San Antonio Truck & 18 Wheeler Accident Lawyers

Carabin Shaw is one of the leading personal injury law firms in Texas with over 34 years of practising law. We have extensive experience in Commercial Truck & 18 Wheeler accident cases, focusing on getting clients the full compensation they deserve for their medical bills (present and future), property damages, and pain and suffering. Specialization: Personal Injury Law, car accidents, 18-Wheeler / Truck accidents, Wrongful Death Claims, Motorcycle Accident Injuries and more. We have secured hundreds of millions in awards for our clients for their catastrophic injuries over the years. Why choose us? Carabin Shaw offers a free initial consultation, and our team is known for fighting aggressively for our clients' rights.

Many drivers take for granted that most motorists follow the rules of the road while driving. Often they may not even realize they are in significant danger sharing the road with so many drivers, especially the drivers of large 18-wheelers. Due to the sheer size of these machines, people can be greatly or catastrophically hurt in big rig accidents.

At Carabin Shaw we aim to protect the rights of victims and the families of personal injury or wrongful death victims from truck accidents, and actively seek the highest compensation for pain and suffering, lost wages, medical expenses and many other things you may not think to ask for. If you or a loved one has been injured by a commercial truck driver call our offices today so you can set up a time for you to come in and speak with our San Antonio 18 wheeler accident attorney to see what action you should take in your case.

You may be approached by representatives of the insurance company and asked to answer what sounds like standard questions after being involved in an 18-wheeler accident. It is imperative to know your rights before you speak to an insurance agency to protect your case and future award. The first step in securing these items is coming in for a free consultation to speak with our seasoned San Antonio truck accident lawyers and the rest of the team who will work diligently to protect you and your families best interests.

There are many ways drivers of big rigs put others on the road in serious danger. More often than not it is simply a result of the driver not following appropriate protocol. For example, failing to take time for required rest breaks, or not properly logging their driving hours. But sometimes, drivers may drive carelessly because they feel pressured to meet strict deadlines put on by their employer. There are countless ways a driver may be negligent and endanger others on the road. If you find yourself a victim in an 18-wheeler accident, rest assured we at Carabin Shaw are on your side and we are here to help you 24/7. Give us a call so we can start helping you today.

Our San Antonio 18 wheeler accident attorneys protect victims who were severely injured in accidents with commercial trucks as a result of:

• Speeding
• Truck Driver Fatigue — Failure to Take the Required Breaks — Failure to Properly Log Hours
• Mechanical Failures — Tire Blowouts — Brake Failures
• Reckless Driving and Speeding
• Truck Drivers Failure to Obey Traffic Laws and Signs
• Distracted Driving — Texting — Looking at the Onboard Computer
• Shifting Loads
• Overweight Trucks
• Violations of the Regulations Set by the Department of Transportation
• Failure to Take Proper Safeguards When Backing Up or Driving Within City Limits
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration violations, including failure to take required rest breaks or failure to correctly log their hours

You should never have to experience financial loss for an accident that wasn't your fault. The San Antonio 18-wheeler truck accident lawyers of Carabin Shaw are dedicated to defending the rights of accident victims and securing the fair compensation they deserve.

Hurt in a commercial vehicle accident? Call our law firm at 800-862-1260 for immediate assistance today.

In Texas, you can claim damages for financial losses (economic) and non-financial losses (non-economic) if you were hurt in an 18-wheeler accident that wasn't your fault.

Economic damages are easily calculated and include things like:

• Medical Bills (Medical Care, ER Treatment, Ambulance Fees, Ongoing Medical Treatment, Therapy, etc.)
• Lost Wages (Missed work as a result of the accident)
• Loss of Earning Capacity (Inability to continue at your current job or work at all due to your severe injuries)
• Property Damage (Damage to your vehicle, death of pets, damage or destruction of valuable property inside the vehicle, etc.)
• Loss of Companionship (If your loved one died in the accident, we will file a wrongful death lawsuit on your behalf)

Non-economic damages require more complicated calculations and include things like:

• Pain and Suffering
• Emotional Distress
• Loss of Enjoyment of Life
• Disfigurement
• Loss of Consortium

In very rare 18-wheeler accident cases, companies may have to pay punitive damages after an accident. Punitive damages are often referred to as “punishment damages” because they are used to punish and deter the at-fault driver/company for gross negligence.

How much a person will receive is directly related to the seriousness of their injuries. For example, a person who suffered a paralyzing spinal cord injury would likely receive more compensation than someone who suffered a fractured arm.

To estimate what your case is worth, call Shaw at 800-862-1260 to talk to an experienced 18-wheeler accident attorney.

Injured in an 18-Wheeler/Semi-Truck Accident in San Antonio, Texas? Call Shaw.

2024 data shows that over 500,000 commercial truck accidents occur across the United States annually, including box trucks and tractor-trailer combinations such as 18-wheelers. Of which 160,000–170,000 crashes had some fatalities and serious injuries.

Since 2016, the number of trucks involved in injury crashes has increased by 18%. The number of deaths increased by 17% from 2020 to 2021. Overall, trucking accidents have increased by 47% in the last 10 years. But here is a trend change: latest data shows injury crashes have been volatile in recent years. Current data: 120,724 large trucks in injury crashes in 2024 (5.4% increase from 2023), reversing a prior downward trend. The 2023 figure of 114,552 had represented a 4.7% decrease from 2022.

According to NHTSA data, 5,340 people died in large-truck crashes in 2024, a 2.5% decrease from 2023 but up 30% over the last 10 years. FMCSA data shows 5,375 trucks and buses were involved in fatal crashes in 2023, an 18% increase from 2020. Fatal crash numbers peaked in 2022 and have been declining since.

Over the five-year span from 2020 to 2024, approximately 771,698 people were injured and an estimated 27,500+ people died in large-truck accidents across the nation.

• 2018: 151,170 people injured
• 2019: 159,359 people injured (+5.4%)
• 2020: 141,613 people injured (−11.1%) [pandemic-related decline]
• 2021: 154,813 people injured (+9.3%)
• 2022: 160,619 people injured (+3.8%) [recent dataset high]
• 2023: 153,452 people injured (−4.5%)
• 2024: 161,201 people injured (+5.2%)

Data from NHTSA

Additionally, the National Safety Council reports that the majority of deaths in large-truck crashes are occupants of other vehicles (70%), followed by truck occupants (17%), and non-occupants (13%)* — a slight shift from prior years when non-occupants represented 11%.
*Primarily pedestrians and bicyclists.

Texas consistently leads the nation in 18-wheeler/semi-truck accidents. In 2024 alone, TxDOT reported:

• 39,393 total commercial vehicle crashes
• 608 people killed
• 1,601 people seriously injured

Cumulatively, between 2020 and year-end 2024, 18-wheelers/semi-trucks were involved in approximately 125,000+ total accidents in Texas, with Texas accounting for over 13% of all fatal trucking accidents in the United States. In 2023 alone, TxDOT reported 1,687 injuries considered “very serious,” up from 1,673 in 2022.

Bexar County, San Antonio, experiences heavy commercial vehicle traffic, including 18-wheelers. San Antonio has three Interstate Highways and four U.S. Highways running through it, including Interstate-35, Interstate-37, and Interstate-10, which are among the deadliest freeways in Texas.

In 2024, 18-wheelers/semi-trucks were involved in approximately 2,460 accidents in Bexar County, maintaining its rank as the third-highest county in Texas for commercial vehicle accidents.

In 2023, commercial vehicles in Bexar County:

• Killed 14 people
• Left 35 victims with severe injuries

The 2022 figures remain a useful baseline: 2,250 accidents, 20 fatal crashes, 22 people killed, 734 injured, and 37 serious injuries.

We will determine all parties who may be at fault for the accident by thoroughly investigating your accident claim with professional resources, such as a crash-site reconstruction specialist. This could include the company that failed to enforce certain regulations set by the industry like weight and load restrictions, the company that leased trailers that may not have received proper maintenance, or it could be the actual truck driver.

The reality is the fault of an accident can rest in many hands. Naturally, our truck accident attorney serving San Antonio will first look to the driver to see what they may or may not have done that resulted in an injury or death. Then we will seek out the employer of the driver to see what liability they may have. We will then move on to the manufacturer of the truck to see if any mechanical issues played a part in the wreck. We will continue this process until we have peeled back all the layers of your case and revealed all the responsible parties.

Working with accident reconstruction specialists and medical experts when necessary, we will seek to get you the highest compensation from all negligent parties and their insurance companies. In doing so, we will be able to recover damages such as lost wages, medical expenses, loss of companionship, and anything else we see fit to help you heal and recover after you've been in an 18-wheeler accident.

Just as trucking companies have their own team of investigators, they also carry high-limit commercial insurance policies backed by experienced adjusters whose sole job is to minimize what the company pays out. These are not neutral parties. From the moment a serious crash is reported, the insurer’s clock is running — and it is running against you.

Insurance adjusters assigned to commercial truck accident claims are trained professionals. They know the law, they know the tactics, and they know that an injured victim who is unrepresented is far more likely to accept a lowball settlement than one who has an attorney. The first call from an adjuster often comes within 24 to 48 hours of the accident — sometimes while the victim is still in the hospital. The tone is sympathetic. The offer sounds reasonable. It rarely is.

One of the most frequently used strategies is the early settlement offer. Insurers move quickly to offer a lump sum before the full extent of injuries is known. Spinal injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and internal damage often do not reveal their full impact for weeks or months. Accepting a settlement before that picture is clear means signing away the right to any additional compensation — permanently.

Adjusters will also request a recorded statement shortly after the accident. These statements are not for your benefit. They are used to find inconsistencies, identify gaps in your account, or capture admissions that can be used to reduce or deny the claim. In Texas, you are not legally required to give a recorded statement to the other party’s insurer.

Another tactic involves disputing the severity of injuries by pointing to gaps in medical treatment. If a victim delays seeing a doctor, reduces visits, or stops treatment before reaching maximum medical improvement, the insurer will argue the injuries were not as serious as claimed — or that they were caused by something other than the accident.

Comparative fault is also used aggressively. Texas follows a modified comparative fault rule, meaning if a victim is found to be more than 50 percent responsible for the accident, they recover nothing. Insurers will look for any evidence — a lane change, a phone record, a prior traffic citation — to shift a portion of the blame onto the injured party and reduce the payout accordingly.

An experienced Texas truck accident attorney understands these tactics because they have seen them applied in case after case. Having legal representation changes the dynamic entirely. Adjusters negotiate differently when they know the other side is prepared to take the case to trial.

At Carabin Shaw, we have the necessary resources and experience to pursue the highest compensation for your truck accident claim so you and your loved ones can rest assured that you are in the best hands. Contact us at 210-222-2288 to schedule a free initial consultation with our 18 wheeler accident attorney serving San Antonio for more information.

San Antonio Truck Accidents FAQ

5 Most Common Truck Accident Causes in San Antonio

10 Rules for Safe Driving Near 18 Wheelers in San Antonio

Claimants in 18 Wheeler Accidents

Differences From Auto to Truck Accidents