Truck Accident Attorney in Spring, TX
Spring truck accident lawyers at The Law Offices of Tad Nelson & Associates represent those who have been injured in crashes involving large commercial trucks, delivery vehicles, and tractor-trailers. Large trucks involved in accidents often lead to more serious injuries and complicated liability issues, and can include driver and company policy violations and federal truck safety regulation violations.
Our Spring personal injury lawyers have the resources and investigation capabilities to prove liability and fight aggressively for the maximum amount of compensation available in a truck accident case.
Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer
The Law Offices of Tad Nelson & Associates has handled truck accident cases in Texas for many years, and we understand how to go about litigating these types of cases. We have over three decades of courtroom experience and are prepared to fight for you.
Tad Nelson is a true trial lawyer. He is disciplined and prepares cases in a results-oriented manner. Amber Spurlock has the attention to detail and drive to manage these cases and work alongside Tad and the investigators in their discovery.
Together, Tad Nelson and Amber Spurlock can handle your truck accident case by emphasizing commercial liability standards and regulatory compliance while assessing long-term injuries to fight for maximum accountability and rightful compensation.
What Makes Truck Accidents Different From Ordinary Car Crashes?
Truck accidents are fundamentally different from ordinary car crashes in Spring because of differences in vehicle size, weight, and operating requirements. Commercial trucks take longer to stop and turn, and require more braking force, making a collision more severe if something goes wrong. Truck accident cases also involve issues of layered responsibility beyond the driver.
Truck collision claims often have to examine drivers’ logs, companies’ safety policies and procedures, and truck maintenance records. Federal and state regulations specifically control the way trucks are driven, loaded, and inspected. Truck accident cases often require more investigation and technical professionalism than ordinary auto claims, especially when catastrophic injury or death is involved.
Identifying All Liable Parties in a Truck Accident
Determining liability after a truck accident is almost never as simple as assigning fault to the driver. In commercial trucking operations, there can be multiple parties that all bear some responsibility depending on how the accident happened. Identifying all liable parties is an essential part of the process to pursue full compensation. Potentially liable parties in a truck accident may include:
- The truck driver
- The trucking company or motor carrier
- Vehicle owners or leasing companies
- Maintenance or repair contractors
- Cargo loaders or shippers
- Manufacturers of defective truck components
Every party has its own insurance coverage and legal responsibilities. An investigation is needed to determine who had control over safety decisions and whether regulatory responsibilities were breached.
Federal and Texas Trucking Regulations You Should Know
Commercial trucking has comprehensive safety regulations designed to prevent fatigue, mechanical failure, and other forms of unsafe operation. Violations of these rules are often at the heart of a truck accident claim. In Texas, the same standards are also enforced through the Texas Transportation Code. The greater a company’s willingness to ignore or circumvent these rules, the greater the resulting exposure. Important federal trucking regulations include:
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations 49 C.F.R. Parts 382–399
- Hours-of-service limitations 49 C.F.R. § 395 (limiting how long a driver may operate without rest)
- Vehicle inspection, repair, and maintenance 49 C.F.R. § 396
- Drug and alcohol testing 49 C.F.R. Part 382
Common Causes of Commercial Truck Accidents
A variety of factors associated with the trucking industry, such as tight delivery schedules and fatigue after long-haul driving, can contribute to the development of circumstances that pose a risk of harm to other drivers on the roadways.
Some of the most common causes of commercial truck accidents are driver fatigue and violations of hours-of-service regulations, improperly loaded or unsecured cargo, poorly maintained vehicles, unsafe lane changes and wide turns, and speeding or driving too fast for road and weather conditions.
According to the National Safety Council, there were 5,472 fatalities and over 114,000 injuries in large-truck crashes nationwide in 2023. These numbers demonstrate the widespread and potentially catastrophic consequences of trucking risks across the country.
Truck Accidents on Spring Roadways
Commercial truck traffic is frequent near the major freight corridors that converge in the Spring area. Traffic congestion is common on roadways such as I-45, Farm to Market 1960 Road, Cypresswood Drive, and the various feeder roads that service the industrial and retail areas in Spring and nearby communities. The large volume of trucks traveling on these roadways means that when crashes happen, the injuries can be severe.
The Texas Department of Transportation reports that there were 430 fatalities involving truck-tractor/semi-trailer vehicles statewide in 2024. Injuries sustained in truck crashes in Spring can include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, crush injuries, and wrongful death. It is important to understand how the heavy truck traffic near highways, intersections, and within the dense road networks in Spring may contribute to liability and long-term outcomes.
How ELDs and Onboard Data Influence Truck Accident Cases
In an age of electronic logging devices (ELDs) and electronic monitoring of vehicles, most modern commercial trucks have an engine control module and/or GPS with onboard recording data capable of documenting speed, brake application, hours of operation, and more. This data can reveal information about the minutes leading up to a collision and may be lost if not obtained quickly.
Data downloaded from the vehicle can help corroborate or challenge a driver’s version of events and can show whether the driver was operating in a reckless or negligent manner before an accident that may not be obvious from physical evidence. Professional review of electronic data is often a crucial factor in proving how and why a truck accident occurred.
Insurance Issues in Commercial Truck Accident Claims
Truck accident claims often involve commercial insurance policies with unique issues and procedures that are unlike typical auto insurance. The policy limits of trucking companies can involve high limits, stacked coverage, or even self-insurance.
Insurers may respond to the crash scene within hours with a team to take control of an investigation and minimize exposure. Review of these policies can involve interpretation of policy limits, exceptions, and notice provisions. These companies have their own internal processes to investigate and evaluate risk and defend claims.
FAQs About Truck Accidents in Spring, TX
How Is a Truck Accident Claim Different From a Standard Car Accident Claim?
Truck accident cases can be different from standard car accident claims in many ways. They may involve an analysis of company policies, safety records, and commercial insurance practices. The involvement of large trucking companies as potential defendants can lead to more aggressive defense tactics and higher injury claims. Additionally, the higher severity of injuries in truck accidents can impact the amount and type of damages sought.
What If the Truck Driver Was Working at the Time of the Crash?
If the truck driver was working at the time of the accident, the trucking company might be legally liable for the driver’s actions. Determining whether the driver was working involves looking at employment contracts, delivery logs, and the degree of control the company had over the driver’s schedule and actions. These factors can influence liability and the recovery of damages.
Will Any Evidence From the Truck Be Lost or Destroyed?
There are some kinds of evidence in a truck that will only be available for a short time. Items like electronic logging information, truck onboard computers, and maintenance records may be automatically overwritten if not preserved quickly. When we are engaged in a claim early, we can focus on the need to preserve these records, which allows for more time before these records are lost.
What Kinds of Damages Are Available in a Truck Accident Claim?
Damages in a truck accident claim are similar to those available in any personal injury case. These include medical expenses, lost income and earning capacity, ongoing care costs, and non-economic damages.
Catastrophic injury means the victim could have to live with the effects of the accident for the rest of their life. For this reason, future consequences of the injuries are even more important to calculate than in other cases.
What Kind of Impact Can a Truck Accident Have on a Family in the Event of Serious Injury or Death?
Catastrophic injuries and wrongful death in a truck accident have the potential to create a lifetime of financial and emotional difficulties for a family. Not only can these events cause a sudden loss of income and create an ongoing need for healthcare and support services, but they can also impact the lives of a family in ways that extend far beyond a simple claim for medical bills.
Contact a Spring Truck Accident Lawyer
Truck accidents can involve catastrophic injuries, complex liability, and powerful commercial insurers. If you or a loved one has been injured in a collision in Spring, an investigation is required as well as an aggressive legal strategy.
At The Law Offices of Tad Nelson & Associates, we handle truck accident claims with a narrowed focus in preparation as well as litigation-driven advocacy. Our approach is designed to aggressively pursue responsibility and maximum compensation under Texas law. Schedule a consultation and hire a truck accident attorney today.