Personal Injury — All 254 Texas Counties
Texas 18-Wheeler Accident Lawyers
Commercial truck accidents involve layers of liability — the driver, the trucking company, the freight broker, and the vehicle manufacturer may each be responsible. Texas Defense Team investigates all liable parties and fights for full compensation. No fee unless we win.
Why Commercial Truck Accidents Are Different
An 18-wheeler accident claim is fundamentally different from a standard car accident claim:
Multiple liable parties: The truck driver, the trucking company (vicarious liability), the freight broker (if negligent in hiring), the shipper (improperly loaded cargo), the leasing company (defective maintenance), and the vehicle manufacturer (product defect) may all have liability.
Federal regulations: Commercial motor carriers are governed by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations — 49 C.F.R. Parts 390–399. Violations of hours-of-service rules (49 C.F.R. §395), maintenance requirements, drug testing, and driver qualification standards establish negligence per se.
Electronic logging devices: Modern trucks record hours of service electronically. This data must be preserved immediately — it is frequently deleted or overwritten after 6 months. A preservation letter must be sent within days of the accident.
Higher damages: Commercial trucks weigh up to 80,000 pounds — accidents cause catastrophic injuries (spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injury, amputations, wrongful death). Economic damages in serious truck accident cases routinely reach seven figures.
Trucking company's insurance carrier acts fast: Major carriers immediately dispatch accident response teams and investigators. The trucking company's lawyers start building their defense within hours. You need representation equally fast.
- 49 C.F.R. §395 — FMCSA hours-of-service rules — maximum driving and rest requirements
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §33.001 — Modified comparative fault — 51% bar
Evidence in Texas Commercial Truck Accident Cases
Critical evidence in a commercial truck accident case that must be preserved immediately:
• Electronic logging device (ELD) data and driver log books
• Truck black box / event data recorder
• Dashcam footage (truck-mounted and nearby surveillance cameras)
• Driver qualification file (background check, driving record, drug test history)
• Drug and alcohol test results from post-accident testing (required by FMCSA for serious accidents)
• Maintenance and inspection records for the specific truck
• Cargo loading records and bills of lading
• Cell phone records of the driver
• Trip planning records and dispatch communications
Texas Defense Team sends preservation letters to all relevant parties immediately and works with accident reconstruction experts to establish the cause of the crash.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sue the trucking company — not just the driver — in Texas?+
Yes. Trucking companies are vicariously liable for the negligence of their employee drivers under respondeat superior. They also face direct liability for negligent hiring, negligent training, negligent entrustment, and negligent supervision. Both the driver and the company are named defendants in most commercial truck accident lawsuits.
What is the statute of limitations for a truck accident lawsuit in Texas?+
The standard personal injury statute of limitations is 2 years under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §16.003. However, do not wait — ELD data, black box data, and other critical evidence is overwritten or deleted within weeks or months. The sooner you retain an attorney, the more evidence can be preserved.