18 Wheeler Collisions

Each year, there are more than 400,000 accidents involving large trucks such as commercial box trucks and tractor-trailer combinations, known as 18-wheelers. It is estimated that as much as 5% of all accident related injuries and 14% of deaths are caused by 18 wheeler accidents.

In fact, in 2006 in the state of Texas alone, there were almost 7,000 truck accidents that resulted in numerous injuries and almost 500 fatal crashes. Commercial trucks are extremely dangerous vehicles that can be unstoppable under certain circumstances. When a large truck such as an 18-wheeler hits a passenger vehicle or pedestrian, the chances of serious injury and fatality are extremely high.

Drivers of 18-wheelers are often pressured by their employers to drive non-stop without sleep for 24 hours or more to get to their destination on time. This can result in severe fatigue to the driver, reckless driving or driving at excessive speeds. Additionally, 18-wheelers have difficulty stopping their vehicles while going downhill and brake failure or mechanical failure are not uncommon. Although there are strict legal requirements for ongoing service of 18-wheelers, many employers will ignore these safety standards by poorly maintaining their vehicles to save costs, causing serious potential hazards for their drivers and occupants of passenger vehicles or pedestrians.

At Heygood, Orr, Reyes, Pearson & Bartolomei, we’ve achieved millions of dollars in jury verdicts and settlements for victims and families of 18-wheeler accidents. Our experienced team of attorneys knows what insurance companies are required to provide and what victims of 18-wheeler accidents and their families legally deserve for their medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and sometimes, even death.

Below is a list of trucking companies, for your reference. If you have been in an 18-wheeler accident, it is helpful to know which company the rig belonged to:

Ace Transportation
Aggregate Haulers
Clarksville Refrigerated Lines
Coastal Transport
Contract Frieghters
Covenant Transport
Dart Transportation
Fleetwood Transportation Services
GP Burrous Trucking Company
HEB Grocery Company
IESI TX Corp
J.B. Hunt Transport
Lattimore Metals
Milk Transport Services
Nabors Well Services
Redi Mix Inc.
Saia Motor Freight
Schneider National Carriers
Southwestern Motor Transport
Statewide Transport
Swift Transportation
Transit Mix Concrete & Materials
TXI TransportationPool Company
United Parcel Service
USA Truck
Werner Enterprises

If you or someone you care about has been in an 18-wheeler collision, please fill out our Case Review Contact Form to the right on this page to find out what your case is worth.

Auto insurers play hardball in minor-crash claims
2/9/07 - CNN.com
If you are injured in a minor car crash, chances are good that you will be in the fight of your life to get the insurance company to pay all the medical costs you incur - even if the accident was no fault of your own. (read more...)

Dallas Jury Awards $174,114 to Driver of Rear-Ended Vehicle
1/11/07 - VerdictSearch
A Dallas County jury awarded $174,114 to the driver of a pickup truck that was struck by a tractor-trailer while the pickup truck was pulled over on the highway. (read more...)

Semi Truck Drivers Often Carry Rap Sheets
12/10/06 - The Dallas Morning News
Turner Yarbrough drove his 18-wheeler into Dallas one afternoon in August 2004, hauling a load of medical waste. A 15-year veteran of the road, he was a crack cocaine user with a long criminal record. (read more...)

18 Wheels and Countless Dangers
9/17/06 - The Dallas Morning News
Trucking companies often put non-English speakers, felons, addicts in driver's seat, but rarely take blame in fatal crashes. (read more...)