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Texas has thousands of miles of highways, including major interstates such as I-10, which runs east-west; I-45 and I-35, which run north-south; and US 290, which runs from Houston to Austin. Thousands of 18-wheeler tractor-trailers and other large trucks travel each highway daily, and this sheer number leads to record numbers of commercial vehicle accidents in Texas.
According to the annual report prepared by the Texas Department of Transportation, over 70,000 registered commercial trucks and over 50,000 registered Motor Carriers operate in the US.
Delivery vans, such as those from UPS and DHL, are also a prevalent type of commercial vehicle frequently involved in accidents.
The transportation industry is expected to grow at a double-digit rate annually for several years, leading to a severe driver shortage. We have too many trucks to regulate, and our governmental resources are finite, making it challenging to monitor carriers and drivers regarding safety issues. Typically, safety issues are not revealed until after a serious crash.
It has been reported that over 608 fatalities occurred in Texas due to commercial vehicle accidents in 2024 alone. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, in 2024, Texas had over 39,000 accidents involving commercial motor vehicles, many of which were semi-truck accidents.
The Texas Highway Patrol investigates the most serious injury cases involving commercial vehicles on interstate highways. Its special accident reconstruction team has the latest mapping and surveying equipment.
The investigation focuses on the circumstances under which the accident occurred to determine liability.
Commercial vehicle accidents in Texas happen for many reasons. And understanding the cause of the accident is vital to building a strong case to protect your rights.
Unlike typical car accidents, commercial vehicle accidents often involve multiple parties, complex regulations, and circumstances that can make accurately determining liability a challenge.
Driver error is one of the top causes of commercial vehicle accidents. Truck drivers spend long hours on the road, and fatigue, speeding, and reckless driving can all contribute to serious crashes. Violations of federal regulations, such as how long a driver can be on the job or behind the wheel (known as hours of service), can increase the risk of a commercial vehicle accident, putting everyone on the road in danger.
Vehicle malfunction is another significant factor. Issues like brake failure, tire blowouts, and other mechanical failures can turn a routine trip into a disaster in seconds. Trucking companies are responsible for the regular maintenance of their commercial vehicles, and neglecting this vital duty can have devastating consequences.
Environmental conditions also play a major role. Poor weather, such as heavy rain or fog, can reduce visibility and increase stopping distance, making it harder for truck drivers to react in time. In very bad weather, professional drivers must discontinue driving until driving is safe.
In serious cases, the Texas Highway Patrol will “reconstruct” the accident, and the results may often be used in a truck accident lawsuit. Evidence collection at the accident scene is crucial, including gathering critical evidence such as black box data, driver logs, and the police report.
The Highway Patrol investigates trucking accidents all across the state, including The Woodlands and Conroe, TX. The trucking company’s insurance company will be at the scene of an accident involving a wrongful death within 24 hours of learning about it, and often before the authorities have removed the vehicles.
The victim or the victim’s family must hire a big-rig accident lawyer early on. The lawyer must investigate the accident before the evidence disappears or the vehicles are repaired. This early investigation should include collecting witness contact information and obtaining witness statements, which can provide unbiased accounts to support the case.
Seeking immediate medical attention and a thorough medical evaluation after a commercial vehicle accident is crucial, even for minor injuries, to ensure proper documentation and care. Promptly seeking medical attention not only protects your health but also strengthens your legal case by providing accurate records of your injuries.
Given the extreme weight of 18-wheeler tractor-trailers, the aftermath of a wreck is usually ugly. Those lucky enough to survive often have serious injuries such as spinal cord fractures, traumatic brain injury, and paralysis, and many require at least one surgery (if not multiple) at great expense.
Recovering from a tractor-trailer accident can be a job enough for anyone, yet victims are also forced to pay high medical bills or deductibles when they cannot work. This puts a heavy burden on the victim or their family. Some individuals have good health insurance that covers most bills, but others face substantial out-of-pocket expenses, and in some cases, medical expenses can continue indefinitely.
Medical treatment, medical records, and medical costs are key components of the damages victims face, as they help verify the extent of injuries and support claims for both current and future expenses.
Truck wreck damages:
Legal damages for personal injury in Texas include such items as:
These damages are presented to a jury to answer for past and future actions.
Often, a life care planner calculates the total lifetime cost of medical care for permanent injuries that will incur significant future medical expenses. These professionals are Doctors who work with a team of medical professionals to protect the victim’s future medical needs.
Where the victim of a trucking accident did not survive, the family seeks damages for the wrongful death and survival claims. The wrongful death case involves damages known in law as “pecuniary loss,” which is the loss of the person and their economic contribution to the family. The human loss in a wrongful death case is called “loss of companionship and society,” and a separate question is posed for “mental anguish.”
Where the driver’s company acted with “Malice,” more than mere negligence or thoughtlessness, exemplary damages in a truck accident may be appropriate. In Texas, such damages have been capped by statute under recent “tort reform.” However, when exemplary damages can be submitted to a jury, they can help the family recover economic justice for the bad actions of a trucker or his company.
Achieving fair compensation for all losses suffered, including medical costs, lost wages, property damage, and emotional distress, is the goal of our Texas commercial vehicle accident lawyer.
Most commercial vehicle accidents involve serious injury and /or death. Because a typical rig can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, occupants of a 4,000-pound passenger car hit by a semi-truck have little hope of escaping serious injury on impact.
Fortunately, trucking companies usually have significant insurance coverage for legal damages related to injuries.
Given the serious injury potential of large commercial vehicles, the minimum insurance required for commercial trucks over 10,000 pounds, subject to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, is $750,000. In our experience, most motor carriers carry at least a one-million-dollar primary policy, and companies with more than a few trucks carry an umbrella policy.
The limits of these insurance policies can directly affect the potential settlement amount that victims may receive in a claim.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations require larger insurance coverage for trucks carrying hazardous material and commercial passenger vehicles.
Given the propensity for serious injury and wrongful death arising from an 18-wheeler accident, most insurance companies that underwrite large Truckers’ Insurance Policies have “quick response teams” on the site of the accident within 24 hours or less. It is crucial to identify all parties involved in the accident, as multiple entities may share responsibility.
Such teams gather information to defend a wrongful death or serious injury lawsuit. The defense of truck accident cases frequently centers on efforts to shift responsibility from the driver or company to the plaintiff or other third parties. Victims may need to pursue legal action and navigate the legal process to ensure the responsible parties are held liable for their actions.
18-wheeler accidents can cause the death of one or more occupants of the car struck by the tractor-trailer. The sheer weight and size of the trucks magnify the possibility of death or serious injury. Trucks are much more difficult to stop and control than a family car.
Trucking regulations, such as driver hours of service and pre-trip inspections, aim to make our roads safer. However, estimates of traffic fatalities in the US are as high as 45,000 annually, and many of these involve commercial trucks.
In addition to driver error, various factors, including mechanical failures like tire blowouts, can contribute to commercial vehicle accidents.
Violating safety rules can be crucial evidence in personal injury or wrongful death litigation involving a truck driver and a trucking company. The federal regulations, which have been largely adopted in the state of Texas, represent additional standards of care beyond those imposed on everyday drivers.
The safety rules are necessary due to the potential for injury from an 80,000-pound vehicle. The greater force of large commercial vehicles increases the risk and severity of accidents compared to smaller passenger vehicles.
If you have lost a loved one in a truck accident, get the best truck accident attorney you can find. Choose a personal injury attorney in Texas with combined experience in handling commercial vehicle accident cases, as the earlier you retain a truck accident attorney, the better position you put them in to help your family.
Be wary of hiring an attorney without a significant track record in successfully prosecuting truck accidents. Do your homework and call the best commercial vehicle accident lawyers in Texas.
We offer a free case evaluation for those seeking legal advice about their commercial vehicle accident or personal injury claim.
Read More: Why Hire Truck Accident Lawyer Greg Baumgartner?
Related Articles:
Texas Wrongful Death 18 Wheeler Accident Lawyer
About Texas Wrongful Death Trucking Accident Lawsuits
Understanding the Role of Wrongful Death Attorneys
Some helpful links are http://www.txdps.state.tx.us –the Texas DPS, and
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) at https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov.
