A San Antonio truck accident lawyer starts with three questions. They are who was driving, which company ran the truck, and what records that company kept. Covered carriers must keep required driver logs and maintenance records under federal rules. Those files can show what went wrong before the crash.
Texas law then sets the filing deadline and how shared fault changes what a person can recover.
You pay nothing unless we win. Zinda Law Group offers a free consultation about your truck accident at (800) 863-5312.
Article summary
Key things to know
- Federal rules require covered motor carriers to have drivers log hours on an electronic logging device and keep the required logs for six months, with exceptions such as qualifying short-haul drivers.
- In Texas, the deadline for a personal injury lawsuit after a truck accident is generally two years.
- Injury claims against San Antonio’s city government generally need written notice within 90 days under the city charter.
- Texas reduces damages by a person’s share of responsibility and bars recovery when that share is greater than 50 percent.
- A claim can name the truck driver, the trucking company and other parties whose conduct caused the crash.
- A Texas wrongful death lawsuit belongs to the surviving spouse, the children and the parents.
Free case review
Is the carrier keeping its records?
A San Antonio truck accident lawyer can identify the carrier behind the truck and the deadline that controls a Bexar County claim.
What a San Antonio truck accident lawyer does
A truck accident claim can be brought against the trucking company and its driver. A truck accident attorney deals with the insurance companies that cover them. An early step in a truck accident case can be a preservation letter. It asks the trucking company in writing to keep the truck, the trailer, the electronic logs and any engine or camera data.
From there, a San Antonio truck accident lawyer can gather the police report, the medical records and the carrier’s files. That lawyer can also deal with the insurance adjusters directly. The client makes the final call on every settlement offer.
A San Antonio truck accident lawyer who handles commercial trucking cases knows which federal rules apply to the truck and which records the carrier must keep. Truck accident victims who call early give their lawyer the best chance to ask for those records in time.
Why the first weeks matter
Several carrier records have short retention periods under federal law. When a driver vehicle inspection report is required, it is kept for three months. Hours of service records are kept for six months. A preservation letter sent early asks the trucking company to hold those files and the truck itself.
Dealing with insurance carriers
The trucking company’s insurance carrier may call truck accident victims soon after the crash. An adjuster may ask for a recorded statement or offer a quick payment before the full injuries are known. A truck accident attorney can take those calls and advise you before you give a statement.
Insurance companies may review the medical bills closely. That is one more reason to keep every record. A San Antonio truck accident lawyer weighs whether an offer reflects fair compensation for the injuries and the care still ahead.
Truck accident cases in San Antonio
Truck accidents in San Antonio involve many kinds of commercial trucks. Each kind brings its own records and rules. Truck accident cases include these crashes.
- Tractor trailer and semi truck crashes
- Jackknife accidents and rollovers
- Underride accidents, where a car slides under a trailer
- Rear-end crashes by a loaded truck
- Wide-turn and blind spot crashes
- Dump truck, box truck and delivery truck crashes
A trailer built on or after January 26, 1998, with a weight rating of at least 10,000 pounds generally must carry a rear impact guard under federal rules. Pole trailers and some other types are exempt.
A tractor-trailer crash raises its own trailer, underride and cargo questions in a San Antonio 18-wheeler accident claim. Vans and fleet vehicles fall under commercial vehicle accident rules, and a delivery van crash can be an Amazon delivery accident claim.
How truck accidents differ from car accidents
Truck accident cases differ from regular car accidents in who the defendants are, how much insurance stands behind them and which records exist. Car accidents can involve several drivers and insurers too. A truck accident can involve a driver who works for one company, a trailer owned by another and freight loaded by a third. A truck accident lawyer looks at each of those layers before naming anyone in a claim.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) says large trucks have large blind spots, long stopping distances and wide turns compared with a passenger vehicle.
Many commercial trucks also carry federal financial responsibility minimums. A for-hire carrier hauling nonhazardous freight in interstate commerce in a truck rated at 10,001 pounds or more must maintain at least $750,000 in financial responsibility. Insurance, a surety bond or approved self-insurance can meet the requirement.
Truck crashes in San Antonio and Bexar County
TxDOT counted 2,684 crashes involving a commercial vehicle in Bexar County in 2024. Eighteen of those were fatal, with 18 deaths, and 46 people had suspected serious injuries. In 2025, TxDOT counted 2,581 such crashes there, including 12 fatal crashes with 16 deaths.
By TxDOT’s county figures, Bexar County had the third-highest number of these crashes of any Texas county in both years, after Harris County and Dallas County. The count covers reported crashes in which the officer marked the commercial vehicle indicator on the crash report. It counts any vehicle the officer marked as commercial, which can include truck accidents with vans and work trucks as well as tractor trailers.
For all vehicles, TxDOT counted 37,299 crashes in the City of San Antonio in 2025, with 167 deaths.
Fatal truck accidents across Texas
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that Texas had 699 large trucks in fatal crashes in 2024. That is more than any other state. NHTSA counts any truck with a gross vehicle weight rating over 10,000 pounds as a large truck, commercial or not.
In the United States, NHTSA reports that 5,340 people were killed in truck accidents involving large trucks in 2024. Seventy percent of them were occupants of other vehicles, not the trucks.
San Antonio truck traffic and freight corridors
On its 2021 list, the Federal Highway Administration named Interstate 35 at Interstate 10 in San Antonio among the major freight highway bottlenecks. FHWA’s traffic counts from 2018 put that segment at 24,856 trucks a day.
The Texas Department of Transportation’s San Antonio District maintains the state highways in Bexar County and 11 other counties. Its district profile names projects on Interstates 35, 10 and 37, Loop 410 and Loop 1604.
TxDOT says the Interstate 35 Northeast Expansion runs about 20 miles from N. Walters Street in San Antonio to FM 1103 in Schertz. TxDOT says the corridor carries about 231,300 vehicles a day and serves commuters and freight, so semi truck traffic shares it with daily drivers.
The state freight plan says truck-involved crashes are concentrated in urban areas, especially Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. It adds that these truck crashes are not necessarily caused by the truck driver.
San Antonio semi truck and commercial truck accidents
A semi truck accident, a big rig crash and a tractor trailer wreck all describe the same kind of vehicle. Under the federal safety rules, a commercial motor vehicle includes a truck used in interstate commerce with a gross vehicle weight rating, or an actual weight, of 10,001 pounds or more, among other tests.
On a city street, a commercial truck crash can bring the same federal rules into play as a crash on the interstate. Every commercial vehicle accident claim starts by finding out which company operated the truck and whether it was hauling freight for another company.
Causes of truck crashes to look into
A broken safety rule does not prove fault by itself. It points to the records to ask for. These are causes a San Antonio truck accident lawyer can check early.
- Driver fatigue, which federal rules bar when it makes driving unsafe
- Distracted driving, shown by phone records or camera footage
- Improper loading, since cargo must be properly distributed and secured
- Poor maintenance and brake failure on trucks the carrier is required to maintain
- Unqualified drivers whom a carrier may not let behind the wheel
- Speed and following distance, since a loaded truck needs far more room to stop than a passenger vehicle
Negligent truck drivers are often only part of the story. Driver negligence can trace back to a schedule the carrier set, a truck it failed to repair or a hire it failed to check. The commercial truck driver’s own records are where that work begins.
Federal regulations for truck drivers and carriers
The FMCSA writes the federal regulations that trucking companies operate under. Texas law directs the Texas Department of Public Safety to adopt truck safety rules consistent with the federal rules.
Hours of service and electronic logs
Under the federal rules, a driver of a property-carrying truck generally may drive at most 11 hours, inside a 14-hour window that starts when the driver comes on duty after 10 consecutive hours off. The driver may not keep driving once 8 hours of driving time have passed without a consecutive 30-minute interruption. Depending on whether the carrier runs trucks every day, a driver may not drive after 60 hours on duty in 7 days or 70 hours in 8 days. Some qualifying short-haul and sleeper-berth operations use modified limits.
Federal rules require covered motor carriers to have drivers log hours on an electronic logging device, with exceptions such as some short-haul drivers and trucks made before model year 2000. Electronic logging device data can be checked against fuel receipts, delivery records and GPS data.
Driver files, testing and inspections
Each driver a motor carrier employs needs a driver qualification file, which the carrier generally keeps while the driver works for it and for three years after. The file includes the driver’s employment application and the yearly review of the driving record.
After a fatal crash on a public road in commerce, a covered carrier must test its surviving driver for alcohol and drugs, and stops trying after 8 hours for alcohol or 32 for drugs. At the end of each day’s work, a truck driver must generally report in writing any defect that would affect safe operation or cause a breakdown. The report covers the brakes, steering, lights, tires and other listed parts. No report is required when no such defect is found.
The carrier keeps that report for three months. For a truck it controls for 30 consecutive days, it keeps maintenance records for one year and for six months after the truck leaves its control.
A truck accident lawyer and legal team can ask for these records in writing early in a case.
Catastrophic injuries in San Antonio truck accidents
The size and weight of a truck raise the risk of severe injuries. A commercial truck accident can cause catastrophic injuries. Traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries, including paralysis, can affect a person’s ability to work and need long-term care. Other severe injuries include broken ribs and pelvis, herniated discs, crush injuries, internal organ damage and burns.
Some truck accident victims require extensive medical treatment, and future medical bills can be larger than the bills already paid. Accident victims who see a doctor the same day also create treatment records of their symptoms. Insurance companies may dispute the extent and cost of future care for catastrophic injuries. A truck accident lawyer uses those records to show the care still ahead.
A treating doctor can explain how traumatic brain injuries may affect memory, mood and work after a truck accident. Motorcycle riders thrown in a truck crash can suffer both. That is also a San Antonio motorcycle accident claim. Both injuries can require years of care, so the claim must account for future treatment.
Who can be held liable for a San Antonio truck accident
A San Antonio truck accident often has multiple parties. Each one can carry part of the fault. A San Antonio truck accident lawyer can match each failure to the party that owed the duty. Under Texas law, the trier of fact, usually a jury, assigns a percentage of responsibility to each claimant, each defendant, each settling person and each designated responsible third party.
The truck driver and the carrier behind the truck
The truck driver comes first. Lawyers check speeding, distracted driving and hours of service violations against the electronic logs, phone records and the police report. A claim may also name the trucking company for a driver’s negligence within the scope of employment. It may name the company for its own negligence in hiring, training or supervising drivers, subject to Texas rules on employer claims.
Shippers, loaders and repair shops
Improper loading can place fault on the shipper or the company that loaded the freight. A repair shop or a truck or parts manufacturer may share fault for negligent work or a defect that played a part. When more than one potentially liable party is involved, a claim can pursue compensation from each one at fault.
Shared fault under Texas law
Insurance companies may argue that the other driver was to blame, because Texas uses a modified comparative fault rule. Anyone found 50 percent or less responsible can still recover damages, reduced by that percentage. Recovery is barred for anyone found more than 50 percent responsible.
The evidence can answer those arguments from insurance companies.
Filing deadlines
Questions about how much time you have?
Deadlines for a Texas truck accident claim
Texas filing limits come from the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. They apply to every Texas truck accident claim and set the San Antonio lawsuit deadlines too.
| Claim or step | General deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Injury lawsuit | Two years from accrual of the claim | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003 |
| Wrongful death suit | Two years from the death | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003 |
| Executor or administrator’s duty to bring the wrongful death claim | Not a filing deadline: the duty arises when no beneficiary has sued within three calendar months after the death, unless all of them object | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 71.004 |
| Written notice of an injury claim to the city | Within 90 days of the injury | City Charter, Section 150 |
| Notice of a Texas Tort Claims Act claim | Generally six months after the incident, and a lawful city period may be shorter | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 101.101 |
Texas law gives Bexar County 27 district courts with concurrent jurisdiction, and the county lists 14 of them as civil district courts. The county courthouse stands in downtown San Antonio, and the county also has 15 county courts at law. Bexar County lies within the San Antonio Division of the federal Western District of Texas.
A truck accident attorney can confirm the deadline for your crash.
Claims against the city of San Antonio
A claim against the city government has its own, much shorter notice period. Section 150 of the San Antonio City Charter requires written notice to the City Manager or the City Clerk on that short schedule. The injured person gives the notice, or the person’s representatives give it after a death. It must state when, where and how the injury happened, how serious it appears and the damages claimed.
Texas law excuses the notice only when the city timely knew of the injury and its own alleged fault, so do not count on that exception. The Texas Tort Claims Act also limits when a city is liable for a vehicle crash and caps the damages.
Claims go to the Office of the City Clerk, according to the City’s own claim form. The City’s FAQ says a claim caused by CPS Energy, SAWS or VIA must be filed with that entity, not with the City, and each has its own process.
What a Bexar County truck claim can cover
In a personal injury claim, injured people can ask the responsible parties to pay for the losses the truck accident caused. Texas law separates economic damages, which repay actual financial losses, from noneconomic damages. Noneconomic damages cover physical pain, mental anguish and other losses that are not financial.
- Medical bills already paid and future medical care
- Lost wages from missed work, and lost earning capacity
- Physical pain, mental anguish and physical impairment
- Disfigurement and loss of enjoyment of life
- Repairs to the vehicle and other property damage
A personal injury lawyer documents these losses with bills, pay records, repair estimates and other evidence. Under Texas law, recovery of medical expenses is limited to the amount actually paid or incurred by or for the injured person.
Texas calls punitive damages exemplary damages. It allows them only on clear and convincing evidence that the harm resulted from fraud, malice or gross negligence, and it generally caps the amount. In Bexar County, fair compensation turns on the injuries, the evidence, the split of fault and the carrier’s insurance, and no amount is promised.
When a San Antonio truck accident is fatal
Wrongful death claims in Texas belong to the surviving spouse, the children and the parents of the person who died. Any one of them may bring the claim for all of them. If no beneficiary sues within three months, the executor or administrator must sue unless all the beneficiaries object.
A personal injury claim survives the injured person’s death. It passes to the heirs, legal representatives and estate. A personal injury lawyer can explain how that claim is brought.
Surviving family members often face these choices weeks after fatal truck accidents, while grieving. A San Antonio truck accident lawyer can explain to surviving family members who may bring each San Antonio wrongful death claim and the deadline for it.
What to do after a truck accident in San Antonio
After a crash with a truck, these steps help protect both health and the claim. A truck accident lawyer can help with each one.
- Get medical care. See a doctor the same day, even if symptoms seem mild.
- Call 911. The police report names the truck, the driver and the carrier.
- Gather evidence. Photograph the scene, the vehicles and the company name painted on the cab.
- Keep your records. Save medical bills, repair estimates and proof of lost wages.
- Wait on recorded statements. An insurance adjuster for the trucking company may ask for one, so talk to a San Antonio truck accident lawyer first.
When you are ready
Talk through the next step.
Choosing a truck accident law firm in San Antonio
Comparing law firms after truck accidents is easier with a short list of questions. Truck accident litigation can turn on records with short retention periods, so the answers matter. A law firm that handles serious accidents involving commercial trucks answers each one plainly.
- How many commercial trucking cases the law firm has handled
- What trial experience its legal team has with trucking cases
- Who at the law firm will work on your case and how the legal team will keep in touch
- How the law firm plans to get the carrier’s records
- Whether the law firm can bring in accident reconstruction experts
- What happens with fees and costs if the case does not recover compensation
Medical records brought to the first meeting help a truck accident lawyer see how serious the injuries are.
Free consultation with a San Antonio truck accident lawyer
The San Antonio truck accident FAQs below answer common questions about cost, fault and crashes with city vehicles. If you are ready to start, the case evaluation page takes your details online. The consultation can cover the crash, the records worth requesting and the deadline. A truck accident lawyer can handle the insurance companies for you.
Talking with a truck accident attorney costs nothing, and you decide whether to hire our law firm. Up I-35 toward Austin, truck claims also come from San Marcos.
Zinda Law Group is a law firm with an office at 18756 Stone Oak Parkway, Suite 200, San Antonio, TX 78258. You can call to ask about an appointment at this office. A truck accident lawyer or car accident lawyer can explain how a claim works.
Zinda Law Group’s San Antonio personal injury lawyers also take other injury claims, including San Antonio dog bite claims after animal attacks.
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.
