Houston Truck Accident Lawyer

Accidents involving 18-wheelers and commercial trucks often cause serious injuries and involve trucking companies with teams of lawyers and investigators. Oxner Legha represents injured people and families in truck accident claims across Houston, Jersey Village, and Cypress. Consultations are free, and there is no attorney’s fee unless we recover compensation for you.

Why Truck Accident Cases Are Different

A crash with an 18-wheeler, delivery truck, or other commercial vehicle is not just a bigger car accident. Trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, so injuries are often catastrophic. These cases also involve trucking companies, commercial insurers, and federal safety rules, and the companies involved often send investigators to the scene quickly to protect their own interests.

Who Can Be Responsible for a Truck Accident?

Unlike most car accidents, a truck crash can involve several responsible parties, including:

• The truck driver, for unsafe driving, fatigue, distraction, or impairment
• The trucking company, for negligent hiring, training, supervision, or pressuring drivers to break safety rules
• The cargo shipper or loader, for overloaded or improperly secured cargo
• The maintenance company, for faulty brakes, tires, or other equipment
• The truck or parts manufacturer, for defective components

Identifying every responsible party matters because it can affect how much insurance coverage is available. Interstate trucking companies hauling general freight are generally required by federal rules to carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage, and many carry more.

Federal Trucking Safety Rules

Commercial trucks are regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and Texas law. Violations of these rules can be strong evidence of negligence. Common issues include:

• Hours-of-service violations, when drivers stay on the road longer than allowed and become fatigued
• Poor maintenance and inspection of brakes, tires, and lights
• Overweight or improperly secured loads
• Driver qualification problems, such as an invalid commercial driver’s license or failed drug and alcohol testing

Evidence Must Be Preserved Quickly

Much of the most important evidence in a truck accident case belongs to the trucking company, including electronic logging device (ELD) data, the truck’s “black box” data, driver logs, dispatch records, maintenance files, and dash camera video. Some of this information can be overwritten or discarded if no one asks for it to be preserved. Contacting an attorney early allows us to send a preservation letter and start investigating while the evidence still exists.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Houston

• Driver fatigue and hours-of-service violations
• Speeding, tailgating, and unsafe lane changes on I-10, US-290, I-45, Beltway 8, and the Grand Parkway
• Wide turns, jackknifes, and rollovers
• Brake and tire failures
• Shifting or overloaded cargo
• Blind-spot collisions

Compensation in a Truck Accident Case

• Past and future medical care, including surgery and rehabilitation
• Lost wages and loss of earning capacity
• Pain and suffering and mental anguish
• Physical impairment and disfigurement
• Property damage
• Wrongful death damages for families who have lost a loved one

Deadlines and Fault Rules

In most cases, Texas law gives you two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit, and two years from the date of death for a wrongful death claim. Under Texas’s proportionate responsibility rule, you can recover as long as you are not more than 50% at fault, but your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault.

Truck Accident FAQs

How much does a truck accident lawyer cost?

Your consultation is free. We typically handle accident cases on a contingency fee basis, so our attorney’s fee is a percentage of what we recover for you, and you do not pay an attorney’s fee if there is no recovery. We will explain the fee and how case expenses are handled before you sign anything.

The trucking company’s insurer called me. What should I do?

Be cautious. You are not required to give a recorded statement to the trucking company’s insurer, and early settlement offers are often far less than what a serious injury claim is worth. Talk to an attorney first.

What if the truck driver was an independent contractor?

Trucking companies sometimes argue that they are not responsible because the driver was an independent contractor. Federal rules and the facts of the relationship can still make the company responsible. We will investigate who controlled the truck and the load.

Do truck accident cases take longer than car accident cases?

Often, yes. These cases can involve more parties, more insurance companies, and more evidence. Starting early helps keep the case moving.

Truck accidents are one part of our personal injury practice. We represent people injured in commercial vehicle crashes throughout Houston, Jersey Village, Cypress, and Northwest Houston.

The information on this page is general information, not legal advice. Every case is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.