When an 80,000-pound commercial truck crashes into your car, the aftermath can be life-altering. Catastrophic injuries, mounting medical bills, lost income, and insurance companies circling like vultures make an already traumatic situation feel impossible. An experienced Houston truck accident lawyer can help you through the legal process.
The Houston truck accident lawyers at Thiessen Law Firm have built our reputation on taking down corporate giants who think they’re untouchable.
We’ve recovered millions for clients in desperate situations, and we’re ready to fight for every dollar you deserve. Contact us today to schedule a free case review with one of our Houston personal injury lawyers.
The Stakes Are High in Commercial Truck Accident Cases
When you’re injured by a commercial truck, you’re going to war against corporate entities worth billions of dollars, backed by insurance companies with substantial resources and legal teams whose sole purpose is minimizing liability.
When pursuing a truck accident case, you should keep in mind that:
- Trucking companies retain law firms that specialize in these cases: They know every strategy to shift blame, minimize damages, and drag out litigation until injured victims get desperate enough to accept pennies on the dollar.
- Trucking companies will blame you for the accident: They’ll claim your injuries aren’t as serious as you say. They’ll argue their driver followed all regulations and procedures. They’ll paint their corporation as a responsible business unfairly targeted by greedy plaintiffs.
- Applicable insurance policies typically range from $750,000 to $5 million: Insurance companies have massive financial incentives to fight every claim aggressively. They’ll spend hundreds of thousands on their defense because they know that if they can beat you down, they’ll save millions.
This is why you need a Houston personal injury lawyer who isn’t intimidated by corporate power. At Thiessen Law Firm, we’ve built our reputation on taking seemingly impossible cases to trial and winning them.
Mark Thiessen brings his legendary trial acumen to the table for you, offering aggressive advocacy in your battle against the corporate giants. When trucking companies see Thiessen Law Firm’s name on a case, they know they’re in for a fight.
For a free legal consultation with a truck accident lawyer serving Houston, call (713) 864-9000
How to Find the Right Commercial Truck Accident Attorney in Houston
Finding the right truck accident attorney isn’t about who has the flashiest billboard or runs the most TV commercials. It’s about finding a law firm with the experience, resources, and track record to take on multi-billion-dollar corporations and win. Here’s what you need to look for when your future is on the line:
| Trial experience that matters. |
| Most personal injury cases settle out of court, but trucking companies know which attorneys will actually take them to trial and which ones will fold under pressure. Insurance adjusters pay attention to who has courtroom victories and who just talks tough in demand letters. You need a Houston truck accident lawyer who has actually stood before juries and secured verdicts against corporate defendants, not someone who’s never tried a case past the settlement negotiation phase. At Thiessen Law Firm, we prepare every case as if it will go to trial. That approach helps us build the evidence and legal strategy needed to pursue your claim. |
| Resources to fight the giants. |
| Truck accident cases require massive investments in expert witnesses, accident reconstructionists, trucking industry specialists, and medical professionals who can testify about your injuries. The trucking company’s legal team has vast resources, and your attorney better have the financial backing to match them, expert-for-expert, deposition-for-deposition, and motion-for-motion. If your lawyer can’t afford to properly investigate and prosecute your case, you’ve already lost. |
| Knowledge of federal trucking regulations. |
| Commercial trucking is governed by complex Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations that most general personal injury attorneys have never studied. Hours of service violations, maintenance requirements, driver qualification standards, and cargo securement rules are federal regulations that create liability your attorney must know how to prove. Qualified truck accident lawyers in Houston speak the language of FMCSA compliance and use these regulations as weapons against negligent trucking companies. |
| Proven results against trucking companies. |
| Anyone can claim they’re a top truck accident attorney, but the proof is in the settlements and verdicts. Look for attorneys who have actually recovered significant compensation in truck accident cases against corporate defendants. Our multi-million-dollar recoveries speak for themselves. |
The bottom line is that you’re not just hiring someone simply to file paperwork. Instead, you’re recruiting someone to stand between you and billion-dollar corporations that profit from destroying lives like yours. Choose accordingly.
Houston Truck Accident Lawyer Near Me (713) 864-9000
Modified Comparative Negligence in Texas
Texas uses a comparative negligence system when assessing fault after an accident, which can impact the amount of compensation you are able to recover. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 33.001, a claimant whose percentage of responsibility is greater than 50% cannot recover damages.
If the claimant is not barred under that rule, Section 33.012 generally requires the court to reduce the damages by the claimant’s percentage of responsibility. For example, if a jury determines that an injured driver was 20% responsible for a collision and the total damages were $100,000, the damages would generally be reduced by 20% to $80,000.
The trucking company’s insurer may attempt to argue that your actions contributed to the collision in an effort to reduce their financial responsibility.
Those allegations need to be tested against the available evidence rather than simply accepted. A truck accident attorney serving Houston can challenge unfair allocations of fault.
Click to contact our Personal Injury Lawyers in Houston today
The Deadline for Filing a Lawsuit After a Truck Accident in Houston
Texas also imposes deadlines for filing lawsuits. For most personal injury claims, Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003 provides a two–year statute of limitations to take legal action. The statute also provides a two-year period for an action involving an injury resulting in death, measured from the death of the injured person.
That deadline should not be confused with the amount of time you have to investigate the accident. Waiting until the filing deadline approaches can make it substantially harder to preserve evidence, locate witnesses, inspect the truck, obtain relevant company records, and determine whether additional parties may be responsible.
The earlier the investigation begins, the more opportunity there may be to preserve evidence before it is lost or overwritten. This is one reason contacting a truck accident lawyer soon after a collision can be key even when you are still receiving medical treatment. The trucking company and its insurers are not waiting until the last minute to investigate, and you should not either.
How Texas Truck Accident Lawyers Protect Your Rights After an Accident
In the immediate aftermath of an accident involving a commercial truck, the trucking company dispatches investigators to the scene within hours, and insurance adjusters start building their defense. While the company’s lawyers are crafting narratives to shift blame onto you, you’re in the hospital, wondering how you’ll pay next month’s rent.
Your rights begin eroding the second you start talking to insurance adjusters without legal representation. While an insurance adjuster may act friendly, they are recording your conversation and looking for any statement they can use against you. They will attempt to twist your words into an admission of fault or a minimization of your injuries.
A skilled Houston truck accident lawyer can shut down these predatory insurance tactics, protecting your rights and your legal case. When you hire our team, we’ll handle all communications with trucking companies and their insurers and legal teams.
Here‘s what that protection looks like in practice:
- Preservation letters are sent immediately to trucking companies demanding they preserve all evidence, including electronic logging device data, maintenance records, driver qualification files, and internal communications.
- We commission independent accident reconstruction to counter the trucking company’s version of events with a scientific analysis of what actually happened.
- We connect you with providers who begin medical documentation, making sure that it captures the full scope of your injuries, not just what insurance adjusters want to acknowledge.
- We set up a wall between you and corporate attorneys trying to trap you into statements that destroy your case.
At Thiessen Law Firm, we’ve seen every dirty trick in the book, and we’ve developed counter-strategies that protect our clients’ rights while we build cases that force trucking companies to pay what they owe.
The best defense is a good offense, and we go on the attack from day one.
How Our Houston Truck Accident Lawyers Fight Insurance Companies
Insurance companies protecting trucking operations have perfected the art of minimizing payouts, and they deploy specific tactics in every commercial vehicle case.
Understanding their playbook is the first step to beating them, and at Thiessen Law Firm, we’ve spent years learning exactly how these giants operate.
| The insurance tactic | How we fight it |
| The lowball offer: Within days of your accident, you might receive a settlement offer that seems substantial, until you realize it barely covers your medical bills, let alone your lost wages, future care needs, or pain and suffering. Insurance companies know that injured victims under financial pressure often accept these inadequate offers just to pay rent and put food on the table. | We shut down these predatory offers by documenting the full value of your case before entering negotiations. |
| The insurance tactic | How we fight it |
| Delay and frustrate: Insurance adjusters will drag out investigations, request endless documentation, and create bureaucratic obstacles designed to exhaust your patience and drain your resources. They’re betting you’ll get desperate and settle cheap just to end the nightmare. | We counter this by maintaining relentless pressure through formal demands, litigation deadlines, and the credible threat of taking them to trial where juries can award far more than settlement values. |
| The insurance tactic | How we fight it |
| The blame shift: Truck accident cases often involve multiple potential defendants, including the driver, the trucking company, the maintenance provider, the cargo loader, and the vehicle manufacturer. Insurance companies exploit this complexity by pointing fingers at everyone else, hoping to muddy the waters enough that liability becomes unclear. | Our investigation cuts through the confusion by following the evidence to establish clear causation and responsibility. |
| The insurance tactic | How we fight it |
| The medical dispute: Insurance companies love to hire “independent” medical examiners who mysteriously conclude that your injuries aren’t that serious, weren’t caused by the accident, or don’t require the treatment your doctors recommend. These hired-gun doctors exist to give insurers ammunition to deny claims. | We counter with respected medical experts who can explain to juries exactly how severely you’ve been hurt and what care you’ll need for life. |
At Thiessen Law Firm, we’ve recovered millions by refusing to back down when insurance giants try to cheat our clients. We build cases so thoroughly documented and aggressively prosecuted that settlement becomes their best option. When they choose to fight, we’re ready to take them to war in front of a jury.
What to Do After You’re Injured in a Truck Accident
The actions you take immediately after a truck accident can set the tone for whether you receive fair compensation or get crushed by corporate defense strategies. Here’s what you need to do to protect both your health and your rights:
- Get medical attention immediately, even if you feel fine: Adrenaline masks pain, and some serious injuries don’t show symptoms for hours or days. Insurers will argue that delayed treatment means you weren’t really hurt. Get examined and follow every treatment recommendation. Your medical record becomes key evidence in your case.
- Document everything at the scene if physically able: Take photos of vehicle damage, road conditions, and any visible injuries. Get contact information for witnesses. Note the truck’s company name, Department of Transportation (DOT) number, and license plate. Capture everything you can because evidence disappears quickly.
- Do not give statements to insurance adjusters: You’re required to cooperate with your own insurance company, but you have zero obligation to talk to the trucking company’s insurer. Anything you say will be used against you. Politely decline to provide recorded statements until you’ve consulted with a Houston truck accident attorney.
- Preserve all evidence of damages: Keep every medical bill, prescription receipt, and documentation of lost wages. Photograph your injuries as they heal. Keep a journal documenting your pain levels and how the accident has impacted your daily life. These records establish the full scope of your damages when we’re fighting for compensation.
- Contact Thiessen Law Firm immediately: The sooner we get involved, the more effectively we can protect your rights and build your case. We’ll send preservation letters to the trucking company, hire investigators to examine the accident scene, and start building the evidence foundation that will force them to pay what you deserve.
When attempting to recover compensation through a commercial truck accident claim, you should move quickly because evidence degrades and witnesses’ memories become less reliable over time.
The trucking company’s team is already building their defense, which means you need to start building your case just as aggressively.
How Truck Accident Attorneys Prove Liability in Big Rig Cases
Proving liability in truck accident cases requires knowledge of a complex web of federal regulations, industry standards, and corporate responsibilities that govern commercial trucking.
Unlike a typical Houston car accident lawyer handling passenger vehicle collisions, truck accident attorneys have to handle multiple layers of potential defendants and violations.
Truck accident cases can involve several potentially liable parties, including the driver, trucking company, vehicle owner, cargo loader, and maintenance provider. We investigate the circumstances of the crash to determine which parties may be responsible and build a claim based on the available evidence.
The most common sources of liability in truck accident cases include:
- Driver negligence
- Trucking company negligence
- Federal regulation violations
- Maintenance and mechanical failures
- Multiple defendant liability
Proving liability in a truck accident claim requires methodical investigation, expert analysis, and aggressive strategies. At Thiessen Law Firm, we’ve developed systems for building ironclad cases that leave trucking companies and their insurers with nowhere to hide.
Damages Available After a Commercial Vehicle Accident
Truck accidents typically result in far more severe injuries than standard car accidents because of the massive size and weight disparity between commercial trucks and passenger vehicles. This severity translates into damages that extend far beyond basic medical bills, and you deserve compensation for every way this accident has destroyed your life.
Economic damages represent quantifiable financial losses, including:
- Medical expenses for treatment, hospitalization, surgeries, medications, physical therapy, medical devices, and all future medical care related to your injuries
- Lost wages for income you’ve already lost due to missing work, reduced hours, or temporary disability
- Lost earning capacity for future income you’ll never earn due to permanent disabilities or limitations caused by your injuries
- Household services and the cost of hiring help for tasks you can no longer perform yourself due to injuries
Non-economic damages compensate for losses that don’t have clear dollar values but are just as real:
- Physical pain and suffering from your injuries
- Emotional distress, anxiety, and trauma from the accident
- Loss of enjoyment of life when injuries prevent activities you once loved
- Disfigurement and permanent scarring that affects your appearance and self-image
- Loss of consortium when injuries damage your relationship with your spouse
Punitive damages are only awarded in a small percentage of truck accident cases, but they may be available in cases involving gross negligence or intentional harm. If a company deliberately violated safety regulations or engaged in other criminally negligent behavior, Texas courts can award punitive damages designed to punish the misconduct and deter future violations.
The difference between what insurance companies offer and what you actually deserve is often extreme. Cases involving catastrophic injuries or traumatic brain injuries typically carry hidden costs that only become apparent years after the accident. We work with specialists who understand the long-term implications and can testify to juries about the lifetime impact.
Additionally, if your loved one was killed in a truck accident, your family deserves compensation through a wrongful death claim for funeral expenses, loss of financial support, loss of companionship, and the mental anguish of losing someone you love.
Our Houston wrongful death lawyers can help you pursue a claim.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Houston
Houston’s role as a major transportation and distribution hub means commercial trucks are a constant presence on its roads. Heavy truck traffic moves between regional warehouses, industrial areas, major highways, and Port Houston terminals.
The combination of heavy commercial traffic, congestion, highway interchanges, and long-distance hauling can create dangerous conditions when truck drivers or trucking companies fail to follow safety requirements.
Some of the most common causes of truck accidents in Houston include:
- Driver fatigue: Long hours behind the wheel can cause truck drivers to lose focus, react slowly, or fall asleep. Federal hours-of-service rules place limits on how long certain commercial drivers may operate without required rest.
- Speeding or driving too fast for conditions: A fully loaded tractor-trailer needs substantially more distance to stop than a passenger vehicle. Excessive speed can make a dangerous situation even worse.
- Distracted driving: Looking at a phone, using a navigation system, eating, or focusing on something inside the cab can prevent a driver from recognizing changing traffic conditions.
- Improper lane changes: Large trucks have substantial blind spots. A truck driver who changes lanes without adequately checking surrounding traffic can strike a vehicle traveling alongside or behind the truck.
- Unsafe turns: Tractor-trailers require significantly more room to maneuver. Improperly executed turns can put others on the road in danger.
- Improperly loaded or secured cargo: Cargo that shifts during transportation can affect a truck’s stability, braking, and handling. Unsecured materials can also fall from a trailer and create hazards for other motorists.
- Inadequate maintenance: Worn brakes, defective tires, steering problems, lighting failures, and other mechanical issues can contribute to devastating collisions.
- Inadequate driver training or hiring: Trucking companies have responsibilities when selecting and supervising drivers. A company that puts an inadequately qualified driver behind the wheel may face liability when that decision contributes to a crash.
- Pressure to meet delivery schedules: Commercial drivers may face pressure to reach destinations quickly. When business demands encourage unsafe driving, the resulting conduct can become an important part of a truck accident investigation.
A Houston truck accident investigation may require more than determining what happened in the few seconds before impact. Attorneys may need to examine the driver’s conduct, the company’s policies, the truck’s maintenance history, cargo-loading practices, electronic records, and the circumstances surrounding the driver’s trip.
Common Injuries Resulting From Commercial Truck Accidents
The size and weight difference between a commercial truck and a passenger vehicle can make a truck accident particularly destructive. Even when a collision occurs at a relatively moderate speed, the forces involved can cause injuries requiring extensive treatment and months or years of recovery.
Common truck accident injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injuries: A concussion or more serious traumatic brain injury can affect memory, concentration, speech, balance, behavior, and the ability to work.
- Spinal cord injuries: Damage to the spinal cord can result in chronic pain, loss of sensation, paralysis, and the need for lifelong medical assistance.
- Back and neck injuries: Herniated discs, fractures, nerve damage, and other spinal injuries may require physical therapy, injections, surgery, or ongoing treatment.
- Broken bones and fractures: The force of a truck collision can cause complex fractures that require surgery, implanted hardware, rehabilitation, and extended time away from work.
- Internal injuries: Blunt-force trauma can damage internal organs or cause internal bleeding that may not be immediately apparent after a crash.
- Amputations and crush injuries: Severe collisions can cause permanent damage to limbs, sometimes resulting in amputation or extensive reconstructive treatment.
- Burns and scarring: Fires, fuel leaks, and other hazards following a truck collision can cause serious burns and permanent disfigurement.
- Soft-tissue and nerve injuries: Muscle, ligament, and nerve damage can cause persistent pain and limitations even when there are no obvious fractures.
At Thiessen Law Firm, we work to develop the evidence necessary to demonstrate not only what happened in the crash, but how the resulting injuries have changed your life. That evidence can become critical when an insurance company attempts to minimize the value of your claim.
Let Our Houston Truck Accident Lawyers Fight the Giants After a Crash Caused by Negligence
Truck accidents often shatter lives. However, you don’t have to face this alone, and you don’t have to accept whatever crumbs the insurance companies throw your way. At Thiessen Law Firm, we fight giants, and we win.
Whether it’s taking on billion-dollar trucking corporations, their armies of defense attorneys, or insurance companies that profit from denying legitimate claims, we’re the David that your Goliath should fear.
Call us today or complete our online contact form to schedule a free case review with a member of our legal team and learn more about how we can help.
