A truck wreck is not a simple car crash; it is a complex case involving federal safety regulations, trucking companies, and critical evidence that can disappear in days. With over 25 years of experience, Scott Templeton doesn't just negotiate with insurers, he builds high-stakes cases against them.
From Permian Basin freight routes to West Texas highways, Templeton Law Firm handles commercial trucking accidents across San Angelo and Tom Green County. You pay nothing unless we recover compensation. Call (325) 482-9120 or use our contact form for a free consultation.
What Makes a Truck Accident Claim Different From a Car Accident Claim?
Truck accident claims are more complex than car accidents because you can pursue the trucking company, not just the driver, for its own negligence in hiring, training, and supervision. Additionally, commercial insurance policies are significantly larger than personal auto policies, providing a greater source of recovery for serious injuries like traumatic brain damage, spinal cord injuries, or wrongful death.
Because trucking companies immediately deploy specialized defense teams, these cases require a San Angelo truck accident lawyer who levels the playing field by gathering evidence and building your case from the moment the crash occurs.
Who's Hauling Freight Through San Angelo, and Why It Matters to Your Claim
Local freight traffic, specifically oilfield haulers, agricultural carriers, and long-haul rigs, determines the unique risks and liabilities in your crash. San Angelo’s infrastructure, from rural farm-to-market roads to major freight corridors like US-67, US-87, and US-277, presents distinct hazards such as tanker rollovers, trailer "sloshing," and underride collisions.
These specific details are critical to identifying all liable parties. We investigate beyond the driver to determine if the oilfield operator, the loading company, or the carrier that enforced an unsafe schedule contributed to your accident. Our firm understands these local routes and the specific mechanical failures common to them, ensuring we hold every responsible party accountable.
Who Can Be Held Responsible After a Commercial Truck Accident in Texas?
More than one party can be legally responsible for a single truck accident in Texas. Depending on what caused the crash, liability can extend beyond the driver to:
- The trucking company, for negligent hiring, training, or supervision
- The company that loaded or shipped the cargo, if it was unsecured or overweight
- A maintenance contractor, if known mechanical problems went unrepaired
- A parts manufacturer, if a defective component contributed to the crash
- An oilfield operator, if a dangerous lease road or unsafe scheduling contributed
Why Is the Trucking Company Usually the More Important Target?
The trucking company is usually the more important target. Texas law holds an employer responsible for an employee's negligence committed on the job, a doctrine known as respondeat superior. Beyond that, a company can be sued directly for its own negligence.
That includes hiring a driver with a poor safety record, skipping required training, ignoring a pattern of hours-of-service violations, or setting delivery windows that are not physically possible to drive safely. Those decisions get made in an office, long before the crash, and Texas law treats them as a separate basis for liability.
Does It Matter if the Driver Was an Independent Contractor?
Many carriers label their drivers as independent contractors to try to limit their own liability. That label does not automatically work. Courts look at who actually controlled the driver's route, schedule, equipment, and working conditions. If the carrier controlled those details, the independent contractor label often does not hold up, and the company remains exposed.
What Federal Trucking Rules Apply to a Crash Near San Angelo?
Commercial trucks operate under federal rules that a regular driver never has to follow, and a violation of those rules is strong evidence of negligence. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, known as the FMCSA, limits a truck driver to 11 hours of driving within a 14-hour on-duty window.
Drivers also need a 30-minute break after 8 hours behind the wheel, and weekly driving is capped at 60 to 70 hours before a mandatory 34-hour reset. Since 2017, most trucks have tracked this automatically through an electronic logging device, or ELD, which records exactly when a driver was on the road.
Do Oilfield Trucks Follow the Same Hours-of-Service Rules?
Not entirely. Federal rules include a separate waiting-time exemption for drivers supporting oilfield operations. It allows certain off-duty time spent waiting at a well site to be excluded from the on-duty clock, along with an extended restart period.
Carriers and their insurers sometimes lean on this exemption to explain away a fatigued driver. Whether it genuinely applied to a specific trip is a real question, and it requires pulling the actual dispatch and well-site records, not taking the company's word for it.
What Is a CDL, and Why Does It Show Up in These Cases?
A CDL is a commercial driver's license. Federal law requires specific training, testing, and medical certification to hold one. If a driver was operating without a valid CDL, without the correct endorsement for the cargo, or without a current medical certificate, that failure can support what's called a negligence per se argument. In plain terms, the violation of a safety law is treated on its own as evidence of negligence.
How Fast Does Truck Accident Evidence Disappear?
Evidence in truck accident cases can be lost within days, often before an injured victim has even been discharged from the hospital. While federal regulations require some logs to be kept for six months, critical data, such as dashcam footage and engine control module (ECM) snapshots, is frequently overwritten through normal vehicle operation in a matter of days.
This is why immediate action is required. We protect your claim by sending a formal "spoliation letter" within days of taking your case. This legally mandates that the trucking company preserve all relevant data. If they destroy evidence after receiving this notice, a court can sanction the company or instruct a jury to assume the missing evidence would have favored your case.
Our team, led by case manager and veteran insurance adjuster Farrah, ensures the trucking company produces the specific records they are legally required to disclose.
Evidence in a truck case has an expiration date. Call us within days of the crash, not weeks, at (325) 482-9120.
What Compensation Can You Recover After a Serious Truck Accident in West Texas?
Texas law allows an injured person to pursue both economic and non-economic damages after a commercial truck accident.
- Past and future medical treatment, including long-term and rehabilitative care
- Lost income and reduced future earning capacity
- Property damage and related out-of-pocket costs
- Pain and suffering, disfigurement, and physical impairment
- Loss of activities and quality of life the crash has taken away
Truck accident injuries tend to be more severe, so future medical costs and long-term care often make up a larger share of the claim than they would in a typical car accident case. In wrongful death cases, surviving family members may pursue loss of companionship, loss of financial support, and their own grief and mental anguish.
If the evidence shows the driver or company acted with gross negligence, Texas law allows a jury to consider exemplary damages on top of compensatory damages. One example would be knowingly sending a driver out in violation of federal hours-of-service limits.
How Templeton Law Firm Builds a San Angelo Truck Accident Case
Templeton Law Firm has represented people injured by commercial vehicles throughout San Angelo, Tom Green County, and the surrounding Permian Basin counties for more than 25 years. We secure the crash report, send preservation letters to the carrier and its insurer, and document the scene before evidence is gone.
Farrah's background as a licensed insurance adjuster means she recognizes the arguments a trucking insurer makes: a pre-existing injury, shared fault, an exaggerated treatment plan. She has seen them built from the other side of the desk.
Scott Templeton prepares every truck accident case as though it is going to trial. That is what gives clients real leverage in settlement talks. We work on contingency, so there is no upfront cost to hire us and no fee unless we recover compensation on your behalf. Se Habla Español, from your first call through the resolution of your case.
Ask Templeton Law Firm
These are the questions people typically bring with them before they ever call our office, the ones they searched or asked a voice assistant before finding this page.
Q: How much does it cost to hire a truck accident lawyer in San Angelo?
A: Nothing upfront. Templeton Law Firm works on contingency for truck accident cases, which means you pay no attorney's fee unless we recover compensation for you. Case-related costs, like expert and record fees, are typically advanced by our office along the way. The initial consultation is free.
Q: Can I still recover money if I was partly at fault for the truck accident?
A: Yes, in most cases. Texas follows a modified comparative fault rule, meaning your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault but is not barred unless you are found more than 50 percent responsible. Insurance adjusters frequently try to shift blame onto the injured driver because even a small percentage reduces what they have to pay.
Q: Does it matter if the truck was hauling oilfield equipment when it hit me?
A: It can matter significantly. Oilfield-related crashes often bring in additional responsible parties, such as the well operator who controls the lease road or the company that scheduled the haul. They can also involve different federal rules than standard freight. An attorney familiar with West Texas oilfield trucking knows which records to request.
Q: What should I do if the trucking company's insurance adjuster calls me?
A: Politely decline to give a recorded statement and refer them to your attorney. Adjusters for trucking insurers are trained to ask questions in ways that can be used to minimize your claim, often before you have a full picture of your injuries.
Q: Is my case too small for a truck accident lawyer to take?
A: Not necessarily. Even a collision that looks minor at the scene can involve injuries that take weeks or months to fully diagnose. A free consultation costs nothing and gives you a clear answer about whether pursuing a claim makes sense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a truck accident lawsuit in Texas?
Texas generally gives an injured person two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. If a government entity, such as a county-maintained road, played a role, a much shorter notice period can apply, sometimes a matter of months. It's important to confirm every applicable deadline early in the case.
What if the truck accident was fatal?
Texas wrongful death law allows a surviving spouse, children, or parents to file a claim on behalf of the family. In some circumstances, the estate may also bring a separate claim for the pain and suffering the deceased experienced before death. These cases often involve commercial trucking insurers with significant resources, which makes early legal representation especially important.
Is there a minimum amount of insurance a trucking company is required to carry?
Yes. Federal law requires most for-hire interstate carriers to carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage. That minimum rises for certain cargo, up to $5 million for hazardous materials. This coverage is often the primary source of recovery in a serious truck accident claim, which is one reason these cases can resolve very differently than a typical car accident case.
Will my truck accident case go to trial?
Most truck accident cases settle before trial, but Templeton Law Firm prepares every case as if it will be tried in front of a Tom Green County jury. That preparation is often what brings a fair settlement offer to the table in the first place.
Talk to a San Angelo Truck Accident Lawyer Today
A commercial truck crash puts you up against a company with lawyers, adjusters, and a head start on protecting its own evidence. Templeton Law Firm has represented truck accident victims across San Angelo, Tom Green County, and West Texas for more than 25 years, and the consultation costs nothing.
Call (325) 482-9120 or fill out the contact form to speak with our office about your case. No fee unless we recover.
Se Habla Español | 905 S. Abe Street, San Angelo, TX 76903