A San Antonio 18-wheeler accident leaves a trail of records behind the truck. A truck accident lawyer builds the claim from the tractor, the trailer, the driver’s logs and the carrier’s repair file. Federal law covers the trailer’s rear guard, its brakes, its tires and how the cargo is secured. This page covers those rules, the records, liability, damages and the Texas deadlines.
You pay nothing unless we win. Our law firm, Zinda Law Group, offers a free consultation about the crash at (800) 863-5312.
Article summary
Key things to know
- An 18-wheeler is a truck tractor pulling a semitrailer, and federal safety rules can cover both.
- Federal rules address the trailer’s rear guard, cargo securement, brakes and tires.
- Texas reduces damages by a person’s share of fault and bars recovery for anyone more than 50 percent responsible.
- TxDOT counted 2,684 crashes involving a commercial motor vehicle in Bexar County in 2024.
Free case review
Was it a tractor trailer that hit you?
A lawyer can name the truck and trailer records that matter and the filing deadline that applies.
What a San Antonio 18-wheeler accident lawyer does
A truck accident attorney handles personal injury claims against negligent truck drivers and the trucking companies behind them. A truck accident law firm works a commercial truck case in San Antonio from the first letter to the last offer. The work involves Texas personal injury law and any federal rules of the trucking industry that apply. Truck accident cases and other commercial truck cases call for a working knowledge of FMCSA regulations, the local courts and the local roads.
Gathering evidence often starts with a preservation letter, sometimes called a spoliation letter, and a lawyer can send it promptly after the crash. It asks the company to keep the truck, the trailer, the electronic logs, the engine control module data and the driver qualification file. The lawyer can also answer the insurance companies and check offers against your medical records, medical bills and lost wages.
Some people search for truck wreck attorneys or a big rig lawyer. The work is the same.
Not every truck accident case involves a tractor trailer. Dump truck and delivery van crashes go to our San Antonio truck accident lawyers. Outside Texas, an 18-wheeler accident claim may involve federal trucking rules and different state fault and deadline laws.
Common truck accidents in San Antonio
Commercial truck accidents take many forms. A San Antonio law firm reviews each kind, from box trucks to tractor trailers, because each type of crash leaves different evidence.
- Rear-end crashes when large trucks cannot stop in time
- Underride crashes when a car slides under a trailer
- Jackknife and rollover crashes when the trailer swings or tips
- Wide-turn crashes when a tractor trailer swings into another lane
- Cargo spills when an improperly loaded trailer drops its load
- Tire blowouts when a worn or damaged tire fails
Serious accidents like these can involve several vehicles, and San Antonio drivers on the same road may all have claims.
How semi truck accidents differ from car accidents
People call the same vehicle an 18-wheeler, a tractor trailer, a semi truck or a big rig. Federal safety rules define a truck tractor as a self-propelled commercial motor vehicle designed or used primarily for drawing other vehicles. A semitrailer is a towed vehicle, other than a pole trailer, built so that part of its weight rests on the vehicle pulling it.
Under the FMCSA’s definitions, a commercial motor vehicle includes a truck used in interstate commerce with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross weight of 10,001 pounds or more. Many box trucks and other large trucks fall under that definition too, so the same rules can reach them. Not every commercial vehicle is an 18-wheeler, but the same kinds of records often exist.
Truck accidents involving an 18-wheeler in San Antonio differ from car accidents in size and in the paperwork behind the truck. Federal rules generally cap gross vehicle weight on the Interstate System at 80,000 pounds, subject to lower bridge limits and listed exceptions. Texas law sets the same basic limit of 80,000 pounds gross on its public highways.
A private passenger vehicle generally lacks the federal records required of commercial carriers, so a crash between two passenger cars is a San Antonio car accident claim without that paperwork. Semi truck accidents often turn on those records, which is why a truck crash claim starts with the carrier’s files.
Truck accidents with commercial trucks may involve multiple insurance companies. For many for-hire interstate freight carriers, the federal minimum is $750,000 in financial responsibility. That minimum does not establish a San Antonio claim’s value.
Trailer and equipment rules after a tractor trailer crash
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) equipment rules can apply to commercial trucks on San Antonio roads, depending on the vehicle and operation. They can help identify what was wrong with the truck or the trailer. A truck accident lawyer knows a violation does not prove fault by itself.
In a rear underride crash, a vehicle slides under the back of a trailer. Federal rules require a rear impact guard on most trailers and semitrailers rated at 10,000 pounds or more and built on or after January 26, 1998. The bottom of the guard may generally be no more than 22 inches off the ground.
The FMCSA requires a commercial truck’s cargo to be loaded and secured so it does not leak, spill, blow or fall from the vehicle. A truck driver must make sure the cargo is properly distributed and secured before driving. The driver must inspect the cargo within the first 50 miles of a trip, unless ordered not to open a sealed truck or the load makes inspection impracticable.
A commercial truck must have brakes adequate to stop and hold the vehicle or combination. Some brake rules have listed exceptions. Federal rules bar operating a truck on a tire that is flat or has an audible leak.
Federal rules cover most trailers at least 80 inches wide and rated over 10,000 pounds. Those built on or after December 1, 1993 must carry retroreflective sheeting, reflex reflectors or both. After a tire blowout or a dark trailer, the repair file is evidence.
Driver and carrier records after truck accidents
After a semi truck or other commercial truck crash in San Antonio, these records come first. Trucking companies must keep records of the trucks and drivers under their control. The table shows how long the federal rules require the main records to be kept.
| Record | How long the carrier keeps it | Federal rule |
|---|---|---|
| Hours logs and supporting documents | At least six months from receipt | 49 CFR 395.8 |
| Maintenance and inspection records | One year, and six months after the truck leaves the carrier’s control, for a truck it controls 30 consecutive days or more | 49 CFR 396.3 |
| Driver qualification file | Employment plus three years, with listed exceptions | 49 CFR 391.51 |
A property-carrying truck driver may generally drive at most 11 hours within 14 hours of coming on duty after 10 consecutive hours off. After a fatal crash on a public road in commerce, federal rules generally require alcohol and drug tests of each surviving driver who was performing safety-sensitive functions.
A truck accident lawyer reviews driver logs, qualification files and test results for compliance.
Truck accidents on San Antonio highways
TxDOT’s San Antonio District covers 12 counties. Its district profile names I-35, I-10, I-37, Loop 410, Loop 1604, US 90 and US 281 among its project corridors.
TxDOT’s I-35 NEX project page says the corridor from N. Walters Street to FM 1103 currently carries about 231,300 vehicles of all kinds a day. Truck accident lawyers handle truck accident cases from crashes on roads like these.
The state’s 2023 freight plan says truck-involved crashes are concentrated in urban areas, especially Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. It adds that I-35 and I-10 are among the interstates with a high number of them, and that these crashes are not necessarily the fault of the person driving the truck.
TxDOT recorded 39,805 crashes of all vehicles inside San Antonio city limits in 2024, and 162 of them were fatal. In Bexar County, TxDOT recorded 2,684 crashes involving a commercial motor vehicle in 2024, and 18 were fatal. TxDOT classified 34 of those as suspected serious injury crashes and counted 46 suspected serious injuries in all. These counts cover reported crashes, not just 18-wheelers, and say nothing about fault.
Who can be held liable for San Antonio truck accidents
Commercial truck accidents in San Antonio with a tractor trailer raise complex liability questions, because more than one responsible party can stand behind a single truck.
Establishing negligence often starts with the truck driver. A commercial truck driver who speeds, drives while distracted or breaks other traffic laws can be held liable for the harm caused. Distracted driving and driver fatigue are among the issues the logs and phone records can show.
The trucking company has duties of its own. It must systematically inspect, repair and maintain the trucks under its control. It may not require or permit a driver to haul cargo that is not properly secured. A claim may name the company for an employee’s negligence within the scope of employment, or for company negligence that caused the crash.
Other parties can share liability, and a truck accident lawyer can check that each liable party is named.
- The truck owner when the owner is not the carrier and its own negligence led to the crash
- A cargo loader or shipper when improperly loaded cargo caused the crash
- A maintenance provider when poor repairs or a missed truck inspection caused it
- A parts maker when a defective part was to blame
Each may share responsibility when its negligence or a defective product led to the crash. You can pursue compensation from more than one of them in the same truck accident claim.
Texas law calls its fault rule proportionate responsibility, a modified comparative fault rule. An injured person can recover damages when 50 percent or less responsible, reduced by that percentage. A person more than 50 percent responsible recovers nothing.
The insurance companies for the driver or the trucking company may argue that the injured person shares the blame. The police report can record what the drivers said about how the crash happened, and the carrier’s records can help fill the gaps.
Our Texas truck accident lawyers work under that same proportionate responsibility rule in every city.
What to do after a truck crash in San Antonio
The first hours after a truck crash shape the claim, as they do in other personal injury accidents. These steps protect health and evidence.
- Call 911. The police report records the truck, the carrier and what the drivers said. A claim can go forward without one, but the report helps.
- Get medical care. A same-day visit puts injuries on record.
- Photograph the scene. Capture the truck, the trailer, the company name on the door and the road.
- Get witness names. People who saw the crash can confirm how it happened.
- Wait on a recorded statement. The trucking company’s insurer may call soon. Speak with a truck accident lawyer before you give one.
Large trucks are usually moved quickly after a crash, so a San Antonio truck accident lawyer asks the carrier in writing to keep its records.
Filing deadlines
Questions about how much time you have?
What truck accident victims can recover
Truck accident injuries after a serious crash with large trucks in San Antonio are often severe. Truck accident victims and other injury victims in San Antonio can suffer injuries like these.
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Broken bones
- Internal injuries
- Whiplash and herniated discs
- Burns
Rear-end crashes can cause whiplash and herniated discs.
Injury victims riding a motorcycle have no cab around them, and our San Antonio motorcycle accident lawyers handle those injuries. A San Antonio dog bite claim raises different liability questions than the federal rules behind truck accidents. Passengers in a crash like a Dallas party bus accident can have claims against the bus company.
Catastrophic injuries can change daily life for good, and medical bills keep coming long after the crash. Serious injuries call for more records, so a truck accident lawyer gathers them early.
Accidents between large commercial trucks and passenger vehicles often cause serious injuries and catastrophic injuries. A personal injury claim asks the liable parties to pay fair compensation for what the crash cost the injured victim.
Texas personal injury law separates economic damages, for actual economic or pecuniary loss, from noneconomic damages. Noneconomic damages include physical pain and suffering, mental or emotional pain or anguish, disfigurement and physical impairment.
- Medical expenses, from ambulance fees to future medical care
- Lost wages and lost earning capacity
- Damage to the vehicle
- Pain and the limits that severe injuries put on daily life
Unpaid medical bills after a crash keep arriving while a claim is open, so keep every statement.
Texas law allows exemplary damages only on clear and convincing evidence that the harm resulted from fraud, malice or gross negligence. They are not part of every truck accident lawsuit.
After a fatal truck crash, ask our San Antonio wrongful death lawyers who may bring a wrongful death claim.
A San Antonio truck accident lawyer cannot value a claim from an average settlement. Whether accident victims receive fair compensation, and how much financial compensation, depends on the injuries, the proof and how fault is shared. A San Antonio truck accident lawyer can check an offer against that record.
Deadlines and courts for a San Antonio 18-wheeler claim
The table lists the general Texas rules that set the truck accident claim deadline in San Antonio.
| Deadline | What it covers | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Two years | An injury lawsuit, counted from the day the claim accrues | Civil Practice and Remedies Code section 16.003(a) |
| Two years | A wrongful death lawsuit, counted from the death | Civil Practice and Remedies Code section 16.003(b) |
| 90 days | Written notice to the City of an injury claim against it | City Charter section 150 |
Exceptions can change a deadline, and the city rule applies only to claims against the City. A truck accident lawyer or another personal injury lawyer can check which deadline applies. A truck accident claim that does not settle can go to Bexar County’s civil district courts, which sit at the courthouse at 100 Dolorosa in San Antonio. Some cases go to federal court in the San Antonio Division of the Western District of Texas.
Some truck accident claims settle and some go to trial, depending on the proof, the injuries and the insurance companies involved.
When you are ready
Talk through the next step.
Free consultation with a San Antonio 18-wheeler accident attorney
The case evaluation page takes your details online. Ask a San Antonio 18-wheeler accident lawyer at our law firm about how the crash happened, the records to request and the deadline that applies. When you hire Zinda Law Group, our legal team answers your questions about the case.
Zinda Law Group is a personal injury law firm with an office at 18756 Stone Oak Parkway, Suite 200, San Antonio, TX 78258.
I-35 carries truck traffic north from San Antonio through New Braunfels and San Marcos, where truck accidents raise the same carrier questions. Farther north it reaches Waco, and its I-35W branch runs to Fort Worth.
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.
