Commercial Truck Accidents

9,000 Gallons of Fuel on Fire on I-45 Gulf Freeway — What Houston Accident Victims Need to Know About the Bay Area Boulevard Tanker Fire

Around 2:25 a.m. on Thursday, February 12, 2026, the first calls came in. An 18-wheeler tanker truck hauling roughly 9,000 gallons of fuel had caught fire on I-45 southbound — right at Bay Area Boulevard, just outside Baybrook Mall. By 3 a.m., the tanker was fully engulfed. Cellphone footage from bystanders showed flames shooting several feet into the air. All southbound main lanes of the Gulf Freeway were shut down. Drivers were funneled into the mall parking lot. The morning commute was wrecked. The evening commute was wrecked. More than 12 hours later, crews were still sweeping lanes and inspecting pavement for heat damage. The driver escaped. That's the good news. The bad news? This was the fifth major 18-wheeler incident in Houston in a single week. And it happened on I-45 — a highway that TxDOT data shows killed 105 people in 2023 alone. A highway that Budget Direct named the deadliest road in the United States. If you were caught in this crash, stuck in the backup, rear-ended in the chaos, or exposed to fuel fumes and smoke — you may have a claim. And the clock is already ticking on your right to file one. What Happened:…

Can I Sue for Being Hit by a Semi Truck?

The American economy runs on the semi trucks we use to transport goods and cargo to destinations across the country. Unfortunately, when semis are involved in collisions with other vehicles, the results can be devastating. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0MT3CKbUb4 What do you do if you get hit by an 18 wheeler? If you get hit by an 18 wheeler, the first thing you should do is make sure you are in a safe location and won’t be hit again. Then, take the following steps: Call the local law enforcement to file an accident report. In Texas, you are legally required to immediately inform the police if you are involved in a crash that results in injury, death, or damage to a vehicle to the extent that it cannot be normally and safely driven.Seek medical attention immediately. If you think you are injured,  even slightly, agree to take an ambulance from the scene.If you can safely do so, take photos of the semi truck and other vehicles involved, the location of the crash, and any road conditions that may have played a role in the accident.Record the truck driver’s name, as well as their contact and insurance information.Record the names and contact info for…

The Ultimate Guide to Garbage Truck Accidents

While they often go unnoticed, garbage trucks are a part of our everyday lives. No matter where you live, work or play, a garbage truck could be just around the corner at any time.  Unfortunately, because of their size and limited visibility, when garbage trucks are involved in accidents with cars, motorcycles, or pedestrians, they can be deadly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFHMs9cO70M What is considered a garbage truck accident? A garbage truck, sometimes called a waste collection vehicle (WCV), is a truck designed specifically to pick up waste and dispose of it in landfills or treatment facilities. Any crash where a garbage truck collides with another vehicle is considered a garbage truck accident.  Many of the alleys and streets that garbage trucks must service require them to back up once the trash is loaded. Unfortunately, many garbage trucks aren’t equipped with backup cameras, limiting their visibility and increasing the likelihood that garbage truck drivers will hit cars or people in their blind spots. Garbage truck blind spots are even larger than for other vehicles because of the loading arms that can obstruct a driver’s view.  The loads that garbage trucks carry also increase the danger they pose. Some trash will contain flammable or…

Truck Tire Blowouts and When You Need a Lawyer

Truck tire blowouts cause more than an estimated 11,000 crashes on American roadways every year. In 2017, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 738 fatalities from tire-related motor vehicle crashes. These dangerous accidents affect more than just truck drivers. If you are unfortunate enough to be passing a truck that suffers a blown tire, your car could be impacted by debris or forced into a dangerous swerve. Possibly worse, if you are behind a truck tire blowout, the truck driver may lose control and cause a hazardous multi-car accident involving nearby vehicles. It is often people in passenger cars that suffer the worst injuries from truck tire blowout accidents. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCTumr1looc&feature=youtu.be What is a semi-truck tire blowout? You have likely seen pieces of tire lying on the side of the road, especially on highways. These fragments are typically the result of truck tire blowouts. A blowout occurs after a tire rapidly deflates, in turn causing an explosion. In a typical truck tire blowout, the truck driver can slowly pull to the side of the road. In certain circumstances, whether because of bad weather, heavy traffic, high speeds, or a distracted driver, a truck tire blowout results in a catastrophic traffic…

The Definitive Guide to MCS 90 Auto Endorsements

Unless you're a commercial truck driver, you've probably never heard of MCS 90 auto endorsements. And even if you have, you might not know what an MCS endorsement on a commercial truck driver's insurance means to you as a driver. As personal injury attorneys, we've had to learn all the nitty-gritty details about MCS 90 auto endorsements and how they can impact your ability to receive damages. If you've been injured in an accident involving a commercial motor vehicle, keep reading! We'll explain everything you need to know. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auB5NWcwyag&feature=youtu.be What is an MCS 90 endorsement for a motor carrier? To legally operate a commercial vehicle that crosses over state lines, trucking companies must register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Part of the registration process requires proving the company has the financial means to cover ANY damage caused by one of their drivers, even if their standard insurance policy doesn't cover the damage. They often provide evidence of financial responsibility by adding an MCS 90 endorsement to their insurance policy. The word "endorsement" is just insurance company lingo for an addition to a standard insurance policy. So, the MCS 90 is an insurance add-on that makes sure that…

The Definitive Guide to Commercial Truck Accidents

Commercial truck accidents injured 151,000 people and killed another 4,951 in 2018, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In these fatal crashes, only 18 percent of the fatalities were the truck drivers themselves. That means over 4,000 other drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists were killed in commercial trucking accidents, and many more were injured. Commercial trucks can be dangerous, and when accidents occur, it’s usually the drivers in passenger vehicles who get hurt. In this definitive guide, we’ve answered a handful of questions that people frequently ask us about commercial truck accidents and how to get  the compensation you deserve for your injuries. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEEeZf-k8Ao&feature=youtu.be What Is a Commercial Truck Accident? In the United States, a motor vehicle is designated as a commercial vehicle when it is titled or registered to a company.  Commercial truck classifications are determined according to weight, using what is called the “gross vehicle weight rating”, or GVWR. There are eight different classes of commercial trucks, ranging from Class 1 (0 to 6,000 pounds) to Class 8 (above 33,000 pounds). Some common examples of commercial trucks include: Tractor Trailers (also called Big Rigs or Eighteen Wheelers)Heavy HaulersFlatbed TrucksRefrigerator TrucksDump TrucksCement MixersGarbage TruckTankers The Federal Motor…