An Austin truck accident lawyer builds your truck accident case from the truck, the company that ran it and the records behind both. Federal rules require covered carriers to retain driver logs, repair files and driver qualification files. Those records can show what went wrong before the crash.
You pay nothing unless we win. A free consultation with Zinda Law Group about the truck crash starts at (800) 863-5312.
Article summary
Key things to know
- Federal rules require covered trucking companies to keep driver logs, repair files and driver qualification files.
- Texas generally gives truck accident victims two years to file an injury lawsuit.
- A claim against the City of Austin for injury generally needs written notice long before the two-year lawsuit deadline.
- A person’s recovery shrinks by that person’s share of fault and ends above 50 percent.
- The truck driver, the trucking company and anyone else whose work caused the crash can all be named in one claim.
Free case review
Hurt by a commercial truck near Austin?
An Austin truck accident lawyer can explain which records to request and how much time you have.
What an Austin truck accident lawyer does
Austin truck accident lawyers handle injury claims against truck drivers and the companies behind them. Insurance companies may stand behind both the driver and the trucking company.
In a truck accident case the work often starts with a preservation letter. It asks the company in writing to keep the truck, the trailer, the electronic logs and any black box data.
You decide whether to accept a settlement offer, and personal injury lawyers can explain the legal options first. A truck accident attorney also takes the calls from the insurance companies and weighs each offer against the client’s medical bills and lost wages.
Not every personal injury lawyer handles truck cases, so look for an experienced lawyer who knows the federal rules.
What makes an Austin truck accident case different
Compared with a car accident case, an Austin truck accident case usually has more defendants and far more records. When a truck is involved, one company may employ the driver while another owns the trailer or loaded the freight. A two-car crash carries no federal trucking records and goes to a car accident lawyer.
TxDOT calls Interstate 35 through Central Texas one of the most congested highways in the state. Its Capital Express program covers 79 miles of that interstate in Williamson, Travis and Hays counties.
Truck crashes in Austin and Travis County
TxDOT counted 648 crashes involving a commercial motor vehicle in Travis County in 2025. Seven were fatal crashes in which 11 people died, and 30 people had suspected serious injuries. The count covers reported crashes in which the officer marked the commercial vehicle indicator, not just 18-wheelers, and it says nothing about fault. The county figure is not an Austin-only count.
Texas had 699 large trucks in fatal crashes in 2024, more than in any other state, by the count of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). NHTSA counts a truck as a large truck when it is rated over 10,000 pounds.
Austin 18-wheeler and semi truck accidents
A semi truck accident, a big rig accident and an 18-wheeler wreck can all describe the same crash. The federal safety rules count a truck as a commercial motor vehicle when it is used in interstate commerce at a weight rating or gross weight of 10,001 pounds or more, among other tests. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) says a fully loaded tractor-trailer in an 18-wheeler accident can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, far above that line.
Not every commercial truck is a tractor trailer. A delivery truck counts too, and a FedEx truck accident case raises the same questions about the company behind the driver. A bus runs under separate federal rules for passenger carriers, and an Austin bus accident claim turns on them.
Federal trucking regulations for commercial truck drivers in Austin
The FMCSA writes safety rules for the trucking industry, and a truck accident lawyer reads each carrier’s logs and files against them. Breaking one of these rules does not settle fault. It shows which records to request.
Driver fatigue and the hours of service limits
A driver of a property-carrying truck may generally drive at most 11 hours, inside a 14-hour window that starts when the driver comes on duty after 10 consecutive hours off, subject to weekly limits. Driving is generally not permitted after 8 hours of driving without a break of at least 30 minutes. Federal rules also bar a truck driver from driving when fatigue or illness makes it unsafe, and they bar a carrier from requiring or permitting it.
Drivers who must keep duty logs generally record their hours on an electronic logging device (ELD), with exemptions. The carrier must keep the driver logs and supporting documents for at least six months, along with a back-up copy of the electronic logging records.
Qualification files, crash testing and truck upkeep
For every driver on its roster, a motor carrier generally keeps a qualification file through the job and for three years after. After a deadly crash on a public road, a carrier whose truck needs a commercial driver’s license must have the surviving driver tested for alcohol and drugs as soon as practicable. If no alcohol test is given within 8 hours, the carrier must stop trying, and for a drug test the cutoff is 32 hours.
A carrier must also inspect, repair and maintain its trucks. For a truck it controls for 30 consecutive days or more, it must keep records of that work for one year, and for six months after the truck leaves its control.
Texas safety regulations for commercial trucks
Texas law tells the Department of Public Safety to adopt safety regulations for commercial trucks that are consistent with the federal regulations.
Causes of truck accidents in Austin
An Austin truck accident lawyer can check each cause below against a record.
- Driver fatigue, checked against the hours logs
- Distracted driving, checked against police reports and phone records
- Poor maintenance, checked against the repair file
- Improper loading, checked against the bill of lading and the cargo securement rules
- Driving under the influence, checked against post-crash tests
Truck collisions take several forms. In an underride crash a smaller vehicle slides under a trailer. A rollover is a truck tipping over.
Catastrophic injuries and other truck accident injuries
A crash with a commercial truck can cause severe injuries, and serious truck accidents can mean long medical treatment. The FMCSA says a large truck’s weight raises the risk of more severe injuries and fatalities.
- Traumatic brain injuries, the focus of an Austin brain injury lawyer
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Crush injuries and broken bones
- Internal organ damage
- Neck and back injuries and other soft tissue injuries
- Severe burns
Catastrophic injuries can end a career or require lifelong care. Truck accident victims who see a doctor the same day also create treatment records for the claim. Doctors’ records are central proof in brain injury cases. A pedestrian run over by a truck can suffer several of these injuries at once.
Who can be held liable after an Austin truck accident
Any commercial vehicle crash can have multiple liable parties. Austin truck accident lawyers match each failure to the party that owed the duty, so a claim can hold negligent parties accountable.
The truck driver and the trucking company behind the crash
The investigation starts with the truck driver. Speed, phone use and hours past the federal limit can each leave a trace in the electronic log, the phone records or the crash report.
Texas holds an employer liable for an employee’s negligence in the course and scope of employment, so the carrier can answer for its driver. It can also answer for its own negligence, because the company has duties of its own under federal rules. It may not put an unqualified driver on the road, and it must inspect and repair its trucks.
Cargo loaders, repair shops and truck makers
Whoever loaded the cargo may share fault when improper loading played a part. The truck’s owner or a repair shop may share fault for bad brake work. A truck manufacturer or a maker of defective truck parts may be liable for a defect. One Austin truck accident claim can name several of them at once.
A city or another government body
Austin’s city charter sets its own notice period, counted from the injury and much shorter than the state default. Under the Texas Tort Claims Act, a governmental unit generally is entitled to notice within six months after the incident, and a city charter can set a shorter period.
Texas rules for commercial vehicle lawsuits
Texas has its own procedure for lawsuits over crashes with commercial vehicles. In a covered case, on a timely motion by a defendant, the court provides for a trial in two phases. The trier of fact decides liability and compensatory damages in the first phase and exemplary damages in the second.
In the first phase, evidence that a defendant broke a regulation must tend to prove that the failure was a proximate cause of the injury.
How shared fault affects an Austin truck claim
When a trucking company is involved, its insurance companies may argue that you share the blame. A person who is 50 percent or less responsible can still recover compensation, reduced by that percentage. A person who is more than 50 percent responsible cannot recover.
The jury assigns a percentage of responsibility to each claimant, each defendant, each settling person and each designated responsible third party. A defendant is generally liable only for its own percentage. A defendant found more than 50 percent responsible is also liable for all the compensatory damages the injured person can recover.
Filing deadlines
Questions about how much time you have?
Austin truck accident filing deadlines
| Claim | Deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Personal injury lawsuit | Generally two years after the claim accrues | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003(a) |
| Wrongful death lawsuit | Generally two years after the death | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003(b) |
| Injury or death claim against the City of Austin | Written notice, verified by affidavit, generally within 45 days after the injury or death | Austin City Charter, Article XII, Section 3 |
Exceptions can change a date, as of October 2026. The city rule in the last row applies only to Austin, while the first two rows govern every Texas truck accident claim.
What an Austin truck accident claim can cover
In a personal injury case, the claim asks the responsible parties to pay for what the crash cost. Texas limits recovery of medical expenses already incurred to the amounts actually paid or incurred by or on behalf of that person.
- Medical expenses, now and in the future
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
- Physical pain, emotional trauma and limits on daily life after a serious injury
- Damage to your vehicle and other property damage
In cases involving gross negligence, fraud or malice, Texas allows exemplary damages, also called punitive damages, only on clear and convincing proof that the harm resulted from it, and the law generally caps them.
Each Austin truck accident case settles on its own facts, and we do not promise an amount. The injuries, the proof, the split of fault and the insurance behind the carrier are the factors that decide its value.
When an Austin truck crash takes a life
In wrongful death cases, an Austin wrongful death lawyer brings the action that Texas law gives the surviving spouse, the children and the parents. Any one of them may file for all of them.
When the injured person dies, a personal injury claim does not end. It survives to the heirs, legal representatives and estate.
What to do after a truck accident in Austin
After a truck wreck, act while the evidence still exists.
- Get medical care. Have a doctor examine you that day, even without pain.
- Call the police. A police report names the truck, its driver and the carrier. Ask for a copy of the crash report once officers file it.
- Gather evidence. Take photos of the road, the damage and the name on the truck’s door.
- Collect witness statements. Write down names and phone numbers before people leave.
- Keep your records. Hold on to medical bills, repair estimates and pay stubs that show lost wages.
- Wait on recorded statements. Insurance companies may ask for one, so talk to an Austin truck accident lawyer first. Tell your lawyer about the truck’s black box data and logs, so a letter can go out fast.
How insurance companies handle truck accident claims
In insurance claims against a commercial vehicle’s owner, an adjuster may ask for a recorded statement or a medical release. A medical record release sets which records the insurer can see, so it deserves a close read before anyone signs.
Truck accident victims face mounting medical bills while treatment continues. A settlement offer made before treatment ends can leave out care not yet received. An Austin truck accident lawyer compares each offer with the medical records and lost wages.
The same offer-by-offer review toward a fair settlement applies when negotiating with Progressive after an 18-wheeler accident.
Courts in Austin and Travis County
Travis County’s website lists twelve civil district courts, and the courts sit in Austin. Travis County is in the Austin Division of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.
When you are ready
Talk through the next step.
The legal process with our Austin truck accident lawyers
The legal process in a personal injury case starts with a free review of what happened and how the crash changed daily life. Lawyers can then gather evidence. It can include the crash report, the trucking company’s records, black box data, medical records and witness statements. Some cases call for an accident reconstruction expert.
The claim goes to the trucking company, the other at-fault parties and their insurance companies. It can settle before anyone files a lawsuit. An insurer may refuse a fair settlement. The client then decides whether to file a lawsuit before the Texas deadline.
Free consultation with an Austin truck accident law firm
You can also send your details through our online case evaluation form. The same I-35 corridor runs north to Round Rock and south to San Marcos.
Zinda Law Group, a personal injury law firm, runs its Austin office at 7801 North Capital of Texas Highway, Suite 300, Austin, TX 78731.
The firm has joined the Junior League’s Coats for Kids drive and held an Austin attorney happy hour for St. Jude.
It has sponsored Tailgate for a Cause and supported the Hope Food Pantry. Its team has volunteered at the Central Texas Food Bank, and it has offered a law student scholarship. The Austin office also takes on-the-job injuries with an Austin workplace accident lawyer and dog attacks with an Austin dog bite lawyer.
Our firm works on a contingency fee basis, so there is no out-of-pocket cost to secure the legal representation you need.
Founder and CEO
John C. (Jack) Zinda
Jack founded Zinda Law Group and focuses his practice on catastrophic personal injury, 18-wheeler accidents and wrongful death.
