Were you hurt by a truck or 18-wheeler in the Valley?

Why is a truck accident different from an ordinary crash?

Because of the size, the rules, and who is on the other side.

A loaded 18-wheeler can weigh up to 40 tons. In an impact, that means far more serious injuries. But cargo trucks are also governed by federal transport rules (FMCSA) that do not apply to a car: driver hours, maintenance, cargo logs. When those rules are broken, they become key evidence in your case.

Most common truck accident types

• Jackknife: the trailer folds against the cab and sweeps across lanes.
• Blind spots (no-zones): the truck cannot see your car and changes lanes into you.
• Improperly secured cargo: freight that falls or destabilizes the trailer.
• Driver fatigue: driving more hours than federal law allows.

The border factor: why the Valley has so much freight traffic

The Texas Valley is no ordinary place for heavy transport. It is an international freight corridor. Trucks cross from Mexico through commercial bridges like the Pharr-Reynosa, one of the busiest cargo crossings in the country, and merge immediately onto Expressway 83, which links McAllen, Pharr, Mission, and Weslaco.

The result shows in the numbers: 1,092 commercial truck crashes in Hidalgo and Cameron County in 2024 alone, according to TxDOT. If a truck hurt you here, it was not isolated bad luck, it is a real hazard of the Valley's roads.

Who can be held responsible for my accident?

Here is the big difference from a car crash. In a truck accident, responsibility can fall on several parties at once:

• The driver: for fatigue, distraction, or speeding.
• The trucking company: for demanding impossible schedules or skipping maintenance.
• The cargo owner or loader: for poorly distributed or secured freight.
• The maintenance company: for faulty brakes or tires.

Identifying every responsible party matters, because each has its own policy, and that can be the difference between compensation that is enough and one that is not.

What should I do after a truck accident?

What you do in the first hours can define your case:

• Seek medical care immediately, even if you feel fine.
• Document the scene: photos of the truck, plate, and company name on the door.
• Do not give statements to the truck's insurer before talking to a lawyer.
• Act fast: trucking companies can erase driving and cargo logs.

What if the truck says it was my fault? The 51% rule

The truck's insurer will try to shift blame onto you, because in Texas, if they can show you were 51% or more responsible, they owe you nothing. It is the 51% rule, and it is their main weapon.

That is why gathering the right evidence, the truck's logs, witnesses, road cameras, is not an extra: it is what keeps your percentage of fault low and your case alive.

How does Carreras Law Firm help?

We know the Valley and we know how trucking companies fight. We handle your case in Spanish, you speak directly with our team, not a call center, and we charge nothing unless we win your case. The consultation is free and with no obligation.