A McAllen commercial vehicle accident lawyer helps people hit by a delivery truck, company van, box truck, bus or other business vehicle hold the driver and the company responsible and recover for their injuries. The Lopez Law Group represents commercial vehicle accident victims in McAllen and across the Rio Grande Valley, in English and Spanish. As an injury law firm, we work on contingency, so you pay no attorney's fee and no case expenses unless we recover for you. Contact us for a free consultation.
A McAllen commercial vehicle accident lawyer helps people hit by a delivery truck, company van, box truck, bus or other business vehicle hold the driver and the company responsible and recover for their injuries. The Lopez Law Group represents commercial vehicle accident victims in McAllen and across the Rio Grande Valley, in English and Spanish. Phone: (956) 968-7800.
What counts as a commercial vehicle
A commercial vehicle is any vehicle used for business, and a crash with one is not the same as an ordinary car accident. Commercial vehicles include:
- Delivery trucks and box trucks
- Company vans and fleet cars
- Buses and shuttles
- Dump trucks and utility trucks
- Semi-trucks and 18-wheelers
When your crash was with a semi or a large truck, our dedicated McAllen truck accident lawyer page covers those 18-wheeler cases in detail. This page handles the wider range of commercial vehicle accident claims. For a crash with an ordinary passenger vehicle, see our McAllen car accident lawyer page.
Why commercial vehicle accident cases are different
A commercial vehicle accident brings in a business and its insurer, not just another driver. The company that owns the vehicle can be liable for its driver, and a commercial vehicle is often bigger and heavier than a car, so a collision causes more serious injuries. Many commercial drivers fall under Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rules on hours, logs and maintenance, which creates evidence a skilled lawyer can use. Trucking companies and their insurance companies send a team to the scene fast to limit what they pay, so you need an experienced McAllen truck accident lawyer who knows how these commercial claims work.
Truck accidents as commercial vehicle cases
Most serious commercial vehicle claims are truck accidents. A commercial truck, an 18 wheeler or a large delivery truck, is the heaviest motor vehicle on the road, and a truck accident in McAllen tends to leave the people in the smaller vehicle with the worst personal injuries. The same federal rules that govern a truck driver, hours of service, logs and maintenance, create evidence an experienced truck accident attorney can use. If you were injured in a truck accident with a semi, our dedicated truck accident lawyer in McAllen page walks through the types of truck accident cases and how a successful truck accident lawsuit is built; this page covers the broader set of commercial vehicles. Either way, an experienced personal injury lawyer and truck accident victims' advocate handles the claim, and lawyers in McAllen at our firm treat every motor vehicle accident with the same care whether it started as a truck accident case or an auto accident.
Common causes of commercial vehicle accidents in McAllen
Most commercial vehicle crashes in McAllen come from a driver or a company cutting a corner. The common causes we see include:
- Distracted driving and phone use
- Fatigue from drivers pushed past safe hours
- Speeding and unsafe following distance
- Poor maintenance of brakes and tires
- Improperly loaded cargo that shifts
- Inadequate hiring and training by the company
Each cause points to a different liable party, and an experienced accident attorney reads the evidence to prove who was at fault in an accident.
Who is liable in a commercial vehicle accident
A commercial vehicle accident often has more than one of several liable parties. The driver may be at fault, but the company that owns the vehicle can be held liable for the accident, a maintenance contractor can share fault, and a parts maker can be liable for a failure. Texas uses a modified comparative negligence rule, so an accident victim can still recover as long as they are not more than 50 percent at fault, with the recovery reduced by that share. Insurance companies know this rule and try to shift blame to the injured person. An experienced attorney in McAllen builds the evidence early, before logs and the vehicle disappear.
Commercial vehicle accident injuries
Because of the size and weight of a commercial vehicle, accident injuries are usually serious: traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, internal damage and injuries that need long-term care. Common truck accident injuries in a serious truck crash look the same, and a person injured in a truck accident often faces months of treatment. Serious injuries drive the value of a claim far into the future, so we bring in medical experts to show the full impact and the future medical care an accident victim will need. Anyone involved in a truck accident should be checked by a doctor even when they feel fine.
Compensation in a McAllen commercial vehicle accident claim
Texas law lets accident victims recover both economic and non-economic damages in a vehicle accident claim:
- Medical bills, past and future
- Lost wages and lost earning ability
- Property damage to your vehicle
- Pain and suffering and lasting disability
How much a commercial vehicle accident case is worth depends on the injuries and the evidence, so no honest lawyer quotes a settlement figure before reviewing your records. Our job is to prove the full value and push the insurer toward fair financial compensation.
The deadline to file a commercial vehicle accident claim in Texas
In most cases you have two years from the date of the crash to file an accident claim in Texas under the statute of limitations in Section 16.003. A claim filed late can be blocked no matter how strong it is, and evidence in commercial vehicle cases, logs, camera footage and the vehicle itself, disappears fast. Contact an experienced truck accident lawyer soon.
How our McAllen accident lawyers handle your case
The legal process gets the same care whether your case settles or goes to trial. It starts with a free consultation, in person or by phone, where we explain your legal options in plain words. We investigate, send preservation letters so the company cannot destroy logs or repair the vehicle, pull FMCSA records where they apply, build the damages with experts, file the accident claim with a full demand, and negotiate hard. When there is no fair offer, we take the matter to court in Hidalgo County. That is how dedicated truck accident lawyers move a commercial vehicle accident claim from a low first offer to a successful result the facts support.
Why McAllen accident victims choose The Lopez Law Group
We are a bilingual personal injury law firm with roots in Hidalgo County and a principal office in Weslaco serving McAllen. You get an experienced truck accident attorney in McAllen and a McAllen personal injury lawyer on your side, an experienced McAllen truck accident attorney with direct access to attorney Fernando J. Lopez, and legal representation from a firm that has represented more than 2,500 clients in 18 years. We hold the party responsible for the accident accountable no matter the vehicle. We work only on contingency, so you never pay unless we recover money for you, and Spanish-speaking families get everything in their language. You pay no attorney's fee and no case expenses unless we recover for you, and the consultation is free. For any other injury, our McAllen personal injury attorney page covers the wider personal injury case.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do if a commercial vehicle hits my car?
Call 911 and get a police report, seek medical attention even if you feel fine, photograph the vehicles and the scene, get the company name off the vehicle, and collect witness information. Do not give the company's insurer a recorded statement before you talk to a lawyer. These steps protect your accident claim.
Who is liable when a company vehicle causes a crash?
Usually both the driver and the company that owns the vehicle. The company can be held liable for the accident through its driver and for its own negligence in hiring, training or maintenance. A commercial vehicle accident lawyer identifies every liable party so you are not left chasing the wrong one.
How much does a commercial vehicle accident lawyer cost in Texas?
Personal injury cases in Texas are handled on a contingency fee. The attorney's fee is a share of the recovery, agreed in writing before the case begins. You pay no attorney's fee and no case expenses unless we recover for you. The exact percentage is stated in the written agreement you sign.
Do you help Spanish-speaking clients?
Yes. Our team represents commercial vehicle accident victims in English and Spanish across McAllen and the Rio Grande Valley.
Talk to a McAllen commercial vehicle accident lawyer today
If you were injured in a crash with a commercial vehicle in McAllen or anywhere in the Rio Grande Valley, contact our law firm for a free consultation. You pay no attorney's fee and no case expenses unless we recover for you. The attorney responsible for the content of this page is Fernando J. Lopez. Our primary office is in Weslaco, Texas.
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The Lopez Law Group, PLLC. 2611 N Texas Blvd #1, Weslaco, TX 78599 · (956) 968-7800 · Serving McAllen, Weslaco, Brownsville, Edinburg and the Rio Grande Valley. Hablamos español.
