18-Wheeler, Tractor-Trailer, and Semi-Truck Accidents
If you hire the wrong trial lawyer, they will treat your truck accident like a big car wreck, and you will receive pennies on the dollar compared to what Brooker Law may obtain.
Tractor-trailers can weigh up to 80,000 pounds! A Nissan Altima—the most common car on Texas roadways—weighs only 3,460 pounds. That 18-wheeler may be up to 23 times heavier than your family’s Nissan Altima. For comparison, an average NFL running back weighs 215 pounds. What would happen if that running back was tackled by a linebacker (who can run just as fast) that weighs 4,945 pounds?
The trucking industry is extremely sophisticated and heavily regulated. You need a trial lawyer who is a truck accident pro. Someone who knows the ins and outs of trucking liability backwards and forwards. Someone who knows how and why the trucking industry routinely puts profits over the safety of motorists.
Texas leads the United States each year with the most fatal truck accidents. But truck crashes are different from car wrecks. They involve heavier vehicles, federal and state safety rules, layers of commercial insurance, and time-sensitive digital evidence (the truck’s “black box”/ECM/EDR, ELD/HOS logs, telematics, and dashcam video). In Texas, injured people (or families in wrongful death) can seek compensation for medical care, lost earnings, and human harms—and most claims must be filed within two years of the crash. Get medical care first, do not give a recorded statement to an insurer, and ask a trial team to send a preservation letter immediately so evidence is not lost or overwritten.
Our team has 50+ years of combined trial experience and $500M+ in verdicts and settlements. We drive value by preparing every case for a jury from day one.
There is no greater power in a courtroom than a well-told story. We learn who you are—and tell your story with precision, empathy, and proof.
We take a limited number of cases that matter. Every family gets personal attention, frequent updates, and a relentless push for justice.
These are complicated and complex cases that require sophisticated and experienced trial lawyers.
Motor carrier safety rules, driver qualification files, hours-of-service limits, inspection and maintenance requirements.
Driver, motor carrier, trailer owner, maintenance contractors, shipper/loader, broker, or product manufacturers.
Primary and excess coverage, endorsements, and corporate structures designed to minimize payouts.
ECM/EDR (“black box”), ELD logs, telematics pings, inward/outward dashcams, dispatch and messaging data—often overwritten quickly.
These are our first steps in the hours, days, and weeks after you hire Brooker Law
To the motor carrier, insurer, and vendors to lock down ECM/EDR, ELD/HOS, telematics/dashcam, dispatch/route, driver qualification/training, maintenance, inspections, and load/shipper documents.
Download data; secure nearby video (businesses, homes, traffic cameras).
Secure 911 audio, call and dispatch logs, tow and storage records.
Treating physicians, diagnostics, and return-to-work issues.
Reconstruction, human factors, medical, life-care, economics, and visual storytelling.
Brooker Law investigates every link in the chain to identify all coverage and fault.
The driver and motor carrier (employer / contractor)
The trailer owner or equipment lessor
Maintenance and inspection vendors
Shipper/loader or broker for unsafe load practices
Manufacturers of defective vehicles / components
“Hard” damages that can be proven objectively, such as medical bills (past/future), lost wages, loss of earning capacity, and out-of-pocket costs.
“Soft” damages that rely on the jury to listen to the evidence and decide an amount that is fair and reasonable for physical pain, mental anguish, disfigurement, and physical impairment.
Damages designed to punish the defendant for willful acts or acts of gross negligence.
If a loved one was killed, the family and the estate may have separate claims. See Wrongful Death
Texas uses modified comparative fault. If the jury finds you to be 51 percent or more at fault, you cannot recover. If the jury finds you to be 50 percent or less at fault, your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault (e.g., a $1,000,000 verdict with 25 percent responsibility nets you $750,000).
Early action protects your story and your case:
Defendants always retain lawyers before plaintiffs do. Hiring us early allows us to preserve critically important evidence, such as crash/incident reports, scene photos, surveillance videos, vehicle “black box” data, and electronic communications, such as text messages.
Once we are engaged, our in-house legal nurse consultant can start building a timeline of medical care, reviewing treating physician notes and diagnostics, and evaluating referrals made by your treating physicians.
The right expert can make good cases great cases. It is essential to select and hire experts early in areas such as accident reconstruction, human factors, neurology, orthopedics, burn/plastic surgery, life-care planning, and economics.
The most important questions to ask before hiring a trial lawyer.
What should I do in the first 72 hours after an 18-wheeler crash?
Get medical care; call police; photograph the scene, vehicles, and injuries; gather witness names; do not give a recorded insurer statement; ask a trucking lawyer to send a preservation letter immediately.
Who pays—driver or trucking company?
Often both. Carriers are typically responsible for their drivers and can be independently liable for unsafe hiring, training, supervision, policies, and maintenance.
What if the “black box” or telematics data is “missing”?
Move quickly. Courts can order preservation or draw adverse inferences when evidence is lost. We notify carriers and vendors and seek court relief if needed.
Do delivery vans and company pickups count as “commercial vehicles”?
Yes. Many fleet vehicles follow similar safety expectations and carry commercial insurance. We handle box trucks, last-mile vans, rideshares on the job, delivery vehicles, and fleet pickups.
How much is my case worth?
Value depends on liability proof, injuries and future care, wage loss, venue, and insurance layers. We build the case for trial—that’s what moves settlement value.
Do you take cases outside Dallas–Fort Worth?
Yes. We represent clients across Texas and nationwide.
Having to find an attorney can be an intimidating experience, but Brooker Law made it easy. They walk you through the process, keep you informed while keeping expectations grounded. They surpassed all expectations. They handled everything with integrity and clear communication. Not only did they earn my trust, but my utmost respect. This is a firm that will fight for you throughout the process and do so at the highest level of professionalism.
Adam Cheek
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Mr. Brooker and his associates worked tirelessly to make sure that my case received the justice that I deserved. They approached every issue with the highest professionalism and ethics while making sure my questions were answered honestly and completely. If given the opportunity to do it all again, Brooker Law PLLC would be my first phone call as I could not have asked for a better team to represent me.
Robert Brooks
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Chip worked hard for my family. Everyone at his office is professional and courteous. I received closure in my case that has helped with healing and recovery. Chip is amazing at what he does because he loves what he does.
Lindsay Clark
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Our results speak for themselves.
Let us speak for you.
Wrongful death resulting from a company-vehicle accident
Wrongful death resulting from negligence and products liability
Company-vehicle accident involving a severe traumatic brain injury
