18 Wheeler Accident Lawyers Serving McAllen & DFW
An 18 wheeler at highway weight needs the length of a football field to stop. The carrier knows that, which is why its investigators reach the scene before the road reopens. We start on the same day so the record does not close without you in it.
- No fee unless we win
- Four Texas offices
- Se habla español
- Available 24/7
CONTACT US FOR A FREE CONSULTATION
Available 24/7
Tell us where the crash happened and what the truck was hauling. We will explain who gets notified first, which records have a shelf life, and what the next thirty days look like. It costs nothing to ask.
WHAT THE TRUCK KNOWS
The proof is inside the rig, and it does not last long
An 18-wheeler records its own trip. Speed, braking, hours behind the wheel, and every inspection that got skipped. Much of that data cycles out on a schedule measured in months or days, so the first letter we send matters more than the first document we file.
THE HOURS
Electronic logging device
The ELD stamps every driving hour. It shows whether the driver was legal, close to the limit, or already past it when your lane disappeared.
THE BLACK BOX
Engine control module
Speed, throttle position, brake application, and hard braking events in the seconds before impact. If the tractor gets repaired first, that download can be lost.
THE DRIVER
Qualification file
Road test results, medical certification, prior employers, and the violation history the carrier had a duty to review before handing over the keys.
THE LOAD
Weight and cargo paperwork
Bills of lading, scale tickets, and securement records show whether the trailer was overweight or loaded in a way that made it unstable.
THE UPKEEP
Inspection and repair history
Annual inspections, daily driver inspection reports, and the brake or tire defects that were written up and never corrected.
THE TRIP
Telematics and dispatch
GPS pings, dispatch messages, and camera footage that show the pressure the driver was under to hit a delivery window.
COVERAGE
An 18 wheeler claim is rarely one policy
Federal law sets a floor for interstate carriers, and for general freight that floor starts at $750,000. Hazardous loads carry a far higher requirement. Most carriers running Texas lanes buy well above the minimum and stack the rest in layers that only surface once someone asks for the full declarations page.
That matters when a crash produces a spinal injury, a brain injury, or a death. The gap between a driver personal policy and a stacked commercial tower is often the gap between a settlement that covers the first year and one that covers a lifetime.
- Primary motor carrier liability
- Trailer owner or lessor policy
- Broker and shipper contingent coverage
- Cargo and spill coverage
- Component manufacturer coverage
- Non trucking liability on personal use
- Excess and umbrella layers
- Tractor owner operator policy
- The federal MCS 90 endorsement
- Maintenance contractor liability
- Your own underinsured motorist coverage
- Self insured retention funds
THE FIRST TWO WEEKS
What has to happen before the trail goes cold
A carrier rapid response team is dispatched from the moment the call comes in. Adjusters, a defense investigator, and sometimes a reconstruction engineer are working the scene while you are still in the emergency room. They are not gathering evidence for you.
We move on the same clock. A preservation letter goes out early and it names the specific records the carrier is now on notice to hold. Once that letter lands, routine deletion stops being routine.
- Preservation letters to the carrier, the broker, and the trailer owner
- A download request for the engine control module before the tractor is repaired or sold
- Driver logs and supporting documents secured before the federal retention window closes
- Scene photographs, gouge and skid evidence, and nearby camera pulls before weather and traffic erase them
WHERE WE WORK
Two of the busiest freight markets in Texas
McAllen and the Rio Grande Valley. Freight crossing at the Pharr bridge feeds onto US 281 and Expressway 83, and a large share of it is running to a schedule set hundreds of miles away. Loaded rigs share those lanes with local traffic all day. Our McAllen office is on N. McColl Road and we take calls from Edinburg, Pharr, Mission, Weslaco, Harlingen, and Brownsville.
Dallas Fort Worth. I 35E, I 35W, I 20, I 30, and I 45 move freight through the metroplex around the clock, and the Alliance corridor north of Fort Worth adds a constant flow of distribution traffic. Our office is on E. Campbell Road in Richardson and we handle cases across Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Irving, Plano, Garland, and Denton County.
HOW THESE CRASHES HAPPEN
18 wheeler wrecks we take
Every crash below turns on a different record. Knowing which one to ask for and how quickly is most of the work.
Wide right turn
The tractor swings left before turning right and a car in the next lane gets pinned against the curb.
Override
The tractor rides up over a stopped or slowing vehicle. Following distance and brake condition drive these cases.
Head on crossover
A drifting rig crosses the center line or the median. Fatigue and medical certification come first.
Brake failure
Brakes out of adjustment and worn linings show up on grades and at signalized intersections.
Drowsy driving
Overnight runs and pressured delivery windows. Log data and dispatch messages either match or they do not.
Merge and sideswipe
On ramps and lane drops where the trailer sweeps into the next lane. Mirror position and speed matter.
Flatbed load spill
Steel, pipe, and machinery that shifts or falls. Securement rules put duty on the loader as well as the driver.
Yard and backing
Docks, truck stops, and staging lots. Low speed does not mean low injury when the trailer is loaded.
FAQs
18 Wheeler Accident FAQ
Talk to an 18 Wheeler Lawyer Today
D&Z Law Firm handles 18 wheeler cases from our McAllen and Dallas Fort Worth offices, with additional locations in Austin and San Antonio. If a commercial rig hit you or someone in your family, call us. The consultation is free, we work on contingency, and we answer the phone around the clock.