Houston Truck Accident Attorney
Joe is one of the few Texas lawyers that is double board certified.
“No Legal Fees Until Joe Wins Your Case”
Content Reviewed by: Joe Stephens
Table of Contents
- Why Choose Joe Stephens as Your Houston Truck Accident Lawyer?
- Why Do I Need a Houston Truck Accident Lawyer?
- What Types of Truck Accidents Does The Stephens Law Firm Handle in Houston?
- Who Can Be Held Liable for a Truck Accident in Houston?
- What Types of Compensation Can I Recover After a Houston Truck Accident?
- Frequently Asked Questions About Semi-Truck Accidents in Houston (FAQ)
Truck accidents are more complex than regular car accidents, and the injuries and property damage they cause are extremely severe. The fear and uncertainty truck accidents cause can make seeking compensation feel almost impossible.
After an accident with such a large vehicle, you need an experienced Houston truck accident lawyer on your side. The Stephens Law Firm is committed to providing personalized representation and helping you recover fair compensation after you’ve been in a truck accident.
Why Choose Joe Stephens as Your Houston Truck Accident Lawyer?
When you’ve been hurt in a truck accident in Houston, you need a lawyer you can depend on. Our founder, Joe Stephens, has over 30 years of experience handling accident and injury cases. He holds multiple board certifications from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and the National Board of Trial Advocacy, is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and has been recognized by Super Lawyers from 2008 to 2024.
Joe’s history of success speaks for itself. Over his legal career, he has secured millions of dollars for hundreds of clients. Joe has also argued multiple cases before Texas appellate courts, including the Texas Supreme Court. He provides personalized one-on-one attention to each client and is widely known for his aggressive but fair negotiation style.
With mounting medical bills and missed time from work, you’re likely worried about your finances while recovering from your truck accident. However, when you work with Joe, you won’t need to worry about legal bills. We operate exclusively on a contingency fee basis, meaning you don’t pay us a dime unless we win your case. We charge no upfront costs, and the consultation is free. If we obtain a settlement or verdict for you, our fee is a pre-agreed percentage of the recovery. You’ll never have to pay surprise costs out of your pocket.
Local Presence in Houston
Our Westside Houston office is located at 9039 Katy Freeway, Ste. 209, in Hedwig Village. We’re right off of I-10 near the frontage road on the block between Corbindale Rd. and Clifford.
Areas Served:
- Downtown
- Galleria/Uptown
- Katy
- Montrose
- Museum District
- River Oaks
- Upper Kirby
- West University
Houston Semi Truck Accident Case Results
- Joe obtained a $2.45 million settlement for a trucker injured in a highway accident. Our client suffered severe neurological injuries, including complex regional pain syndrome, or CRPS, with lifelong pain and impairment. We settled the case pretrial in Midland, Texas, a very conservative venue. The settlement covered our client’s future medical care and lost wages.
- A Texas jury awarded a $1.2 million verdict to the father of a four-year-old who died in a rear-end collision with a Bishop Energy truck. The truck driver was found 60 percent responsible for the crash, and the trucking company was held liable for gross negligence.
- A Texas jury awarded a $1 million verdict to a client whose hand was crushed by a concrete truck’s rotating drum. We successfully alleged that our client’s injury resulted from a design flaw—an unguarded “pinch point.”
Testimonials
Here’s what some of our clients have said about working with the Stephens Law Firm:
Why Do I Need a Houston Truck Accident Lawyer?
Trucking companies and insurers typically fight accident claims aggressively to avoid large payouts. It is guaranteed that the opposition will have experienced attorneys and professionals fighting for them. They will use every tactic in the book to shift blame for the accident to you and limit the compensation they pay out. Insurance companies will offer quick, low settlements and try to blame you to avoid paying you the damages you deserve. Thus, navigating a truck accident claim without a lawyer will put you at a significant advantage.
You need an experienced attorney on your side to level the playing field, help you navigate the complex legal process, and protect your rights. Your attorney will handle all communications with trucking and insurance companies, investigate the accident, gather evidence, negotiate a settlement that fully compensates you for your damages, and fight for you in court if necessary.
“Very good attorney! I highly recommend him for personal injury if the insurance company is giving you the runaround.” – Freddy C.
What Types of Truck Accidents Does The Stephens Law Firm Handle in Houston?
The Stephens Law Firm has decades of experience working on truck collisions and handling virtually every type of truck accident. Types of collision we often see in Houston include:
Jackknife
A jackknife accident occurs when a truck towing a trailer skids, causing the trailer to push the truck cab at a sharp angle that looks like a jackknife. Due to the trucks’ size, these accidents can block entire highways. Crashes occur when the trailer swings into other vehicles or other vehicles can’t stop in time.
Truck Rollovers
Rollover truck accidents are among the most dangerous truck crashes. Rollovers happen when a truck skids and rolls over, crashing into any vehicles in its path and often seriously hurting all drivers involved. Trucks carrying gas and other flammable chemicals are especially hazardous in rollovers and can cause explosions.
Tire Blowouts
Tire blowouts occur when a truck’s tire suddenly explodes while the truck is in motion. Blowouts can cause the truck to become unstable, leading to collisions. They also put drivers at risk of impact from flying tire pieces.
Truck Driver DWI
Driving while intoxicated is always dangerous, but a drunk truck driver poses an extra risk to other drivers on the road. A swerving or unstable truck can cause serious injuries if it collides with other cars. Intoxication can cause any of the other types of truck accidents listed here due to the trucker’s inability to drive safely.
Wide Turn
Given their size, trucks must make wide turns. If the driver fails to maneuver the truck carefully, the cab or trailer might strike another vehicle.
Blind Spot Accidents
Blind spot accidents are especially serious when a commercial truck is involved. Because trucks are so much larger and heavier than regular cars, a blind spot accident can crush and seriously damage a vehicle when a car of equal size might have caused only minor damage.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions are among the most common accidents on the road. The significant size difference between a truck and a passenger car means that rear-end truck accidents have a much harder impact than typical rear-end collisions, sometimes crushing cars into an “accordion” shape that can be lethal to passengers.
Brake Failure
Brake failure can happen at any time for several reasons. Mechanical problems with a truck can cause the brakes to suddenly stop functioning, leading to collisions and similar accidents.
Underride Accidents
Underride accidents occur when smaller cars slide between a truck’s wheels and end up partially beneath the truck. Underrides typically happen when trucks brake suddenly or vehicles merge carelessly. The impact often crushes the passenger compartment of the smaller vehicle, leading to severe injuries and fatalities.
Lost Load Accidents
A lost-load truck accident happens when a truck suddenly scatters the contents of its trailer over the highway. This requires other vehicles to stop suddenly or swerve to avoid projectiles, objects, and hazardous substances.
Head-On Collisions
A head-on collision with a truck can result in serious injuries. The smaller size of a passenger vehicle relative to a truck means that a head-on crash can crush a car and seriously injure its occupants.
T-Bone Collisions
T-bone collisions occur when a vehicle slams into the side of another vehicle in a “T” shape. T-bone crashes are extremely dangerous and often cause serious harm to drivers or passengers, especially in accidents involving heavy vehicles like trucks.
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Truck Accident in Houston?
Determining liability in a truck accident is often complicated. While typical car crashes tend to involve two or more private individuals, a truck crash can involve multiple vehicles and several parties who contributed to the accident.
Potentially liable parties in a truck accident can include the following:
- Truck drivers
- Trucking companies
- Cargo loading companies
- Truck maintenance companies
- Truck part manufacturers
- Government agencies responsible for road maintenance
No matter who’s at fault in your case, The Stephens Law Firm will identify all those at fault and pursue all available avenues to pursue the compensation you deserve.
What Types of Compensation Can I Recover After a Houston Truck Accident?
You can generally pursue compensation for three types of damages in a car accident claim: economic, non-economic, and punitive damages.
Economic damages compensate you for the financial losses you sustained from the accident. These include medical bills, lost wages, lost earning capacity, property damage, and more.
Non-economic damages compensate you for the impacts on your life without a specific dollar value, such as pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of companionship, emotional distress, and more.
Finally, punitive damages are awarded by a court to punish the defendant for egregious behavior and deter future misconduct. They are rare and only awarded when the plaintiff proves by clear and convincing evidence that their harm resulted from fraud, malice, or gross negligence.
“They got me $500,000 when the insurance company would not offer anything.”
– Cynthia E.
Can I Still Recover Damages if I'm Partially at Fault?
Texas has a modified comparative negligence system for apportioning fault in a truck accident. If you are partially responsible for your injuries, you can still recover damages if you are not more than 50 percent at fault. However, your compensation will be reduced in proportion to your share of the fault. So, if you suffered $100,000 in damages and were 10 percent at fault, you can recover $90,000.
A car accident attorney can evaluate your case and determine whether you can still receive damages under Texas’ comparative negligence law.
Frequently Asked Questions About Semi-Truck Accidents in Houston (FAQ)
Common questions we receive from victims of commercial truck accidents include:
What Trucking Regulations and Safety Standards Should I Know?
Federal and state trucking regulations cover a wide range of areas, such as licensing, vehicle size restrictions, weight limits, inspection and maintenance requirements, mandatory insurance coverage, hour limits for drivers, and drug and alcohol testing of drivers. Trucking companies and drivers that violate these standards might be found negligent if the failure contributed to your accident.
How Much Is My Houston Truck Accident Injury Claim Worth?
The nature and severity of your injuries, the property damage you suffered, and whether you can return to work could all impact your truck accident settlement. Your truck accident attorney may help you estimate how much you could receive in a settlement or verdict.
How Long Will My Houston Commercial Truck Accident Case Take?
Due to the level of damage and number of parties involved, commercial truck accident cases often take longer to resolve than regular car accidents. Because a commercial truck belongs to a trucking company and may be carrying a shipment for another company, there are many more potentially liable parties than in a typical car crash. These factors lead to more complex cases that can prolong a case. An attorney can estimate how long your case will likely take.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Semi Truck Accident Lawyer in Houston, TX?
At The Stephens Law Firm, we work exclusively on a contingency fee basis. That means you don’t pay us anything unless we win your case. Our fee will be a pre-agreed percentage of your settlement or judgment. We charge no upfront fees.
What Are Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Houston?
Houston’s most common types of truck accidents include rollover accidents, tire blowouts, jackknife collisions, and underride accidents. These accidents might result from driver inattention or intoxication, failure to check blind spots, vehicular issues such as underinflated tires and brake failure, and loose or overweight cargo. No matter the cause of your truck accident, The Stephens Law Firm can help.
Dangerous Roads in Houston for Truck Accidents
High-risk areas for truck accidents in Houston include I-45, I-10, Highway 290, and Loop 610. Areas with high commercial truck traffic, especially those prone to congestion, can be hotbeds for commercial truck accidents.
Speak With a Trusted Houston Truck Accident Attorney—Get Your Free Consultation Today
If you’ve been hurt in a truck accident in Houston, don’t wait. Reach out to The Stephens Law Firm for your free legal consultation. From the initial consult to your settlement or verdict, we don’t charge you anything at all unless we win.
Call (281) 623-1701 or contact us online today. Ofrecemos servicios en español.