Hire an experienced San Antonio truck accident lawyer

There are several important ways that a truck accident in San Antonio can be different from an “ordinary” car accident involving personal vehicles. A few of the biggest reasons include: 

• Liability. While fault for most car accidents rests with one driver or the other, liability in a trucking accident may be shared by a truck driver, the trucking company, manufacturers, maintenance companies, cargo loaders, third-party contractors, and more. 

• Insurance coverage. Commercial vehicle operators must carry much higher insurance coverage amounts than personal vehicle owners. This often means that injury victims can recover much higher settlements when a trucking company is involved. 

• Complexity. Trucking cases are highly complex and require thorough investigation to uncover all the necessary sources of evidence and discover which rules and laws may have been violated. Plus, large trucking companies defend cases aggressively and may even hide evidence.

For these reasons and more, we strongly recommend you speak to a San Antonio truck accident lawyer as soon as possible after an accident with any commercial vehicle.

RELATED: Why taking quick action after a commercial truck accident is so important 

Compared to typical car accident cases, trucking accident cases are very complex, and the victims of these wrecks and their loved ones face unique challenges. Below are some of the things that make truck wreck personal injury claims more difficult:

• The laws that govern the trucking industry are very complicated. Understanding them requires lots of knowledge and training. 

• Large trucking companies and their insurers often have big legal teams and lots of money. They will fight tooth and nail to avoid taking responsibility for their negligence. 

• Multiple parties are usually involved. As a victim, you may sue the truck driver, the trucking company, the manufacturer of a defective part, or other companies or people who caused the crash or made it worse. Plus, large trucks sometimes crash into more than one vehicle, so other victims may be filing lawsuits as well. 

• Large trucks are complex vehicles with many more parts compared to a passenger car or motorcycle. Proving that a semi-truck accident was the result of a failed part or poor maintenance requires detailed knowledge of how these commercial trucks work. 

• Truck crashes often result in catastrophic injuries such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, and more. We may need to obtain extensive medical records and work with multiple experts to calculate and support a fair demand for financial compensation.

Trucking companies and their insurance companies also regularly use shocking methods to avoid paying victims fair compensation. We have seen unsafe and unethical truck companies:

• Pressure injured victims to make recorded statements that may damage their case. 

• Set up surveillance to spy on injured victims. 

• Destroy or dispose of key evidence to cover up their wrongdoing. 

• Make unreasonably low settlement offers to resolve the claim before victims speak to an attorney about their rights.

To level the playing field against these powerful companies, you need an aggressive and experienced San Antonio truck accident lawyer who will protect your interests while forcing the people who harmed you to take responsibility for their actions. 

Most truck accidents result from preventable causes, including driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speeding, distracted driving, driver fatigue, and other driver errors. In a study conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) of truck accidents where a large truck was coded as having a “critical reason” contributing to the accident, the driver was attributed as a critical reason 87% of the time. The vehicle itself was considered a critical factor 10% of the time, and the environment 3% of the time. 

Not all trucking accidents result from truck driver negligence, though. The trucking companies themselves are legally responsible for the drivers they put on the road and often share blame for deadly wrecks as they try to squeeze out extra profits at the expense of safety. Examples of factors that cause these types of crashes are: 

• Overloaded or improperly loaded trucks 

• Unreasonable delivery deadlines and hours 

• Inadequate driver training 

• Defective equipment

Far too many trucking companies pressure truck drivers to pull extra-long shifts, often in violation of laws and regulations, so they can make more deliveries or move products faster. This leads to speeding and drowsy driving. When you combine these dangerous behaviors with a massive 18-wheeler that weighs up to 80,000 pounds, the results can be catastrophic. 

As delivery costs rise, some trucking companies also cut corners to stay profitable. They may neglect to do inspections or fail to replace worn out or defective parts. These reckless practices contribute to the number of deaths caused by semi-truck accidents and other large truck crashes each year. 

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), large trucks accounted for 9% of vehicles involved in fatal crashes in 2023, killing 5,472 people. 

The truck accident attorneys at Crosley Law understand the pain that trucking accident victims go through and the challenges they face. We use our experience and resources to stand up for them. To uncover the truth about what caused your crash and fight for justice, we will:

• Send accident reconstruction experts to the scene so they can gather vital evidence and help prove your claim. 

• Examine driver logbooks to see if he or she was driving longer hours than the law allows, and any other records that might show if a driver had a history of unsafe driving or disciplinary action. 

• Obtain dash cam footage, “black box” recorded data, and other evidence to help us piece together what happened at the time of the accident—and who was responsible. 

• Hire trucking safety experts to determine if the truck was overloaded, had a mechanical malfunction, lacked proper blind spot mirrors, or had any other safety violations. 

• Investigate whether the trucking company performed required inspections and repairs. 

• Take witnesses statements and interview the trucker responsible to determine if they were speeding, driving aggressively, distracted, or engaging in any other negligent and unsafe behavior.

When the insurance company tries to cover up the causes of the crash and minimize or deny your claim, our truck accident law firm has the resources and expertise to fight back. To do so, we use the following methods: 

• We collect under-oath statements from corporate representatives. 

• We work with multiple experts for accident reconstruction, medical care planning, and more. 

• We produce high-tech, detailed computer animations to show a jury exactly how the accident occurred.

RELATED: How neurologists help traumatic brain injury lawyers prove cases 

According to Texas law, you typically have two years to file a truck crash lawsuit. However, we urge you to speak with an experienced San Antonio truck accident lawyer as soon as possible after your crash, as your case may become much more difficult to win if you wait too long. 

Evidence starts to disappear quickly after a Texas truck accident. By law, trucking companies only have to keep certain records for a brief period of time. Unless you or your attorney move quickly to legally protect those documents, the truck company will not hesitate to destroy electric logging records and other data, particularly if that evidence could prove their driver was at fault. 

You cannot count on the trucking company or their insurer to do the right thing. Hiring a skilled San Antonio truck accident lawyer is your best chance to protect your rights and get fair compensation. 

Truck crashes tend to result in higher settlements on average than other types of car crashes. This is largely due to more severe injuries and a greater amount of insurance coverage available. 

At Crosley Law, our overall average case value for all personal injury cases is about $250,000. For truck accidents specifically, the average is higher than that. Some of our biggest wins have been for commercial truck accidents, including $16 million for a man injured in a wrong-way semi truck collision and $2.5 million for the family of a man killed by a trucker who was violating regulations. 

As with other types of motor vehicle accidents, you can claim the following types of damages in your truck crash claim: 

• Economic damages. These cover how much the truck crash cost you in financial terms, both now and in the future. Examples include medical expenses, lost wages, and reduced future earning potential. 

• Non-economic damages. Severe injuries and fatalities take more than just a financial toll on crash victims. You can demand compensation for pain and suffering, emotional trauma, disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, and other physical pain and emotional injuries. 

• Punitive damages. If the truck driver or trucking company acted with flagrant, reckless disregard for safety or the law, punitive damages meant to punish them might be awarded. A personal injury attorney with trial experience can help you determine whether punitive damages may be realistic in your case.

Major factors that influence how much a case is worth include:

• Total medical expenses attributable to the crash 

• Total lost wages 

• Amount of insurance coverage available 

• How clear the liability is in the case (e.g., was it clearly one person’s fault, or is responsible shared or debatable?) 

• “Aggravating facts” that make the at-fault party less sympathetic in the eyes of a jury

Trucking and commercial vehicle companies must carry large insurance policies. This means that the maximum compensation you can realistically recover is often much higher than in a regular car crash with a driver carrying only the minimum personal coverage. However, it also means that insurance companies will fight your truck accident claim aggressively because they have so much more to lose. 

Everyone deserves experienced legal representation. Crosley Law offers free consultations so we can listen to your story and give you honest advice about your rights and legal options, at no cost to you. 

If we take on your case, we have a no-fee policy: We won’t charge you a cent unless we get you a settlement or win your case in court. Our attorney fee is taken as a percentage of your settlement and verdict. We’ll even cover your legal and case frees up front. If we don’t win for you, you owe nothing. 

Call 210-529-3000 or fill out the free consultation request form at the bottom this page and we’ll get in touch with you right away. 

Whether your case goes to trial or settles out of court, our work does not end when you make a financial recovery. After your case reaches a resolution: 

• We will work with medical providers and health insurers to reduce your medical bills and resolve hospital liens. 

• We will continue to stay in touch and help you recover from the lifelong physical, mental, emotional, and financial costs of a truck accident.

Our biggest reward is seeing you recover and lead a life as close as possible to the one you had before someone else hurt you in a crash. That will always be our main goal.