Houston sits at the center of one of the busiest commercial trucking corridors in the country. I-10 carries traffic from El Paso to the Port of Houston. I-45 connects Dallas to Galveston. I-69/US-59 funnels NAFTA freight north from Laredo. The result: a constant flow of fully-loaded 18-wheelers sharing the road with passenger vehicles — and a steady stream of devastating crashes.
Truck cases require a different playbook than typical auto claims. The truck's Electronic Logging Device (ELD), the driver's qualification file, the post-crash drug screen, the dashcam footage, the bill of lading — all of it sits on retention schedules that can run out in 30 to 90 days. If a litigation hold isn't sent within days of the crash, key evidence is legally discarded.
Federal regulations that govern Texas trucking
A trucking company's violation of any of these federal rules — and we routinely find multiple violations — is powerful evidence of negligence in front of a Texas jury. We pull the company's federal safety scores, prior crashes, and inspection history as part of every investigation.
Who is liable in a Texas truck crash?
Unlike a car wreck where the driver's policy is usually the whole pie, truck cases routinely have five or more potentially liable parties. Identifying every responsible party multiplies the available coverage and gets you closer to full recovery.
- The truck driver (negligent operation, HOS violations)
- The motor carrier / trucking company (negligent hiring, training, supervision)
- The freight broker (broker-shipper liability)
- The truck or trailer manufacturer (defective brakes, tires, hitches)
- The cargo loader (shifted/overweight loads)
- The maintenance contractor (bad inspections, missed defects)
Common 18-wheeler crash types
- Rear-end collisions (driver fatigue, distracted driving)
- Jackknife accidents (sudden braking, slippery surfaces)
- Underride accidents (passenger vehicle goes under the trailer)
- Override accidents (truck rolls over the smaller vehicle)
- Rollovers (high-speed turns, top-heavy loads)
- Wide-turn / right-turn squeeze
- Tire blowouts & cargo spills
- Runaway truck (brake failure on grades)
What we do in the first 72 hours
Truck claims are won or lost in the first few days. Our investigation team typically:
- Sends a litigation hold letter to the motor carrier preserving ELD data, dashcam footage, DQ files, and inspection records
- Retrieves the Texas Peace Officer's Crash Report (CR-3) and any DPS commercial vehicle enforcement report
- Pulls the carrier's SAFER and DOT history (prior crashes, BASIC scores, prior violations)
- Engages an accident reconstructionist while skid marks and debris are still on-scene
- Identifies every insurance policy in the chain (primary liability, excess, MCS-90 endorsement, broker policies)
Compensation we pursue
- Past and future medical expenses (often catastrophic)
- Lost wages and lost earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish and PTSD
- Disfigurement and permanent disability
- Loss of consortium
- Punitive damages for gross negligence (HOS fraud, drug/alcohol violations)
Frequently asked questions
Why are truck accident cases more complex than car cases?
Truck cases involve federal FMCSA regulations on driver hours, maintenance, and load securement; multiple potentially liable parties; higher policy limits but more aggressive defense; and time-sensitive evidence (ELD data, driver qualification files, dashcam footage) that can be lawfully destroyed on retention schedules if a hold letter isn't sent fast.
Who can be sued after a Texas 18-wheeler accident?
Depending on facts: the truck driver, the motor carrier, the freight broker, the truck or trailer manufacturer, the cargo loader, and any maintenance contractor. Identifying every responsible party is critical — it multiplies available coverage and is usually how seven-figure recoveries happen on commercial truck cases.
What evidence matters most in a truck accident claim?
ELD hours-of-service data, the driver qualification file, post-crash drug and alcohol test results, vehicle inspection (DVIR) reports, the truck's black box (ECM) download, dashcam footage, and the bill of lading. Much of this is destroyed on routine retention schedules — usually 30–90 days. A spoliation letter must go out fast.
How much is a Texas 18-wheeler case worth?
It depends on injuries, fault, and available coverage — but truck cases tend to involve higher policy limits (federal minimums require $750,000 for general freight and $5 million for hazardous materials), which means seven-figure recoveries are far more common than in standard auto cases. We've recovered well into the seven figures on commercial crash cases. Call us with your facts.
What if the truck driver wasn't ticketed at the scene?
The ticketing decision at a Texas crash scene is often a snapshot of what an officer could prove in 20 minutes on the roadside — not a final determination of civil liability. Our investigation routinely uncovers HOS violations, maintenance failures, and prior incidents that establish negligence even when no citation was issued.