Texas Truck Accident Lawyer — 18-Wheelers, Commercial Vehicles
Truck-accident cases are not big car-accident cases. They're a different animal — federal trucking regulations, multiple defendants, electronic control module (ECM) data, hours-of-service violations, and corporate insurance defense lawyers from day one. They require an attorney who knows what to look for and what to demand.
No fee unless we win. Available 24/7. Same-day response.
What to do after a commercial-truck collision
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Get to a hospital — not urgent care.
Truck collisions cause injuries that don't always present at the scene: traumatic brain injuries, internal bleeding, spine compression. ER imaging documents what's wrong before symptoms show.
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Get the truck's DOT number and trailer number.
Photograph the side of the cab and the back of the trailer. The Department of Transportation (DOT) number is what we use to identify the carrier, the driver, and prior violations. Many tractors and trailers have different owners.
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Preserve the evidence — fast.
Trucking companies are entitled to repair, repaint, and put their trucks back on the road. Within 48 hours we send a litigation hold letter requiring preservation of the ECM/black-box data, driver logs, GPS data, and dashcam footage.
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Refuse to talk to the trucking company's adjuster.
The carrier's insurer will be on scene fast — sometimes before the truck is towed. They will offer to 'help' with medical bills, ask for a recorded statement, and offer a check. Don't sign. Don't speak.
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Call Kent before the trucking company calls a lawyer.
Trucking carriers retain defense counsel within 24 hours of a serious crash. Your case starts behind unless you have a lawyer of your own immediately.
Federal trucking law and Texas: what's different
Commercial trucks are regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), not just Texas state law. Violations of federal rules — even minor-looking ones — are usable as evidence of negligence per se. That changes the case.
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Hours of service (HOS) limits
Drivers can drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off-duty, and no more than 14 hours total on-duty. Carriers and dispatchers regularly push these limits. ELD (electronic logging device) data tells the truth.
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Driver qualification files
FMCSA requires every driver have a complete qualification file: medical exam, prior employment, MVR, drug-test history. Missing pieces are evidence of negligent hiring.
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Multiple potential defendants
Beyond the driver: the motor carrier, the trailer owner, the broker, the shipper, the maintenance shop, the cargo loader. Identifying every responsible party expands the available insurance coverage.
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Higher minimum insurance — sometimes
FMCSA requires $750K minimum for general freight carriers, $1M for hazmat, $5M for certain hazmat. Major carriers carry far more. Your case isn't capped at Texas's 30/60/25 auto minimums.
Why Kent for truck-accident cases
Truck cases reward lawyers who know exactly what evidence to demand and how to read it. Kent's federal trial experience — including arguments before the Fifth Circuit — translates directly to litigating against interstate motor carriers and their defense teams.
Federal court experience
Truck cases involving interstate carriers often end up in federal court. Kent has been there. Many PI lawyers haven't.
Aggressive evidence preservation
Letter of preservation, FMCSA records pull, expedited subpoena for ECM data — within 48 hours of being retained. Carriers can't hide what they were already required to produce.
Trial track record on million-dollar exposures
30 years of jury work in cases where the verdict math runs into seven figures. Carriers' defense counsel calibrates their settlement offers accordingly.
Talk to Kent about your truck accidents case.
Free consultation. No fee unless we win. Same-day response.
Truck Accidents — frequently asked questions
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Do I have a different time limit for truck accidents in Texas?
No — the same two-year statute of limitations applies. But evidence in trucking cases disappears much faster (drivers leave companies, ECM data overwrites, maintenance records get archived), so the practical timeline is much shorter. Don't wait.
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Who can be sued in a truck-accident case?
The driver, the motor carrier, the trailer owner, the broker, the shipper, the maintenance contractor, and sometimes the cargo loader. Identifying every responsible party is one of the most important early-case decisions, because it expands the insurance available to compensate you.
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What is ECM/black-box data and why does it matter?
Modern trucks have engine control modules that record speed, throttle position, brake application, and other data in the seconds before a crash. This information often contradicts the driver's story. We send a preservation letter immediately so the carrier can't lawfully erase it.
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What's the difference between a truck accident and a regular car accident?
Federal regulation, multiple defendants, far higher insurance limits, faster-moving evidence, and aggressive defense counsel from day one. The cases are won or lost in the first 30 days based on what evidence gets preserved. Kent's been doing this long enough to know the move.