Losing a family member to an 18-wheeler crash is a devastation no legal page can touch. What the law can do is answer for the family: find out what actually happened, hold every responsible company accountable, and secure the family’s financial future. Ryan Orsatti Law handles fatal truck crash cases across San Antonio and South Texas. Calls are answered 24/7 by a real person: (210) 525-1200. Se habla espanol.
Two Claims Protect the Family
| Question | Wrongful death | Survival |
|---|---|---|
| Who brings it | Spouse, children, parents | The estate |
| What it covers | Lost support, companionship, mental anguish | The person’s own pain and losses before death |
| Legal basis | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ch. 71 | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ch. 71 |
Why Fatal Truck Cases Demand Immediate Action
Fatal crashes trigger the trucking company’s most aggressive response: rapid-response investigators, defense counsel, and adjusters can be working the scene the same day. Meanwhile the evidence that proves gross negligence, hours-of-service violations, falsified logs, skipped inspections, sits in the carrier’s own systems and can be overwritten within weeks. Our protocol sends preservation demands within 24 hours and brings in accident reconstruction experts early on serious cases.
What the Investigation Looks For
- The black box: speed, braking, and throttle in the final seconds.
- Driver logs and hours-of-service compliance.
- The driver’s qualification, training, and drug-test files.
- The carrier’s safety history and prior violations.
- Broker and shipper arrangements that pushed unrealistic schedules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can file a wrongful death claim in Texas?
The surviving spouse, children, and parents of the person who died. Any of them may file, individually or together. Separately, the estate can bring a survival claim for what the person experienced before death. The two claims usually proceed together.
How long does the family have to act?
Generally two years from the death, with exceptions. In fatal truck cases the real deadline is far shorter, because the carrier’s black-box data, driver logs, and camera footage can be gone within weeks. Preservation demands need to go out immediately.
Can a family recover punitive damages against a trucking company?
Texas allows exemplary damages when the evidence shows gross negligence, such as a carrier that pushed drivers past federal hour limits, skipped maintenance, or kept a dangerous driver on the road. These cases require deep evidence work, which is exactly why early investigation matters.
What will this cost the family?
Nothing up front. Fatal truck cases are handled on contingency, with no attorney’s fees unless we recover for the family. Consultations are free, in English or Spanish, any time: (210) 525-1200.
Ryan Orsatti Law focuses on motor vehicle, 18-wheeler, and oil field injury cases, and fatal crash cases receive our most careful attention. When your family is ready, call (210) 525-1200 or write to us. Related: wrongful death lawyer, 18-wheeler accidents, muerte injusta (espanol).