcohol test records, dispatch records, dash-cam footage, and maintenance history. We work with accident reconstructionists and commercial vehicle experts who can decode what the data actually shows.
We identify every potentially liable party - driver, motor carrier, broker, shipper, leasing company, maintenance contractor - and the full insurance tower behind each. We pursue both the underlying negligence claim and any independent claim against the carrier for negligent hiring, training, or supervision. When carriers play games with discovery, we move for sanctions.
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5,837
fatalities in large-truck crashes nationwide in 2022
NHTSA FARS, 2022
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11 hours
maximum driving time before mandatory rest under federal hours-of-service rules
49 CFR 395.3
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$750,000
minimum federal financial responsibility for most interstate freight carriers
49 CFR 387.9
Common questions
Questions about Commercial Truck Wrecks
Why is a truck case different from a regular car wreck?
Three reasons: federal regulations (FMCSRs) create independent grounds for liability, the carrier's rapid-response team starts working against you within hours, and the available insurance is usually much larger (commonly $1M to $5M+ per accident, sometimes more with excess coverage).
How quickly do I need to act?
Days, not weeks. ELD hours-of-service data, ECM downloads, and dash-cam footage are typically retained on a 30 to 90 day rolling cycle. Once it is gone, it is gone. We send preservation letters the same day we are retained.
Can I sue the trucking company directly, not just the driver?
Yes. Most cases plead both the driver's negligence and the carrier's independent negligence (hiring, training, retention, supervision, entrustment). In some cases the carrier admits respondeat superior in an effort to limit the case to the driver - we evaluate that strategically.
What if the truck was operated by an owner-operator?
Federal law generally holds the motor carrier whose USDOT and MC numbers were on the truck responsible for the truck's operation - even if the driver is technically an independent contractor. The leasing arrangement is a question of contract; the safety responsibility is largely set by regulation.
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