A collision with an 18-wheeler can leave you with serious injuries and questions about who is responsible. A Waco truck accident lawyer from Lorenz & Lorenz, PLLC can investigate the driver, trucking company, cargo records, and maintenance history to identify what caused the crash and who needs to cover your losses.
Truck accidents often cause severe harm because of the size and weight difference between commercial vehicles and passenger cars. They may also involve several companies, federal safety rules, and trucking records that must be preserved.
If you were injured in a Waco truck accident, our team can sift through the details and help you overcome common obstacles in the claims process. We can handle the investigation, insurance communication, and legal deadlines while you focus on recovery.
Call Lorenz & Lorenz, PLLC today at (512) 477-7333 for a free consultation. We can review what happened, explain your options, and discuss the next steps for your claim.
Why Choose Lorenz & Lorenz, PLLC for Your Waco Truck Case
You need a truck accident attorney in Waco, TX who knows this stretch of I-35 and picks up when you call. We represent injured Texans across McLennan County, from wrecks at the I-35 and Loop 340 interchange to crashes out on US 84.
We Know Waco
Waco’s downtown streets, Baylor University, and the I-35 corridor bring together local drivers, students, commuters, and commercial trucks.
Lorenz & Lorenz, PLLC understands how those traffic patterns shape a truck accident investigation and the evidence needed to build the claim.
Ready for McLennan County Court
When a carrier’s insurer won’t pay fairly, we can file your case in the appropriate McLennan County court and prepare it for trial. That readiness alone can push the trucking company’s insurer toward making a stronger offer.
Unbeatable Client Service
More than 1,000 five-star reviews reflect how Lorenz & Lorenz, PLLC treats injured clients throughout the legal process. Our team keeps you informed, answers your questions, and makes it easier to get legal help while you recover.
Call (512) 477-7333 or reach us through our online contact form today.
The Advantages of Hiring a Waco Truck Accident Attorney
You need a truck accident attorney in Waco because claims often involve the driver, the trucking company, outside contractors, and several layers of insurance coverage. Sorting through those relationships on your own is a massive headache. So is trying to get the company to turn over its records.
When you hire Lorenz & Lorenz, PLLC, our Waco truck crash lawyers can:
- Demand Internal Evidence: The trucking company controls most of the evidence you need, and they’re not just going to hand it over. We can use the legal system to compel them to turn it over.
- Investigate the Crash: We examine the scene, vehicle damage, witness accounts, truck data, and company records to determine what caused the collision.
- Identify Every Responsible Party: We trace the trip through the driver, motor carrier, cargo company, maintenance provider, and any other business that contributed to the wreck.
- Challenge Unfair Blame: We use the physical and digital evidence to answer claims that you caused or could have avoided the crash.
- Value the Full Claim: We collaborate with medical professionals, vocational experts, and other qualified specialists to document future care needs, reduced earning capacity, and permanent limitations.
- Negotiation and Litigation: Your Waco truck accident lawyer presents the evidence, responds to defense arguments, and files a lawsuit when the responsible parties won’t offer a fair resolution.
How Common Are Truck Accidents in Waco, Texas?
Truck accidents are a serious concern in and around Waco, where I-35 carries commercial traffic through the heart of McLennan County. TxDOT recorded 378 crashes involving commercial motor vehicles in McLennan County in 2024.
Those collisions caused two deaths and left 137 people with suspected serious, suspected minor, or possible injuries. Statewide, Texas recorded 39,393 commercial motor vehicle crashes in 2024, which caused 608 deaths and 1,601 suspected serious injuries.
Waco’s location along I-35 places local drivers beside tractor-trailers, delivery trucks, and freight carriers moving through Central Texas. When speed, fatigue, poor maintenance, or an unsafe load contribute to a crash, the occupants of the smaller vehicle often suffer the most serious injuries.
Leading Causes of Truck Accidents in Waco
Truck accidents in Waco often involve a mix of commercial traffic, smaller vehicles, motorcycles, bicyclists, and pedestrians. That crowded environment leaves little room for mistakes by a truck driver or anyone traveling nearby.
Truck Driver Negligence
A truck driver may cause a crash by:
- Driving Under the Influence: Drugs or alcohol can impair judgment, reaction time, and vehicle control.
- Speeding: A large dump truck or 18-wheeler needs more time and distance to slow down safely.
- Following Too Closely: Tailgating can make a rear-end collision unavoidable when traffic stops.
- Making Unsafe Maneuvers: Sudden lane changes or wide turns near Loop 340 can place nearby vehicles in the truck’s blind spots.
- Failing To Yield: A driver may enter an intersection or merge without giving other road users the right of way.
- Failing To Keep a Proper Lookout: A trucker may overlook smaller vehicles, cyclists, or pedestrians.
Fatigued Truck Drivers
Federal Hours of Service (HOS) rules generally allow property-carrying drivers to drive up to 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty, within a 14-hour work window. Some drivers or carriers still push those limits to meet delivery schedules.
Fatigue can slow reaction time and impair judgment. Electronic logging device records may show whether the driver exceeded legal limits or failed to take required rest.
Other Causes of Truck Accidents
Some crashes involve factors beyond driver conduct, including:
- Dangerous Roads: Potholes, debris, poor lighting, or unsafe construction zones may contribute to a wreck.
- Defective Equipment: Faulty brakes, tires, steering components, or other parts may cause the driver to lose control.
- Improper Maintenance: A carrier or repair company may allow an unsafe truck to remain on the road.
- Other Drivers: Another motorist may contribute by cutting off a tractor-trailer, stopping abruptly, tailgating, speeding, or making an unsafe lane change.
The Waco truck accident attorneys at Lorenz & Lorenz, PLLC can examine each contributing factor and determine whether a driver, trucking company, maintenance provider, manufacturer, or government entity may be responsible.
Proving Fault in Waco Truck Accidents
Proving fault means identifying the unsafe decision that caused the crash and connecting it to the driver, motor carrier, or another responsible company. In a truck case, that often requires comparing the physical evidence with records the trucking company was required to create and maintain.
Lorenz & Lorenz, PLLC will review your crash report, interview witnesses, inspect the vehicles, and work with reconstruction specialists when needed.
We may also seek electronic logging device data, black box records, driver qualification files, maintenance documents, cargo records, and dispatch communications.
How FMCSA Regulations Can Help Establish Fault
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets safety requirements for many commercial drivers and motor carriers. These rules address how long a driver may remain behind the wheel, whether the driver was qualified for the job, how the truck was maintained, and whether the cargo was properly secured.
While a violation doesn’t automatically decide your case, it can reveal where the company failed. Electronic logs may show that a driver exceeded HOS limits. Maintenance files may indicate that the carrier ignored worn brakes or unsafe tires, while loading records may show that cargo shifted or fell from the trailer.
Our truck accident attorneys in Waco compare the trucking records with the FMCSA rules that applied to the trip. That investigation can show whether the wreck resulted from driver fatigue, unsafe hiring, neglected maintenance, improper loading, or pressure from the company to keep moving despite a safety risk.
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Waco Truck Accident?
More than one party may be responsible for a Waco truck accident: the driver may have caused the immediate collision, while a trucking company, maintenance provider, cargo contractor, manufacturer, or another business contributed to the unsafe conditions that led to it.
Potentially liable parties may include:
- The Truck Driver: Speeding, fatigue, distraction, or impairment can place direct fault on the driver.
- The Trucking Company: Unsafe hiring, rushed schedules, weak supervision, or neglected maintenance expose the motor carrier to liability.
- The Maintenance Provider: A repair shop can share responsibility when careless work leaves the truck with bad brakes, worn tires, or unsafe steering.
- The Cargo Company: Overloading or poor securement can make a trailer unstable, leading to a rollover, spill, or loss of control.
- The Truck or Parts Manufacturer: A defective tire, brake component, or other failed part can shift responsibility to the manufacturer.
- Another Driver: A separate motorist can share fault by cutting off the truck, making an unsafe lane change, or triggering a chain-reaction crash.
- A Government Entity: Dangerous road design, missing warnings, or poor maintenance can support a claim against a public agency, subject to special notice rules.
What Damages Are Available After a Waco Truck Accident?
You may recover compensation for the medical costs, income losses, and personal harm caused by the crash. Your Waco truck accident lawyer builds your claim carefully, so that nothing gets left behind.
Potential compensation includes:
- Medical Expenses: These damages cover hospital care, surgery, medication, follow-up treatment, and other necessary medical services.
- Rehabilitation and Nursing Care: Your claim can recover compensation for physical therapy, occupational therapy, home health care, and skilled nursing support.
- Future Medical Needs: This compensation accounts for additional treatment, medical equipment, and medically necessary home modifications.
- Lost Income: These damages replace wages and other earnings missed while you were unable to work.
- Reduced Earning Capacity: This category addresses future income lost when a lasting injury limits the work you can perform.
- Pain and Suffering: These damages recognize the physical pain caused by the collision and your injuries.
- Emotional Distress: This compensation covers anxiety, trauma, and other psychological effects tied to the crash.
Lorenz & Lorenz, PLLC secured a $6 million recovery for severe injuries in a truck accident and a $3 million recovery for a truck crash that caused a devastating head injury.
While every case is different, these outcomes demonstrate our firm’s experience handling trucking cases involving serious medical harm and substantial long-term losses.
FAQ for Waco Truck Accident Lawyer
What Should I Do After a Truck Accident in Waco?
After your immediate medical needs are addressed, save your medical records, photographs, witness information, and any identifying information about the truck or carrier. Avoid giving the trucking company a recorded statement before speaking with a lawyer.
What Are the Most Dangerous Truck Routes Near Waco?
I-35 carries heavy commercial traffic through Waco. Loop 340, US 84, and State Highway 6 also bring large trucks into contact with local and commuter traffic.
How Is Fault Determined in a Waco Truck Accident?
Fault depends on what caused the crash and who contributed to it, so truck data, driving logs, maintenance files, video, and witness accounts all matter.
Can I Sue the Trucking Company in Texas?
You may pursue compensation from the trucking company in a personal injury claim or a lawsuit when it is responsible for its driver or when its own hiring, scheduling, or maintenance failures contributed to the crash.
How Long Do I Have To File a Texas Truck Accident Claim?
You generally have two years from the crash date to file a Texas personal injury lawsuit. Waiting can still weaken the case because trucking records and electronic data may disappear much sooner.
How Can I Afford a Waco Truck Accident Lawyer?
The Waco truck accident lawyers at Lorenz & Lorenz, PLLC, handle personal injury claims on a contingency-fee basis, meaning there are zero upfront costs. We only take a fee if we recover compensation for you.
Connect With a Waco Truck Accident Lawyer Today
If you've been injured in a truck accident in Waco, don't hesitate to get the help you need. Our experienced Waco truck accident lawyers are here to guide you through the legal process and fight for the full compensation you need.
Contact Lorenz & Lorenz, PLLC today at (512) 477-7333 or through our online form for a free consultation. We’ll be your trusted advocate and help you hold the responsible parties accountable.