Quick answer:
- After an 18-wheeler crash in San Antonio: get medical care, photograph the truck and its USDOT numbers, decline recorded statements from the trucking insurer, and get a preservation letter out fast – black-box data can be overwritten within weeks.
- More than one party may owe you compensation: the driver, the motor carrier, the broker or shipper, and maintenance contractors.
- Ryan Orsatti Law answers calls 24/7 at (210) 525-1200. Free consultation, no fee unless we win. Se habla espanol.
Hit by an 18-wheeler in San Antonio or on a South Texas highway? Within hours of a serious truck crash, the trucking company’s insurer and rapid-response investigators are often already working the scene – protecting their driver and their company. You deserve someone moving just as fast for you. Ryan Orsatti Law represents 18-wheeler and commercial truck crash victims across San Antonio and South Texas. Calls are answered 24/7 by a real person: (210) 525-1200. Free consultation. No attorney’s fees unless we win your case. Se habla espanol.
The First 48 Hours Can Decide an 18-Wheeler Case
Modern trucks record what happened. The engine control module (‘black box’) captures speed, braking, and throttle data – but that data can be overwritten in as little as a few weeks once the truck goes back into service. Federal rules only require electronic logging device (ELD) records to be kept for six months. Dash-cam footage, driver logs, dispatch records, and drug-and-alcohol test results can disappear even faster.
That is why we treat every 18-wheeler case as an evidence race. Our protocol: a spoliation (evidence preservation) letter to the motor carrier within 24 hours of signing, immediate demands for the black box, ELD, and camera data, and early involvement of accident reconstruction experts when the case calls for it. We wrote about how this plays out in oil field trucking cases in The Black Box of the Permian Basin.
Why 18-Wheeler Crashes Are Different From Car Accidents
A loaded 18-wheeler can weigh 80,000 pounds – about 20 times a passenger car – and the injuries in these collisions are often catastrophic. Legally, they are different too. Motor carriers and their drivers are governed by federal safety regulations (FMCSA): hours-of-service limits meant to prevent fatigued driving, inspection and maintenance requirements, cargo securement rules, drug and alcohol testing, and commercial driver qualification standards. Violations of these rules are often the heart of the case.
And unlike a typical car wreck, a truck case rarely has just one responsible party. The driver, the motor carrier, the company that hired or dispatched the truck, the shipper or broker, the maintenance contractor, and the cargo loader may each share responsibility – each with its own insurance policy and its own defense lawyers.
Where San Antonio’s Serious Truck Crashes Happen
Bexar County recorded 2,684 commercial-motor-vehicle crashes in 2024 – the third most of any county in Texas – including 18 fatal crashes and 46 serious injuries, according to TxDOT crash records. Texas leads the nation in deadly large-truck crashes.
- I-35 – the NAFTA freight corridor from Laredo through San Antonio, one of the heaviest truck routes in America
- I-10 – the coast-to-coast freight artery through the heart of the city
- I-37 and US-281 South – the routes to Corpus Christi and the Eagle Ford Shale, heavy with oil field and port traffic
- Loop 410 and Loop 1604 – interchange merges where fast traffic meets slow-accelerating trucks
Oil Field Trucking Accidents in South Texas
The Eagle Ford Shale region logged 14,518 crashes and 173 deaths in 2024 (TxDOT). Sand, water, and crude haulers, heavy equipment transports, and crew vans run around the clock on US-281, SH-72, I-37, and the farm-to-market roads of Atascosa, Wilson, Karnes, La Salle, and Frio counties. These cases combine trucking law with oil field realities: layered contractors, non-subscriber employers, and companies with strong incentives to close the file fast. If you were hurt by an oil field truck – as a motorist or as a worker – see our oil field accident practice page or call us before you talk to anyone’s insurance company.
Who Can Be Held Responsible for an 18-Wheeler Crash
- The truck driver – fatigue, speed, distraction, impairment, or inexperience
- The motor carrier – negligent hiring, training, supervision, or entrustment; pressure to break hours-of-service rules
- The shipper or freight broker – unsafe loads or unsafe carriers
- Maintenance contractors – brake, tire, and coupling failures
- Cargo loaders – shifted or unsecured loads
- Manufacturers – defective truck components
Identifying every responsible party – and every insurance policy – is often the difference between a claim that covers a lifetime of medical care and one that runs out.
What to Do After an 18-Wheeler Accident
- Get medical care first, even if you feel ‘okay’ – crash adrenaline masks serious injuries.
- If it is safe, photograph the vehicles, the road, skid marks, and the truck’s DOT numbers.
- Get names and numbers for witnesses.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the trucking company’s insurer.
- Keep everything: discharge papers, bills, the clothes you wore, your dash-cam footage.
- Talk to a lawyer quickly – not because of the two-year statute of limitations, but because the evidence will not wait.
Compensation in Texas Truck Accident Cases
Depending on the evidence, Texas law allows recovery for past and future medical care, lost wages and lost earning capacity, physical pain, impairment and disfigurement, mental anguish, and property damage. When a crash takes a life, Texas wrongful death and survival claims protect the family. Where the evidence shows gross negligence – a carrier that knew its driver was dangerous, falsified logs, or skipped maintenance – exemplary damages may also be available. We build every case to pursue the full compensation the law allows.
Why Injured Texans Call Ryan Orsatti Law
- Focused practice. We focus on motor vehicle, 18-wheeler, and oil field injury cases – not a little bit of everything.
- Direct access to your attorney. You are a client, not a case number in a call center.
- The evidence race, run properly. 24-hour preservation letters and early expert involvement on serious truck cases.
- Over a decade representing injured Texans, with a 4.9-star average from more than 135 Google reviews.
- Bilingual. Atendemos en espanol.
- No fee unless we win. Free consultations, contingency fee, and calls answered 24/7.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is my 18-wheeler accident case worth?
No honest lawyer can promise a number at the start. Case value depends on the severity of your injuries, your medical care now and in the future, lost income and earning capacity, how the crash has changed your daily life, and the evidence of what the truck driver and trucking company did wrong. What we can promise is a full investigation and a claim built to pursue the full compensation Texas law allows.
How long do I have to file an 18-wheeler accident lawsuit in Texas?
In most Texas injury cases you have two years from the date of the crash to file suit (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Sec. 16.003), and exceptions can shorten or extend that window. The practical deadline is much shorter: critical trucking evidence can be gone within weeks. Talk to a lawyer as soon as you are able.
The trucking company’s insurance adjuster already called me. Should I talk to them?
Be careful. You are generally not required to give a recorded statement to the other side’s insurance company, and what you say can be used to reduce or deny your claim. It is usually wise to speak with a lawyer before giving any statement.
What if I was partly at fault for the crash?
Texas uses modified comparative fault. You can still recover compensation if you were 50 percent or less at fault, though your recovery is reduced by your percentage of responsibility. If you are found more than 50 percent at fault, you recover nothing – which is exactly why trucking defense teams work so hard to shift blame. Do not accept fault at the scene or in a statement.
What does it cost to hire Ryan Orsatti Law for a truck accident case?
Nothing up front. We handle 18-wheeler cases on a contingency fee: you pay no attorney’s fees unless we win your case. Consultations are free, and calls are answered 24/7.
What is different about oil field trucking crashes?
Oil field trucking cases often involve layers of contractors – the driver’s employer, the operator, brokers, and staffing companies – and some employers do not carry Texas workers’ compensation, which can open additional claims. These cases reward early investigation into who controlled the truck, the route, and the schedule.
Hablan espanol?
Si. Atendemos a nuestros clientes en espanol, y las llamadas se contestan las 24 horas, los 7 dias de la semana: (210) 525-1200.
Talk to a San Antonio 18-Wheeler Accident Lawyer Today
The trucking company started building its defense the day of the crash. Start building your case today. Call (210) 525-1200 – calls answered 24/7 – or send us your case details online for a free consultation. Also see: commercial truck accidents and car accidents.
En espanol: Abogado de Accidentes de 18 Ruedas en San Antonio. Oil field region: Eagle Ford Shale Accident Lawyer. Attorneys: refer a truck accident case.
More guides: the first 48 hours after an 18-wheeler crash · I-35 truck accidents · Loop 410 & 1604 truck accidents.