An 18-wheeler collision in El Paso leaves records behind. The truck driver’s logs, the trailer’s repair file and the carrier’s electronic data can show what happened before the crash. An El Paso truck accident lawyer asks the trucking company to keep them.
You pay nothing unless we win. Zinda Law Group offers a free consultation about the crash at (800) 863-5312.
Article summary
Key things to know
- An 18-wheeler is usually a truck tractor pulling a semitrailer, and federal safety rules cover the carrier and the equipment.
- Under chapter 33 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code, an injured person’s compensation is reduced by that person’s share of responsibility, and a share above 50 percent bars recovery.
- TxDOT recorded 1,014 commercial motor vehicle crashes in the county in 2025, seven fatal.
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Was an 18-wheeler part of your El Paso accident?
Parties involved in an El Paso truck accident may have relevant records. We can explain which ones to request and the filing deadline.
What a lawyer does after an 18-wheeler crash in El Paso
A truck accident lawyer handles personal injury cases against truck drivers and the trucking companies behind them. Truck accident cases often turn on the truck’s records, so a truck accident lawyer starts with a thorough investigation of the crash. A law firm can send the carrier a written request to preserve the truck, the trailer, its logs and its electronic data.
Box truck and delivery van crashes go to our El Paso truck accident lawyers. Federal rules may reach a semi truck accident in another state with its own deadlines. I-10 carries freight east to San Antonio, which our San Antonio 18-wheeler accident lawyers page covers.
Legal services after an El Paso truck accident
Truck accident victims often need a truck accident lawyer to preserve evidence, establish negligence and manage communications with insurers. Many people injured in a truck accident also suffered lost income.
- Gathering evidence in the investigation of negligence, including witness statements and any available video footage
- Collecting the police crash report and statements from other drivers
- Asking the carrier for its logs and its repair file
- Dealing with the insurance companies on compensation and checking each offer against all of your losses
What counts as an 18-wheeler
People also call the vehicle a semi truck or a big rig.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) says a fully loaded tractor-trailer truck weighs up to 80,000 pounds. Our El Paso car accident lawyers handle crashes between passenger cars, and our El Paso motorcycle accident lawyers handle motorcycle crashes.
Truck and trailer rules after an El Paso truck accident
FMCSA writes the driver and equipment rules, and a truck accident attorney checks them against the facts.
Cargo and the trailer
A truck driver may not operate a commercial truck with cargo that is not properly distributed and adequately secured. A carrier may not require or permit it. Federal rules also require a rear impact guard on most trailers rated at 10,000 pounds or more and built on or after January 26, 1998.
Driver fatigue and hours
Federal rules generally bar a driver from operating a commercial truck while driver fatigue, illness or another cause makes driving unsafe or likely to become unsafe. A carrier may not allow it either. Under federal rules, a property-carrying truck driver generally may drive at most 11 hours within 14 hours of coming on duty after 10 consecutive hours off, subject to other limits.
A truck accident lawyer compares the driver’s logs with those limits.
Records a truck accident lawyer requests from the carrier
Trucking companies hauling interstate freight generally must keep these federal records.
- Hours logs, which interstate carriers generally record on an electronic logging device and keep for six months or longer
- Maintenance records of inspections and repairs, kept one year and for six months after the truck leaves the carrier’s control, for any truck it controls 30 consecutive days
- The driver qualification file, which includes the driver’s employment application and is generally kept while the driver works for the carrier and for three years after
- Post-accident drug and alcohol tests, which a carrier must arrange for surviving CDL drivers doing safety-sensitive work after a fatal crash on a public road and some other qualifying crashes
Truck accidents on El Paso highways and at the border
I-10 and the ports of entry
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) calls the Reimagine I-10 corridor through El Paso a highly traveled stretch for freight and trucks. It says the corridor has five U.S./Mexico ports of entry. East of El Paso, I-10 meets I-20 toward Midland, and US 62 runs to Lubbock.
Commercial vehicle crash counts
TxDOT recorded 1,014 crashes involving a commercial motor vehicle in El Paso County in 2025, seven of them fatal. The count does not show who caused each crash.
Who can be held liable after an El Paso truck accident
Truck accident cases with an 18-wheeler often have more than one party involved. Liability can rest with the truck driver, the carrier or both, depending on the evidence. A truck accident attorney starts by determining liability from the evidence.
Determining liability for the driver and the carrier
A truck driver can be held liable when a violation committed while driving, such as speeding or driving while fatigued, causes injury. The trucking company’s liability can come from an employee driver’s negligence within the scope of employment. It also has its own duty to inspect, repair and maintain its trucks. To help establish liability, a truck accident lawyer compares the driver’s logs and the repair file with the crash.
Other parties that may be held liable
- A loader or shipper, when its negligent loading caused the collision
- A maintenance provider, when its negligent repairs caused it
- A parts maker, when a defective part it made caused it
- The vehicle owner, when the owner’s own negligence caused the crash
To establish liability for a load, a truck accident lawyer reviews who loaded and secured the cargo. You may pursue compensation from more than one party. An El Paso workplace accident lawyer handles injuries on the job.
How responsibility is shared in a truck accident
Texas calls this rule proportionate responsibility, under chapter 33. An injured person found 50 percent or less responsible may recover compensation, minus that share. A person more than 50 percent responsible cannot recover.
The trucking company’s insurer may argue that the injured person shares the fault for the accident. The police report, the witness statements and the carrier’s records are evidence that helps determine who was at fault. Our Texas truck accident lawyers bring claims under the same rule statewide.
What a claim can cover after an 18-wheeler crash
A claim after a truck accident lets accident victims ask the liable parties to pay compensation for what the crash cost.
The economic and noneconomic damages at stake
- Compensation for medical expenses and future care, with past expenses limited to the amounts actually paid or incurred
- Compensation for lost wages and lost income when injuries keep you from work
- Property damage to your vehicle
- Physical pain, emotional distress, emotional trauma and the limits that severe injuries put on daily life
Truck accidents can cause traumatic brain injuries and other catastrophic injuries, and victims who suffered them may need long treatment. A hospital error in that care may warrant review by our El Paso medical malpractice lawyers.
Wrongful death after a truck accident
If a family has suffered the loss of a loved one, our El Paso wrongful death lawyers can explain who may bring a wrongful death claim.
The size of a settlement or recovery depends on the injuries, medical bills paid or incurred, the carrier’s coverage and each party’s share of responsibility.
Filing deadlines
Questions about how much time you have?
Deadlines for an El Paso truck accident claim
This table lists some truck accident claim deadline rules for El Paso.
| What it covers | Deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|
| An injury lawsuit, counted from the day the claim accrues | Two years | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003(a) |
| A wrongful death lawsuit, counted from the death | Two years | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003(b) |
| Sworn written notice to the mayor of an injury claim against the City of El Paso, counted from the injury, or six months for good cause shown | 90 days | El Paso Municipal Code 3.28.010 and 3.28.030 |
Exceptions can change a deadline. The city rule applies to injury claims against the City. An exception in section 101.101(c) needs the city’s actual knowledge of the injury, its alleged fault and the parties involved.
In El Paso County, a district court or a civil county court at law can hear a truck accident lawsuit, both at the courthouse at 500 E San Antonio.
When you are ready
Talk through the next step.
Free consultation with an El Paso truck accident attorney
When you contact our law firm, a truck accident lawyer can go over the crash, the records and the deadline.
Zinda Law Group is a personal injury law firm with an office at 2300 George Dieter Drive, El Paso, TX 79936. Dog attacks go to our El Paso dog bite lawyers. Our law firm also handles Plano car accidents and Waco traffic accidents.
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.
