Truck Accidents
Commercial truck accidents involve federal safety regulations, multiple defendants, and higher insurance stakes than standard car accident claims.
Why Truck Accidents Require a Different Approach
A collision with a fully loaded commercial truck can cause injuries far more severe than a typical car accident, and the legal process afterward is more complex too. Trucking companies carry large insurance policies and have legal teams ready to respond within hours of a crash, often before the injured party has even left the hospital. Their goal is to limit what the company owes, not to make sure you’re treated fairly.
Lozano & Khan moves just as quickly on your behalf: securing black box data, driver logs, and maintenance records before they can be lost or overwritten, and identifying every party who may be responsible, from the driver to the trucking company to a negligent maintenance contractor.
Common Causes and Responsible Parties
Truck accidents can involve multiple causes and responsible parties. Understanding what happened is an important step toward pursuing accountability and compensation.
Common Causes We See
- Driver fatigue from violating federal hours-of-service rules
- Improperly loaded or secured cargo
- Poor vehicle maintenance
- Distracted or impaired driving
- Inadequate training by trucking companies
Who Can Be Held Responsible
- The truck driver
- The trucking company
- A cargo loading company
- A vehicle maintenance contractor
- The truck or parts manufacturer, in some cases
Texas and Federal Rules That Apply
Commercial trucking is governed by both Texas law and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations covering driver hours, vehicle inspections, and cargo weight limits. A violation of these federal rules can be powerful evidence of negligence, but it takes an attorney familiar with these regulations to identify and use it effectively.
Why Speed Matters in Truck Accident Cases
Evidence in trucking cases can disappear quickly: electronic logging data can be overwritten, and trucking companies are not required to preserve everything indefinitely. The sooner an attorney sends a formal preservation request, the more evidence stays available to support your claim.
Common Questions
Mostly Asked Questions
Both may be liable. Texas law allows injured parties to pursue claims against the truck driver, the trucking company, the cargo loader, and in some cases the vehicle manufacturer. An experienced Texas truck accident attorney identifies every responsible party.
Commercial truck drivers and carriers must comply with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations covering hours of service, vehicle maintenance, driver qualifications, and cargo loading. Violations of these federal standards often establish liability in Texas truck accident cases.
Truck accident claims involve federal regulations, multiple liable parties, commercial insurance policies, and significantly higher damages. They require immediate evidence preservation including black box data, driver logs, and maintenance records before they are altered or destroyed.
Key evidence includes the truck's electronic logging device data, driver qualification files, maintenance records, cargo documentation, police reports, witness statements, and expert accident reconstruction analysis. An attorney should be involved early to secure this evidence before it disappears.
Yes. Under Texas law, trucking companies can be held directly liable for negligent hiring, inadequate training, improper vehicle maintenance, and violations of federal safety regulations that contributed to the accident.
Texas gives you two years from the date of the truck accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. However, evidence in commercial truck cases can disappear quickly. Contacting a Texas truck accident attorney immediately after the crash protects your claim.