San Antonio Truck Accident Lawyers
JRE Injury Law is a San Antonio truck accident and personal injury law firm that represents people injured by 18-wheelers, delivery vans and other commercial trucks.
Our attorneys have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for their clients over their careers.
100% free. Done in 3 minutes.
A truck accident is a collision involving a commercial truck, such as an 18-wheeler, box truck or delivery van, and it tends to cause severe injuries because a loaded tractor-trailer can weigh up to 80,000 pounds and needs far more room to stop than a car.
If a truck hit you, you may pursue medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and lost earning capacity. It is a personal injury claim with more rules, more records and more insurance than an ordinary car wreck.
Joseph R. Echavarria of JRE Injury Law is a San Antonio truck accident attorney and former Bexar County prosecutor who has represented injured Texans since 2007.
Serving all of San Antonio and the Hill Country and every stretch of I‑35, I‑10 and Loop 1604 in between. Our aggressive San Antonio truck accident attorneys are ready to take your case to trial. A trial-tested team beside you, no matter the size of your claim.
Clients rate us an average of 5.0 stars across 350+ Google reviews. When you call, you speak with a personal injury attorney, not a call center, in English or Spanish.
Call our San Antonio office at (210) 272-0101 or use our secure online contact form for a free case review. You Pay Nothing Unless You Win.
Truck Accident Case Results from JRE’s Of-Counsel Trial Attorneys
- More than $200,000 for a client injured in an 18-wheeler crash (Shaw Cowart, LLP – Ethan L. Shaw Of Counsel to JRE Injury Law).
- $125,000 by judgment against a trucking company in Babineaux & Mink v. Trammel Time Trucking, LLC (Shaw Cowart, LLP – Ethan L. Shaw Of Counsel to JRE Injury Law).
- $2.25 million for a father and son in a T-bone crash, won by proving the driver was on the job rather than commuting (Jorge Mares Of Counsel to JRE Injury Law, with co-counsel David Fuentes).
- Youngblood v. Fell, a four-fatality crash involving a rental truck, resolved by confidential settlement with Ethan L. Shaw, Of Counsel to JRE Injury Law, as lead counsel.
- Bond & Wheeler v. Builders Systems Group: a confidential settlement for two workers hurt in a commercial auto accident (Shaw Cowart, LLP – Ethan L. Shaw Of Counsel to JRE Injury Law).
- Confidential resolutions in other commercial trucking cases (Shaw Cowart, LLP – Ethan L. Shaw Of Counsel to JRE Injury Law).
- Mr. Shaw has also defended an 18-wheeler operator to a take-nothing verdict in Deleon v. Merrick, so he knows how trucking companies and their insurers defend these cases.
Which steps protect a truck accident claim in the first week?
Four things protect your claim in the first week: medical care, the crash report, the trucking company’s identity and a demand that the carrier preserve its evidence. Take these steps:
- Get checked the same day. Serious injuries usually go to University Hospital or Brooke Army Medical Center, both Level I trauma centers.
- Note who responded: SAPD inside city limits, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office in unincorporated areas, or DPS troopers on some highways. Order the CR-3 report from the TxDOT Crash Report Online Purchase System.
- Photograph the cab door, which shows the company name and USDOT number, plus the trailer and plates.
- Save your dashcam video, photos and witness names.
- Give no recorded statement to the trucking company’s insurer before you talk with a truck accident lawyer.
The first thing our truck accident attorneys do is send a preservation (spoliation) letter demanding that the carrier keep the truck, its electronic data and the driver’s records. While it goes out, we arrange your chiropractic, physical therapy, imaging and physician appointments and handle your vehicle repair or total-loss payout, so you can focus on healing.
Why was someone from the trucking company at the scene so fast?
Many carriers and insurers send rapid-response teams of investigators and adjusters to a serious crash within hours. They document the scene to protect the trucking company, not you, so their questions can wait until you have talked with an attorney.
What records does a trucking company have to keep, and for how long?
Federal rules make a motor carrier keep detailed safety records, but many can be discarded within months, so our lawyers request them in the first week.
| Record | What it can show | Minimum federal retention |
|---|---|---|
| Hours-of-service logs (ELD) | Driving past the hours limits | 6 months (49 CFR § 395.8(k)) |
| Driver vehicle inspection reports | Reported defects and repairs | 3 months (49 CFR § 396.11) |
| Inspection, repair and maintenance records | Brake, tire and steering work | 1 year, and 6 months after the truck leaves the carrier’s control (49 CFR § 396.3) |
| Driver qualification file | License, medical card, driving record | Employment plus 3 years (49 CFR § 391.51) |
| Drug and alcohol test records | Failed or refused tests | 5 years for positives and refusals; 1 year for negatives (49 CFR § 382.401) |
| Accident register | The carrier’s other crashes | 3 years (49 CFR § 390.15) |
| Engine control module data and dashcam video | Speed and braking before impact | No federal minimum |
We also check whether the carrier queried the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse before letting the driver behind the wheel, and we request SAPD body and dash camera footage through open records.
Can a truck’s black box data be lost?
Yes, if no one acts quickly. The engine control module records speed, braking and hard-stop events, but no federal rule sets how long a carrier must keep that data and continued driving can overwrite it, so we demand preservation right away.
Who can be held responsible for an 18-wheeler crash?
Responsibility for an 18-wheeler crash can reach every company whose carelessness put the driver, the truck or the load on the road. A truck accident attorney looks at each of these defendants:
- The driver, for speeding, distraction, fatigue or following too closely.
- The motor carrier, under respondeat superior (an employer’s responsibility for an employee’s on-the-job mistakes) and for its own negligent hiring, training or entrustment.
- The owner of a leased tractor or trailer that was poorly maintained.
- The shipper or loader, for overloaded or badly secured cargo.
- A repair shop or parts maker, for faulty brake work or a defective tire.
- A freight broker that chose an unsafe carrier.
If the defense blames you, the state’s proportionate responsibility law (Civil Practice and Remedies Code §§ 33.001, 33.012) reduces your recovery by your share of fault and bars it only if you are more than 50% responsible.
Can a freight broker be sued for hiring an unsafe carrier?
Yes. On May 14, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court held unanimously in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II that federal law does not block a state-law claim that a broker carelessly selected an unsafe motor carrier. You still must prove the broker failed to use reasonable care, for example by ignoring a carrier’s poor safety record.
Why would a trucking company admit its driver was on the job?
Because the admission can narrow what the jury hears first. Under Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 72.054, once the carrier admits the driver was its employee acting within the scope of employment and the trial is split in two, claims like negligent hiring generally wait for the second phase, and a negligent entrustment claim in the first phase is limited to listed evidence, such as whether the driver was licensed, disqualified or over the hours limits. Claims that do not depend on the driver’s own negligence, such as negligent maintenance, are not limited.
What rules apply to the gravel trucks and cement mixers working Loop 1604 and I-35?
Many gravel trucks, dump trucks and cement mixers never cross a state line, but if one weighs or is rated over 26,000 pounds, the Department of Public Safety applies the federal motor carrier safety rules to it anyway (37 TAC § 4.11).
Two major highway projects run through the county: the Loop 1604 North Expansion from Bandera Road to I-35, and the I-35 NEX elevated lanes northeast of Loop 410, which TxDOT expects to finish in 2027. Haulers also run from quarries such as Vulcan Materials’ 1604 Quarry on North Loop 1604 East and Martin Marietta’s San Pedro Quarry on US-281 North. Our page on truck crashes at Loop 1604 and Loop 410 covers those interchanges.
Three state rules matter most:
- Hours: intrastate drivers may drive 12 hours after 8 consecutive hours off duty, and may not drive after the 15th hour on duty (37 TAC § 4.12).
- Insurance: intrastate trucks rated over 26,000 pounds need at least $500,000 in liability coverage (43 TAC § 218.16).
- Loads: commercial vehicles must keep loose loads covered or fully enclosed (Transportation Code § 725.021).
Do local dump truck drivers keep electronic logs?
Not always. A driver who stays within 150 air miles of the work location and finishes within the shift limit may use a short-haul exception and keep time records instead, so a truck accident lawyer should request payroll, time-card and dispatch records early.
Is the road contractor responsible for a work-zone crash?
Sometimes. Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 97.002 shields a TxDOT road contractor that complied with the contract documents material to the condition that caused the crash, so we compare the traffic-control plans with the actual work zone.
How does JRE Injury Law prepare a truck case for a Bexar County jury?
Our truck accident attorneys prepare each case in the order a jury would hear it: what the driver did, then what the company knew. Cases filed in Bexar County usually go to the civil district courts at 100 Dolorosa, part of the same downtown courthouse complex where Mr. Echavarria once prosecuted cases.
Photos and video of the vehicles are presumed admissible once authenticated, and a court cannot require an expert to admit them (§ 72.055), so when the insurer points to light damage to argue your injuries are minor, we answer with your doctors’ records from the start.
Trial work also draws on Ethan L. Shaw, Of Counsel to JRE Injury Law, Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law and Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1995. Throughout, a named case manager keeps you updated at every step, and Mr. Echavarria returns your calls himself.
You Pay Nothing Unless You Win. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome; every case depends on its facts. Call (210) 272-0101 to talk with a San Antonio personal injury lawyer on our team about a free case review.
Where do truck crashes happen most in San Antonio?
Truck crashes in San Antonio cluster where freight corridors meet. TxDOT’s 2024 crash data counted 2,684 commercial motor vehicle crashes in Bexar County, the third-highest total in the state, with 18 people killed. Local hot spots include:
- I-10 between the Medical Center and Loop 1604 (see 18-wheeler injuries along I-10)
- The downtown I-10 and I-35 interchanges
- I-35 through the NEX construction zone on the Northeast Side
- The I-35 and Loop 410 interchanges
- US-90 and Loop 410 around Port San Antonio
- Loop 1604 at US-281 and at I-10
- I-37 and US-281 south, with their Eagle Ford oilfield traffic
- Supplier trucks serving Toyota’s South Side assembly plant
How much is an 18-wheeler accident claim worth?
Your claim is worth the full value of your losses, reduced by any share of fault assigned to you and limited in practice by the insurance available to pay. No average fits your case. You can seek:
- Medical bills, past and future
- Lost wages and lost earning capacity
- Physical pain, mental anguish, physical impairment and disfigurement
- Vehicle repair or total-loss value
- For families, wrongful death and survival damages (Civil Practice and Remedies Code §§ 71.002, 71.021)
These cases usually carry more coverage than car wrecks. Interstate for-hire carriers must carry at least $750,000 for general freight, $1 million for oil and other hazardous materials, and $5 million for bulk hazardous substances and certain other dangerous loads (49 CFR § 387.9). Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome; every case depends on its facts.
What if the trucking company’s insurance is not enough?
Those minimums are floors, not ceilings. Our lawyers look for excess and umbrella policies, other responsible companies such as a broker or shipper, and your own underinsured motorist coverage.
When can a jury punish a trucking company?
A jury can award exemplary (punitive) damages only on clear and convincing evidence of fraud, malice or gross negligence (§ 41.003), such as proof that a company knew a driver was over his hours and dispatched him anyway. The cap is the greater of twice the economic damages plus up to $750,000 in noneconomic damages, or $200,000 (§ 41.008), and it does not apply to claims based on certain felonies, including intoxication assault and intoxication manslaughter.
How long do you have to file a truck accident lawsuit in Texas?
You generally have two years from the crash to file suit (Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003), or two years from the date of death for a wrongful death claim. A child’s deadline usually waits until age 18, and the discovery rule rarely extends a crash case. For a government truck, written notice is generally due within six months under § 101.101, and a city charter can shorten that.
What if a city garbage truck hit you?
A City of San Antonio Solid Waste Management truck falls under the Texas Tort Claims Act, and the city charter requires written notice to the City Manager or City Clerk within 90 days. Recovery against the city is capped at $250,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence (§ 101.023). Commercial dumpster trucks usually belong to private haulers, and the city requires each permitted hauling truck of 7,000 pounds or more to carry $500,000 in liability coverage.
What causes most big-rig crashes on Bexar County roads?
Driver error causes most big-rig crashes. In FMCSA’s Large Truck Crash Causation Study of 2001 to 2003 crashes, 87% of the trucks assigned the critical reason had a driver-related reason, 10% a vehicle problem such as brakes, tires or shifting cargo, and 3% road or weather conditions. Locally, those errors look like this:
- Fatigue and hours violations on overnight I-10 and I-35 runs
- Following too closely in stop-and-go traffic on Loop 410
- Driving too fast for conditions through construction lane shifts
- Texting or handheld phone use, which federal rules ban for truck drivers (49 CFR §§ 392.80, 392.82)
- Wide right turns and blind-spot lane changes on frontage roads and downtown streets
- Brake and tire failures from skipped maintenance
- Late lane changes by drivers unfamiliar with the downtown interchanges
Freight headed north from the Mexican border also moves through the city on I-35; our page on truck injuries on I-35 covers that corridor.
How many hours can a truck driver legally drive?
An interstate truck driver may drive up to 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty, may not drive beyond the 14th hour after coming on duty, and must take a 30-minute break after 8 cumulative hours of driving, under FMCSA’s hours-of-service rules. Weekly limits stop driving after 60 hours on duty in 7 days or 70 in 8.
Is a crash with a delivery van, box truck or rental moving truck a truck accident claim?
Yes, a crash with any commercial vehicle can qualify, but who pays depends on who owns the vehicle, who employs the driver and how much it weighs. Federal safety rules generally cover vehicles rated or weighing 10,001 pounds or more in interstate commerce (49 CFR § 390.5). Large package trucks usually qualify; many smaller delivery vans do not, so those cases turn on ordinary traffic law.
Delivery vans now work residential streets from Stone Oak to Alamo Ranch. UPS drivers are generally company employees, while FedEx Ground and Amazon largely rely on independent delivery companies that hire their own drivers. Our page on UPS and FedEx truck crashes explains how we trace responsibility through those contracts.
Rental moving trucks are often driven by people who have never handled a vehicle that size, including service members making do-it-yourself moves to or from Joint Base San Antonio. Under the Graves Amendment (49 U.S.C. § 30106), a rental company is not liable just because it owns the truck, but it is still liable for its own negligence, such as renting out a truck with bad brakes. See our guide to rental truck accident claims.
Who pays when a delivery contractor’s driver hits you?
The contractor that employs the driver, and its insurer, usually come first. The larger brand may also share responsibility if it controlled how the driver worked, such as by setting routes or quotas, which is why a truck accident lawyer requests the service agreement early.
What kinds of truck accident cases do we handle?
We handle injury and wrongful death claims involving every type of commercial truck, including:
- Jackknife and rollover crashes
- Underride crashes, where a car slides beneath a trailer
- Rear-end collisions by trucks that could not stop in time
- Tire blowouts and brake failures
- Cargo spills and falling loads
- Tanker and oilfield truck crashes, including burns treated at Brooke Army Medical Center’s burn center
- Amazon delivery van accidents and other last-mile delivery crashes
- Crashes with city, county or TxDOT trucks
Each one starts the same way: your attorney preserves the truck and its data before it is repaired or back on the road.
Talk to an Attorney Today About Your San Antonio Truck Crash
The trucking company began building its defense the day of the crash. You have two years to file, but key truck records can be gone in months.
Call a San Antonio truck accident lawyer at JRE Injury Law 24/7 at (210) 272-0101 or toll-free at (844) 702-0350, or use our online contact form, for a free case review. You Pay Nothing Unless You Win.
JRE Injury Law, 931 Basse Road, San Antonio, TX 78212 ·
