San Antonio Trucking Accident Attorney

Why You Need a Truck Accident Attorney

A crash involving an 18-wheeler isn't like a typical car accident. Trucking companies and drivers have to follow strict federal safety rules covering everything from driving hours and inspections to cargo loading and maintenance. If those rules weren't followed and the crash could have been prevented, that can make a big difference in your case.

Who is responsible gets complicated fast. It might be the driver. It might be the company that hired them. It could be the business that loaded the truck, or the shop that last worked on it. Sometimes all of them share fault. Figuring that out and building a case against every responsible party is what we do.

At San Antonio Personal Injury Lawyers™, we step in so you do not have to figure it out alone.

Common Types of Trucking Accidents We Handle

18-Wheeler and Semi-Truck Accidents

A fully loaded tractor-trailer can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. When one hits a passenger car, the damage is devastating. These cases involve powerful companies and commercial insurers who move fast. We move faster.

Jackknife Accidents

A jackknife happens when the trailer swings out from the cab and blocks traffic. Hard braking, excessive speed, and slippery roads are common triggers for these types of accidents. Victims caught in the path rarely have time to react.

Underride Accidents

An underride accident happens when a smaller vehicle slides beneath a truck's trailer in a crash. Poor visibility, missing safety guards, or a sudden stop can all contribute. These are some of the most devastating crashes on the road.

Rollover Accidents

A truck can roll over when it's carrying an uneven load or takes a turn too fast. When that happens, it can block several lanes, trigger chain-reaction crashes, and leave multiple people seriously hurt.

Blind Spot Accidents

Trucks have large blind spots on all sides. A driver who does not account for them can strike a vehicle without ever knowing it was there.

Cargo and Load Accidents

Improperly secured cargo can shift during transport, causing a driver to lose control or send debris into the path of other vehicles. The company responsible for loading the truck can be held liable when that happens.

Common Causes of Trucking Accidents

Most trucking accidents come down to a decision someone made or failed to make. Here is what we typically see:

• Driver fatigue: There are federal limits on how many hours a truck driver can be behind the wheel. Those limits exist because exhausted drivers make deadly mistakes. When a driver or their company pushes past those limits and something goes wrong, that violation is part of the case.
• Distracted and impaired driving: Texting. Eating. Driving under the influence. A truck driver who is not focused on the road is dangerous to everyone around them. When impairment causes a crash, the driver and the company that put them there can both be held responsible.
• Speeding and reckless driving: An 80,000 pound truck traveling at highway speed needs a lot of room to stop. Drivers who speed or tailgate eliminate that margin entirely. When something goes wrong, there is no time to correct it.
• Improper cargo loading: A poorly loaded trailer can shift during transport. That shift can change how the truck handles on the road. It can cause a jackknife, a rollover, or spilled debris across the highway. The company that loaded the truck can share liability.
• Poor vehicle maintenance: Federal law requires trucking companies to maintain their fleets. Worn brakes, bald tires, and broken equipment that get ignored are not just safety failures. They are legal violations.
• Negligent hiring and training: Some trucking companies cut corners on who they put behind the wheel. When an undertrained or unqualified driver causes a crash, the company that hired them owns part of that responsibility.

How We Handle Your Trucking Accident Case

When you contact San Antonio Personal Injury Lawyers™, Attorney Steven Nunez and our team get to work immediately. Trucking cases move fast on the other side, and we match that pace.

• We lock down the evidence. We move quickly to preserve the evidence that can make or break a case. That includes black box data, driver logs, maintenance records, cargo paperwork, and surveillance footage before any of it is lost or erased. That's why we send preservation letters as early as possible.
• We find everyone who is responsible. It is rarely just the driver. The trucking company, the cargo loader, the maintenance contractor, the vehicle manufacturer. We look at every angle and pursue every party whose negligence put you in that situation.
• We handle the insurance company. Federal law requires commercial trucking companies to carry significant liability coverage. The insurers protecting those policies are experienced and aggressive. Once you retain us, they deal with us. Not you.
• We go to trial when we have to. Steven Nunez has first-chair and second-chair trial experience. If the other side does not make a fair offer, we take the case to court. That is not a bluff. It is how we operate.

Compensation You May Be Able to Recover

Trucking accidents produce injuries that are often more severe and more expensive than a typical vehicle crash. Long hospital stays, complex surgeries, extended rehabilitation. The bills stack up fast. When we take your case, we fight to recover compensation across every category of loss, present and future.

Economic Damages

• Emergency and Acute Medical Care: Ambulance, emergency room, surgery, and hospitalization costs begin at the moment of impact. Every dollar of that belongs in your claim.
• Ongoing and Future Medical Expenses: Serious injuries frequently require months or years of follow-up care. Orthopedic treatment, neurological care, pain management, and specialist visits are all recoverable costs.
• Physical Rehabilitation: Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and mobility rehabilitation are often essential after a serious injury. We fight to ensure every one of those costs is included in what you recover.
• Lost Wages: If your injuries have kept you out of work, you may be entitled to recover the income you lost during your recovery.
• Loss of Earning Capacity: When injuries permanently affect your ability to perform your job or pursue your career, you may be entitled to compensation for the long-term difference in your earning potential.
• Property Damage: If your personal property is damaged, it may be part of your recoverable losses.

Non-Economic Damages

• Pain and Suffering: Serious injuries are physically painful, and that pain can last long after the visible injuries heal. You may be entitled to compensation for the ongoing physical suffering your injuries cause.
• Loss of Enjoyment of Life: When injuries take away activities, hobbies, and experiences that mattered to you before the injury, the law recognizes that loss. We fight to make sure it is reflected in your recovery.
• Emotional Distress: Anxiety, PTSD, depression, and the psychological aftermath of a serious injury are real and compensable. Many victims struggle emotionally long after their physical injuries have healed.
• Loss of Consortium: Serious injuries affect the people closest to you. Spouses and family members may be able to pursue compensation for the impact your injuries have had on your relationship and family life.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. The value of any case depends on its specific facts and circumstances.

Why Choose San Antonio Personal Injury Lawyers™

Trucking accident cases are among the most aggressively defended claims in personal injury law. The moment a crash happens, the trucking company's insurer is building a case. You need a firm that knows how these cases work and is prepared to go the distance.

We Know How the Trucking Industry Operates

Federal regulations, commercial insurance policies, and multiple liable parties make trucking cases more complex than standard vehicle accident claims. We have handled these cases, and we know how to build them.

We Have Pushed Past Policy Limits

Our firm has secured over-policy-limits results in numerous cases because we build cases that are too strong to ignore. When the evidence is solid, and the attorney across the table knows we will go to trial, the math changes.

Trial-Ready from Day One

Attorney Steven Nunez has both first-chair and second-chair trial experience and has secured a $1.5 million arbitration award for a client. Trucking companies and their insurers know which attorneys will actually walk into a courtroom. We will.

Recognized Results

Membership in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum is earned by attorneys who have secured million-dollar and multi-million-dollar results for their clients. Steven Nunez holds both.

No Fee Unless We Win

We handle trucking vehicle accident cases on a contingency fee basis. That means you won’t pay anything upfront and will not pay us unless we successfully secure compensation on your behalf.