Austin Truck Accident Attorneys

Austin’s Authority in Federal Trucking Regulations and Texas Truck Accident Laws

Dealing with the aftermath of a truck accident in Austin requires immediate, skilled legal intervention. Commercial truck crashes often involve catastrophic injuries and powerful corporate insurance companies that should not be handled by the survivor and their family. 

At Lee, Gober & Reyna, our Austin truck accident attorneys possess the specific experience to take on these complex cases. Don’t face this challenge alone—call us today for a free consultation and let us fight for the full compensation you deserve.

Our Austin Truck Accident Lawyers Fight Aggressively for You

Our commitment at Lee, Gober & Reyna is to fight aggressively for survivors of devastating truck accidents around Austin, including Terrell, TX. Commercial trucking litigation involves complex federal regulations, powerful corporate defense teams, and often, multiple liable parties. We ensure no detail is overlooked in our pursuit of justice.

Leveling the Playing Field

Our primary goal is to level the playing field against the large trucking companies and their insurance carriers. The opposing party will immediately deploy rapid response teams to minimize their liability. 

We work quickly to secure critical evidence, such as the truck’s black box data, driver logs, maintenance records, and inspection reports, before they can be altered or destroyed.

Proving Negligence in Your Case

Our legal strategy is built on proving negligence, which often extends beyond just the driver to include the trucking company for issues like improper maintenance or unrealistic scheduling demands. 

Maximizing Your Compensation

We are not afraid to take a case to trial, but our thorough preparation often forces insurance companies to offer a fair settlement. When you choose Lee, Gober & Reyna, you gain fierce advocates dedicated to maximizing your compensation for medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering.

How Lee, Gober & Reyna Builds Your Case

• Securing and Analyzing Critical Evidence: We immediately subpoena the truck’s black box data and logbooks to expose violations of federal rules.
• Expert Witness Testimony: We utilize accident reconstructionists, medical specialists, and vocational experts to clearly establish liability and the full economic impact of your injuries.
• Challenging Corporate Negligence: We investigate the trucking company’s hiring, training, and maintenance protocols to hold the entire corporation accountable.
• Ready for Trial: Our attorneys prepare every case for the courtroom, giving us maximum leverage during truck accident settlement negotiations.

How Much Is My Austin Truck Accident Claim Worth?

One of the most pressing questions after a catastrophic truck accident is: “How much money can I get from my truck accident case?” There is no universal “average” settlement, as the value of every Austin truck accident claim is unique and depends entirely on the specific facts and documented losses of your case. 

Unlike minor car accidents, truck crashes often involve severe, life-altering injuries and are backed by much larger corporate insurance policies, which means the potential compensation is significantly higher. An Austin truck accident attorney can help you understand the value of your case.

Key Factors Determining Truck Accident Claim Value

The potential value of your truck accident claim is directly tied to several factors. 

• Injury Severity: Catastrophic and permanent injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), spinal cord damage, or amputation, lead to the highest compensation due to the need for lifelong care. 
• Proof of Liability: Clear evidence of the trucking company’s gross negligence (e.g., federal trucking regulation violations) increase the value of the claim.
• Available Insurance: Commercial trucking policies often start at $1 million and can be even higher. This allows you to get the full value of your losses in compensation. 

Types of Damages in Austin Trucking Accident Claims

To accurately calculate your claim’s worth, Lee, Gober & Reyna meticulously tabulates all recoverable damages. We divide these into two main categories to ensure full compensation.

Economic Damages (Calculable Losses) 

These are the tangible, verifiable financial costs you have incurred or will incur in the future. We work with economic experts to project future medical costs, which are a major component of severe injury cases. 

• Current and future medical expenses
• Lost wages and diminished earning capacity
• Property damage.

Non-Economic Damages (Intangible Losses) 

These damages compensate you for the subjective, non-monetary losses that profoundly impact your life. They often form a substantial part of a truck accident settlement.

• Physical pain and suffering
• Emotional distress (such as PTSD or anxiety)
• Disfigurement and disability
• Loss of enjoyment of life. 

We aggressively fight to ensure these intangible losses are fairly valued by the jury or the insurer.

Compensation in Fatal Truck Accidents

Compensation in fatal Austin truck accidents is pursued through a wrongful death claim, aiming to financially support the surviving family members who have endured immense loss. Because these crashes involve high corporate insurance limits, the potential recovery is substantial.

• Lost Financial Support: Compensation for the income and benefits the deceased would have provided to the family over their lifetime.
• Funeral and Burial Expenses: Recovery of all costs related to the decedent’s funeral, burial, or cremation.
• Loss of Companionship: Damages for the family’s non-economic grief, mental anguish, and loss of the love, guidance, and society provided by the deceased.
• Survival Damages: Compensation for the deceased person’s pain and suffering between the time of injury and death.

How to Maximize Your Truck Accident Recovery

Maximizing your recovery after an Austin truck accident requires immediate, strategic action. 

The trucking company and their insurer begin building their defense instantly, often before you leave the accident scene. To protect your rights and maximize the compensation you receive, you must take proactive steps.

At Lee, Gober & Reyna, we advise clients to focus on these core actions to secure the highest possible settlement:

• Prioritize Medical Documentation: Seek immediate medical treatment and follow all physician instructions exactly. Gaps in care allow insurers to argue your injuries are not serious or were not caused by the crash.
• Avoid Independent Statements: Do not provide any recorded statement, sign medical authorizations, or discuss fault with the driver or trucking company’s insurance adjuster.
• Preserve the Evidence: Hire an attorney immediately to issue a Spoliation Letter, legally forcing the trucking company to preserve vital evidence like the truck’s black box data, driver logs, and maintenance records. This evidence is crucial for proving gross negligence.
• Consult an Austin Truck Accident Attorney: Choose a truck accident law firm in Austin, like Lee, Gober & Reyna, that focuses on complex truck accident litigation and has the resources to take on corporate defendants.

Types of Truck Accidents in Austin that We Handle

At Lee, Gober & Reyna, we have the experience required to litigate all complex forms of commercial vehicle accidents, including:

• Jackknife Accidents: Occurs when the trailer swings wide, forming a 90-degree angle with the cab, often leading to massive multi-vehicle pile-ups and road blockage.
• Rollover Accidents: Common when trucks take curves too quickly, are overloaded, or improperly loaded, resulting in the trailer tipping over and crushing nearby vehicles.
• Underride Accidents: Catastrophic collisions where a smaller vehicle slides underneath the back or side of a high-riding trailer, often resulting in severe or fatal injuries.
• Tire Blowout Accidents: Caused by poor maintenance or defective tires, leading to a loss of control that can cause the truck to cross multiple lanes of traffic.
• Runaway Truck Accidents: Often involving brake failure on steep declines, resulting in the truck colliding with vehicles at high speed or striking fixed objects.
• Wide Turn Accidents: Occur when a truck needs to swing into an adjacent lane to complete a turn, often side-swiping or trapping vehicles that attempt to pass on the right.
• Cargo/Load Spillage Accidents: Accidents caused by improperly secured or overloaded freight falling onto the roadway or other vehicles, creating immediate hazards.
• Driver Fatigue Accidents: Collisions resulting from the truck driver violating federal Hours-of-Service (HOS) regulations, leading to impairment and delayed reaction times.

We also work with survivors of other commercial vehicle accidents, including bus accidents, UPS truck accidents, FedEx truck accidents, Amazon delivery truck accidents, and more. 

Truck Accident Liability: Who’s Responsible & What Happened

Truck accident litigation is fundamentally different from a car accident case because liability rarely rests with a single individual. The size and resources of the commercial trucking industry mean that crashes involve a chain of command and responsibility. 

Our Austin truck accident attorneys conduct a comprehensive investigation to identify every party whose negligence contributed to the crash, ensuring we pursue compensation from all available sources.

The Truck Driver

The driver is often the most apparent liable party if their negligence caused the collision.

The driver can be held accountable for direct negligence, which includes actions such as speeding, distracted driving, driving under the influence (DUI/DWI), or violating federal hours of service (HOS) rules, which are put in place to prevent fatigue.

The Trucking Company

The company that employs the driver often holds the deepest pockets and is frequently held responsible under the legal doctrine of vicarious liability (respondeat superior) for the actions of their on-duty employees. 

Beyond this, the trucking company can be held directly negligent for systemic failures, such as:

• Negligent Hiring: Failing to conduct proper background checks on drivers with poor safety records or histories of DUI.
• Negligent Maintenance: Failing to ensure the truck’s brakes, tires, and lights are properly inspected and maintained according to federal standards.
• Encouraging Violations: Pressuring drivers to meet unrealistic deadlines, which encourages HOS violations and speeding.

Other Potentially Liable Third Parties

Liability can extend to numerous third-party entities involved in the truck’s operation:

• Cargo Loaders/Shippers: If the accident was caused by an overloaded or improperly secured freight load, the company responsible for loading the trailer can be held liable.
• Manufacturers: If a defective part, such as a faulty brake system or tire, caused a mechanical failure leading to the crash, the manufacturer may face a product liability claim.
• Maintenance Crews: Independent repair facilities or mechanics who failed to correctly service or repair the truck can also share liability.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Austin

The causes of truck accidents are often complex, frequently involving violations of state and federal trucking regulations:

• Driver Fatigue: Violating federal hours of service (HOS) regulations, leading to impaired judgment and delayed reaction times.
• Distracted Driving: Truck operators using cell phones, electronic logging devices (ELDs), or other distractions while behind the wheel.
• Speeding and Aggressive Driving: Driving too fast for conditions, particularly on Austin’s congested highways like I-35 and MoPac.
• Improper Truck Maintenance: Mechanical failures due to neglected maintenance, including faulty brakes, worn tires, or steering issues.
• Improper Cargo Loading: Overloaded trucks or improperly secured freight, leading to cargo shifting, loss of control, and rollovers.
• DUI/DWI: Operating a commercial vehicle under the influence of alcohol, illegal drugs, or impairing prescription medication.
• Inadequate Training: Trucking companies hiring or retaining drivers who lack the experience or training to operate large commercial vehicles safely.
• Unfamiliarity with Roads: Drivers from out-of-state navigating Austin’s complex urban roadways, contributing to errors and collisions.