Waco 18-Wheeler Accident Lawyer

After an 18-wheeler hits you in Waco, the proof sits in the truck, the trailer and the files the trucking company keeps. Federal trucking regulations cover the trailer’s rear guard, its brakes, its tires and the way the cargo is secured.

Zinda Law Group can talk through your Waco, TX truck accident at (800) 863-5312. You pay nothing unless we win.

What truck accident lawyers do first after a Waco 18-wheeler crash

A truck accident attorney handles claims against truck drivers and the trucking companies behind them. The first job is to protect the evidence. A written request asks the company to keep the truck, the trailer, the logs and the inspection and repair files.

Some of those records are kept only briefly. Federal rules require carriers to keep logs for at least six months and required driver vehicle inspection reports for three months. Choosing legal representation early helps protect them.

Then our truck accident lawyers answer the insurance companies. They check each offer against your medical expenses, lost wages and property damage.

Not every truck accident involves an 18-wheeler. Our Waco truck accident lawyers page covers crashes with any commercial truck. Our 18-wheeler accident page explains these crashes in other states.

How the law describes an 18-wheeler

People call the same vehicle an 18-wheeler, a tractor trailer, a semi truck or a big rig.

The federal rules do not define the nickname, so they describe the parts.

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 built so that part of its weight rests on the vehicle pulling it.

Federal trucking regulations for the truck and the trailer

Breaking a rule does not prove fault by itself. A worn tire or a missing guard can still show how a truck accident happened.

Rear guards and underride accidents

In an underride accident, a car 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.

Cargo that shifts or falls

Federal rules require a truck’s cargo to be loaded and secured so it does not leak, spill, blow or fall from the vehicle. A carrier may not require or permit a driver to operate the truck unless the cargo is properly distributed and adequately secured.

Brakes and tires

A truck must have brakes adequate to stop and hold the vehicle or combination, acting on all wheels. Some brake rules have listed exceptions.

Federal rules bar operating a truck on a tire that is flat or has an audible leak. Front tires on a truck tractor also need at least 4/32 of an inch of tread in a major groove.

Driver and carrier records after a truck accident

A driver of a property-carrying truck may generally drive at most 11 hours, inside a 14-hour window that opens at the start of duty after 10 consecutive hours off. Federal rules generally bar a driver from driving while fatigue, illness or any other cause makes it unsafe.

Interstate carriers must generally have drivers record their hours on an electronic logging device. Carriers must keep records of duty status and supporting documents for at least six months.

Inspection, repair and maintenance records for a truck the carrier controls for 30 consecutive days or more must be kept for one year and for six months after the truck leaves its control.

Federal rules generally require a carrier to test a surviving driver for alcohol and drugs after a truck accident that involves a loss of human life.

I-35, US 84 and SH 6 in Waco, Texas

TxDOT calls I-35 a major north/south thoroughfare and a critical roadway for delivering goods, services and people into the Waco region and across the state. Its Waco District profile, revised in December 2024, lists McLennan County work on I-35, the SH 6 Twin Bridges at Lake Waco and, as a planned project, US 84.

TxDOT counted 3,096 reportable crashes of all kinds in the City of Waco in 2025, and 13 of them were fatal. Its crash table for commercial vehicles is by county.

It counted 423 crashes in McLennan County in 2025, and 6 of them were fatal. It is a countywide commercial motor vehicle count, not a count of 18-wheelers, and it says nothing about fault.

Who can be held liable after a truck accident

A tractor trailer can raise complex liability issues, because multiple parties may stand behind one truck. Our truck accident lawyers look at who controlled the truck, the trailer and the load. The parties involved can include the driver and the trucking company.

The company has duties of its own under federal rules, including keeping driver and maintenance records. A claim may name the company for an employee’s negligence within the course and scope of employment. It may also name the company for its own negligence that caused the truck accident.

How shared fault works after a Texas truck accident

In Texas, a person whose percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent may not recover damages. A person who is not barred has the damages reduced by that percentage. The trier of fact determines the percentage of responsibility of each claimant, defendant, settling person and designated responsible third party.

Texas rules for lawsuits over truck accidents

For a Texas lawsuit over a commercial collision, a commercial motor vehicle is one used for commercial purposes in interstate or intrastate commerce. That includes hauling property or passengers, delivering goods and providing services.

When a defendant files a timely motion in a covered case, the court must split the trial into two phases. The first phase decides liability and compensatory damages. The second decides exemplary damages.

Our Texas truck accident lawyers page gives the state rules more room. Elsewhere in the state, our 18-wheeler pages cover Fort Worth and San Antonio. A separate FAQ explains truck accident claim deadlines.

What you can recover compensation for after a truck accident

A claim asks the liable parties to pay for what the truck accident cost you. Economic damages compensate actual economic or pecuniary loss. Noneconomic damages compensate losses such as physical pain and suffering and mental or emotional pain or anguish.

• Medical bills, limited to the amount actually paid or incurred by or on behalf of the claimant
• Lost wages
• Physical pain and suffering
• Mental or emotional pain or anguish

If serious injuries need ongoing care, tell your lawyer early. After a fatal truck accident, a Texas wrongful death action is for the exclusive benefit of the surviving spouse, children and parents. Our Waco wrongful death lawyers page explains who may bring it.

Our truck accident lawyers do not quote a settlement average or a case value. What a claim is worth depends on the harm, the proof and how fault is shared.

Talk to a personal injury law firm in Waco, Texas

The case evaluation page takes your details online. At the initial consultation, our Waco truck accident lawyers go over the truck accident, the records to request and the deadlines that apply to injured victims in Waco and Central Texas.

Zinda Law Group is a personal injury law firm with an office at 7215 Bosque Boulevard, Suite 107, Waco, TX 76710. Our Waco personal injury lawyers handle Texas personal injury claims beyond truck accidents, and our Waco office page covers them. For a work van or a bus, see our commercial vehicle accident and bus accident pages. A crash between cars is a car accident claim, and our car accident lawyers cover it on a Waco car accident page.

Ask any law firm about its fee structure before you hire it. Our firm works on a contingency fee basis, so there is no out-of-pocket cost to secure the legal representation you need.

John (Jack) Zinda

Founder / CEO

Over 100 years of combined experience representing injured victims across the country.

Available 24 / 7|Free Consultation

Neil Solomon

Partner

Real results matter. We do not get paid unless we win your case.

Available 24 / 7|Free Consultation