Higgins Truck Accident Lawyer: Fighting for Families in Lipscomb County

The impact was catastrophic. You were driving on US Highway 60 near Higgins, perhaps heading across the Oklahoma border or toward Perryton, when 80,000 pounds of steel slammed into your sedan. In an instant, your life changed. While you are struggling with pain and mounting medical bills, the trucking company that caused the crash is already working to protect its bottom line. In Higgins and across the Texas Panhandle, these companies have rapid-response teams on the scene before the debris is even cleared. You need a team that moves just as fast.

At Attorney911, we know that an 18-wheeler accident in Higgins is not a fair fight. Your car weighs 4,000 pounds; the truck that hit you weighs 20 times that. Since 1998, our managing partner Ralph Manginello has been leveling the playing field for victims of these devastating wrecks. With over 25 years of experience and admission to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Ralph Manginello understands the federal regulations and corporate structures that control these massive vehicles. We don’t just handle car wrecks; we are truck accident specialists who have recovered over $50 million for Texas families.

If you’ve been hurt in a commercial vehicle crash in Higgins, y’all need more than just a lawyer—you need a fighter who treats you like family. As our client Chad Harris said, “You are NOT a pest to them and you are NOT just some client… You are FAMILY to them.” We are ready to put our resources to work for you today.

Call Attorney911 now at 1-888-ATTY-911 for a free, confidential consultation. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning y’all pay nothing unless we win your case. 1-888-288-9911.

The Inside Edge: Why Attorney911 Is Different for Higgins Victims

Trucking companies in Higgins depend on expensive defense firms to help them avoid paying what they owe. We have a unique advantage: our team includes associate attorney Lupe Peña, who used to defend insurance companies. Lupe knows their playbook from the inside. He knows how they train adjusters to lowball you and how they evaluate claims to minimize payouts. Now, he uses that insider knowledge to fight against them.

When a major corporation like Walmart or Amazon causes an accident in Higgins, they don’t play by the same rules as a neighbor who hits your car. They are often self-insured, meaning they pay claims out of their own pockets. They fight harder because it is their money on the line. We are not intimidated by the size of the defendant. We have litigated against Fortune 500 giants, including BP during the Texas City Refinery litigation, and we are currently litigating a $10 million lawsuit against a major university. Whether it’s an oilfield water truck on a lease road or a FedEx 18-wheeler on US-60, we have the experience to hold them accountable.

Hablamos Español. Llame a Lupe Peña al 1-888-ATTY-911.

The Reality of Trucking Accidents in Higgins and Lipscomb County

Higgins sits at a critical crossroads for the Texas Panhandle. With the heavy agricultural presence in Lipscomb County and the constant flow of oilfield traffic from the Anadarko Basin, our roads are some of the busiest commercial corridors in North Texas. Heavily loaded grain trucks, cattle haulers, and sand trucks share the two-lane highways and caliche roads surrounding Higgins with families and commuters.

Truck accidents in Higgins often involve factors unique to our region:

• High Winds: The Panhandle is notorious for wind gusts that can cause top-heavy trailers to sway or roll over on US-60.
• Oilfield Pressure: Drivers hauling produced water or crude oil for companies operating near Higgins are often under immense time pressure, leading to fatigue and speed violations.
• Agricultural Cycles: Harvest season in Lipscomb County brings an influx of heavy trucks onto rural roads not always designed for 80,000-pound loads.

When these factors combine with driver negligence, the results are deadly. We have recovered multi-million dollar settlements for victims of traumatic brain injuries and amputations, and we understand the long-term care these injuries require. If you were hit by a commercial vehicle in Higgins, don’t wait for the insurance company to do the right thing. Call 1-888-ATTY-911 today.

Texas Trucking Laws: Protecting Your Rights in Higgins

Navigating a truck accident claim in Higgins requires a deep understanding of Texas law. Our state has specific rules that govern how much you can recover and how long you have to act.

The Two-Year Statute of Limitations

In Higgins, the clock is already ticking. Texas law generally gives you two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury or wrongful death claim. If you miss this deadline, you lose your right to seek justice forever. However, in trucking cases, you cannot afford to wait two years. Evidence like black box data and driver logs can disappear in as little as 30 days. We recommend legal action within the first 48 hours to preserve your claim.

Modified Comparative Negligence (The 51% Bar Rule)

Texas follows a “51% bar” rule for negligence. This means that as long as you are 50% or less at fault for the accident, you can still recover damages in Higgins. However, your total compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if a jury finds you were 20% at fault for a crash on Highway 15 because of a lane change, but the truck driver was 80% at fault for speeding, your $1 million award would be reduced to $800,000. If you are found 51% at fault, you recover nothing. This is why trucking companies in Higgins aggressively try to blame the victim—to protect their money.

Wrongful Death Protections for Higgins Families

If you have lost a loved one in a Higgins truck accident, Texas law allows the surviving spouse, children, and parents to file a wrongful death claim. We have recovered millions for families following fatal 18-wheeler accidents, helping them secure compensation for lost future income, loss of companionship, and mental anguish. Ralph Manginello and our team treat these cases with the compassion they deserve.

Put 25+ years of experience on your side. Call Higgins trucking attorney Ralph Manginello at (888) 288-9911 for a free case evaluation.

49 CFR: Federal Regulations Proving Negligence in Higgins Wrecks

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets the rules for every 18-wheeler and commercial vehicle passing through Higgins. When these rules are broken, it is strong evidence of negligence. We look for these violations in every Higgins case.

Part 395: Hours of Service (HOS) — Fatigue Kills

Driver fatigue is one of the leading causes of truck crashes on the long stretches of highway surrounding Higgins. Federal law (49 CFR § 395) is strict:

• 11-Hour Limit: Property-carrying drivers cannot drive more than 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty.
• 14-Hour Window: Drivers cannot drive beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty.
• 30-Minute Break: A break is mandatory after 8 cumulative hours of driving.

If a driver was pushing through Higgins at 3:00 AM after being on the road for 16 hours, they were driving illegally. We use Electronic Logging Device (ELD) data to prove these violations.

Part 391: Driver Qualifications

Trucking companies serving Higgins are required to vet their drivers. Under 49 CFR § 391, they must maintain a Driver Qualification File that includes driving records, medical certificates, and road test results. If a company hired a driver with a history of DUIs or safety violations to drive through Lipscomb County, they are liable for negligent hiring.

Part 396: Inspection and Maintenance

Brake failures and tire blowouts are often the result of skipped inspections. 49 CFR § 396 requires systematic inspection, repair, and maintenance. Every driver entering Higgins must perform a pre-trip inspection. If they ignored worn brakes to save time on a delivery to Lipscomb County, we will find the records to prove it.

Part 393: Cargo Securement

Improperly loaded cattle or oilfield equipment can shift, causing a rollover on Higgins’ curves. 49 CFR § 393 sets performance criteria for tiedowns and blocking. In the Higgins oil patch, we frequently see sand haulers and water trucks that are dangerously top-heavy or improperly balanced.

Learn more in our video guide: “The Definitive Guide To Commercial Truck Accidents” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEEeZf-k8Ao

Comprehensive Higgins Truck Accident Types

We handle every type of commercial vehicle accident that occurs on Higgins roads. Each has unique physics and clear patterns of negligence.

E.12 Oilfield Vehicle Accidents in Higgins

Higgins sits in the heart of the Anadarko Basin oil and gas activity. This means our families share the road with massive industrial vehicles everyday.

• Water Trucks: Heavily loaded water tankers are common on Higgins FM roads. The liquid “slosh” inside an 18-wheeler tanker makes them highly prone to rollovers if the driver takes a turn too fast or exits a wellsite poorly.
• Frac Sand Haulers: These trucks often run 24/7 during Higgins area completions. The pressure to keep the frac spread running leads to extreme driver fatigue and speeding.
• Crew Vans: We have seen devastating accidents involving 15-passenger vans carrying workers to Higgins wellsites. These vans have a high center of gravity and are often driven by exhausted workers at 4 AM.
• Hot Shot Trucks: Speed is the primary factor in Higgins hot shot accidents, as these drivers are often paid by the load to deliver urgent parts.

E.13 Corporate Fleet and Delivery Accidents

As Higgins residents increasingly rely on e-commerce, the number of delivery vans has exploded.

• Amazon Delivery Vans: Amazon uses a contractor model to try to avoid liability. They will tell you the driver who hit you in Higgins doesn’t work for Amazon. We know how to pierce that shield by showing Amazon’s control over the routes and technology.
• Walmart 18-Wheelers: Walmart has a massive private fleet. If a Walmart truck causes an underride or jackknife accident near Higgins, you are fighting a corporate giant that self-insures. We have litigated against Walmart and know how to counter their defense teams.
• Residential Delivery: FedEx and UPS trucks make hundreds of stops in Higgins daily. Their frequent backing and double-parking create high risks for local pedestrians and cyclists.

E.1 Jackknife and Rollover Accidents

On the open highways of Lipscomb County, high-speed jackknives are common. This happens when a driver brakes too hard on a wet road or during high winds, causing the trailer to swing out like a fan. If this happened to you on US-60, the trucking company is likely responsible for either driver error or brake maintenance failure.

E.3 Underride Collisions

These are the most lethal Higgins truck accidents. When a car slides under the rear or side of a trailer because of missing or defective guards, the results are almost always fatal. We hold manufacturers and trucking companies accountable for these preventable tragedies.

E.14.1 Dump Trucks and Construction Vehicles

Lipscomb County’s construction and road projects involve heavy dump trucks. These vehicles often weigh 60,000 pounds and have massive blind spots. If a dump truck hit you in Higgins, we investigate the construction company and the driver’s training.

Don’t let a corporate lawyer tell you what your life is worth. Call Ralph Manginello at 1-888-ATTY-911.

Higgins Liable Parties: Who is Responsible for Your Injuries?

Most Higgins law firms only look at the driver. We go deeper. To maximize your recovery, we identify every party that contributed to the crash.

1. The Truck Driver: For direct negligence like speeding, distraction, or impairment.
2. The Trucking Company: Under respondeat superior, the company is responsible for its driver. They are also liable for negligent hiring and training.
3. The Oilfield Operator: In Higgins oilfield cases, the oil company that hired a dangerous trucking contractor may be liable for negligent selection.
4. The Cargo Loader: If shifting sand or equipment caused a Higgins rollover, the people who loaded the truck are responsible.
5. The Maintenance Company: If brakes failed on US-60 because a third-party shop did a poor job, they are a defendant.
6. The Corporate Parent: We have litigated against companies like Amazon and FedEx, holding the parent company responsible for the actions of their “independent” contractors.
7. Rental Truck Companies: If an untrained driver in a U-Haul or Penske hit you in Higgins, the rental company may be liable for negligent entrustment.
8. Freight Brokers: The companies that connect shippers to carriers must vet those carriers for safety.

By identifying multiple defendants, we can “stack” insurance policies. If the driver only has $750,000 in coverage but the corporate parent has a $10 million umbrella policy, we make sure that deeper pool is available for your catastrophic injuries.

G. 48-Hour Urgent Evidence Preservation for Higgins Victims

The most important thing y’all can do after a truck accident in Higgins is hire a lawyer who will preserve the evidence. Trucking companies are legally allowed to destroy certain records after a period of time, and black boxes are overwritten automatically.

What We Preserve Immediately in Higgins Cases:

• ECM/Black Box: Records speed, braking, and steering in the seconds before impact.
• ELD Logs: Proves hours of service violations and fatigue.
• Netradyne/Dashcam Footage: Many corporate trucks now have cameras that record the driver’s face and the road.
• Driver Qualification Files: We look for hidden safety violations in the driver’s history.
• Dispatch Records: These often reveal that the company pressured the driver to speed through Higgins to make a delivery.

We send formal spoliation letters within 24 hours of being hired. This legally forces the company to save the evidence. If they destroy it after receiving our letter, we can ask the judge for sanctions or an “adverse inference” instruction to the jury.

Evidence is disappearing right now. Call 1-888-ATTY-911 before it’s too late.

Catastrophic Injuries and the Cost of Recovery in Higgins

When an 18-wheeler hits a car in Higgins, the injuries aren’t “accidents”—they are life-altering events. We understand the medical terminology and the long-term costs of these conditions.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Force from a truck impact can cause axonal shearing or coup-contrecoup injuries. Even a “mild” concussion can leave a Higgins victim with memory loss, personality changes, and inability to work. Moderate to severe TBI cases often settle in the $1.5M to $9.8M range.

Spinal Cord Injury and Paralysis

A C4-C5 injury means life in a wheelchair. We work with life care planners to calculate the cost of home modifications, 24/7 nursing, and specialized medical equipment in Higgins. These settlements often exceed $4.7M to $25.8M.

Amputation and Crush Injuries

Whether it was a “squeeze play” wide turn or a cabin intrusion on US-60, losing a limb changes your identity. We fight for compensation that covers high-end prosthetics for the rest of your life.

The “Hidden” Damages Higgins Victims Overlook

We don’t just ask for medical bills. We pursue:

• Loss of Earning Capacity: If y’all were an oilfield worker or rancher in Higgins and can no longer do physical labor, we calculate your lost income over the next 30 years.
• Household Services: If you can no longer mow the lawn, cook, or care for your children, the insurance company owes you the cost of hiring someone to do those things.
• Mental Anguish: The PTSD and driving anxiety that follow a Higgins truck crash are real injuries.

Learn more in our video: “How Do Car Insurance Companies Calculate Pain and Suffering?” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EE9AWT12Kg

Higgins Truck Accident Insurance: $750,000 to $5,000,000+

People hit by trucks in Higgins are often surprised by the amount of insurance money available. Federal law (49 CFR § 387) mandates much higher limits than standard car policies:

• $750,000 for general freight.
• $1,000,000 for trucks carrying oil or heavy equipment.
• $5,000,000 for trucks carrying hazardous materials (common in the Higgins oil patch).

Additionally, major companies like Walmart and Amazon carry millions more in “excess” or “umbrella” layers. Recovering this money requires an attorney who knows how to navigate “Self-Insured Retentions” and “MCS-90 Endorsements.” Our associate attorney Lupe Peña knows exactly how these policies are structured because he used to defend them.

Your case may be worth more than the insurance company is telling you. Call our Higgins experts at (888) 288-9911.

Higgins Truck Accident FAQ

1. How long do I have to file a lawsuit in Higgins?
In Higgins, you have two years from the date of the accident under Texas law. However, for wrongful death, the rules can vary. Because evidence disappears so quickly, we recommend calling us immediately.

2. What if the truck driver was an independent contractor?
Large corporations in the Higgins area often use this as a defense to avoid responsibility. We use the “right-to-control” test to prove that the company actually treated the driver like an employee, allowing us to sue the deep-pocketed corporation.

3. I was rear-ended by a truck on US-60. Is fault automatic?
Under 49 CFR § 392.11, truck drivers must maintain a safe following distance. Because a loaded semi takes 525 feet to stop, a rear-end collision is almost always the trucker’s fault. We use black box data to prove they were speeding or distracted.

4. Can I sue for a crash on a Higgins lease road?
Yes. While lease roads are often private, the oil company has a duty to maintain safe conditions. If dust, poor signage, or narrow crossings contributed to your crash, the operator is liable.

5. How much does a Higgins truck accident lawyer cost?
With Attorney911, it costs nothing out of pocket. We only get paid if we win a settlement or verdict for you. As client Glenda Walker said, “They fought for me to get every dime I deserved.”

6. Should I take the first settlement offer from the insurance company?
NEVER. First offers are lowballs designed to make you go away before you realize you have a herniated disc or PTSD. As Donald Wilcox said, “One company said they would not accept my case. Then I got a call from Manginello… I got a call to come pick up this handsome check.”

7. I speak only Spanish. Can you help me?
Sí. El abogado Lupe Peña habla español fluido. Podemos representarlo sin necesidad de intérpretes. Hablamos su idioma y conocemos sus derechos en Higgins.

8. What if I was partially at fault for the accident in Higgins?
Texas uses modified comparative negligence. If you were 25% at fault for not using a turn signal onUS-60, you could still recover 75% of your damages. Don’t assume you don’t have a case until we evaluate it.

We Stand Up to Corporate Giants for Higgins Families

We’ve gone toe-to-toe with the world’s largest corporations, including BP, and we are currently litigating a $10 million case. We have litigated against Walmart, Amazon, Coca-Cola, FedEx, and UPS. We know their tactics, and we know how to beat them.

In Higgins, you aren’t just a number to us. As client Chad Harris said, “You are FAMILY to them.” We take a limited number of cases so that Ralph Manginello can give your case the personal attention it deserves. We advance all costs for world-class accident reconstruction experts and medical specialists. You focus on your recovery; we focus on the fight.

Ready to start? Call Higgins truck accident specialist Ralph Manginello today at 1-888-ATTY-911.

Higgins Wrongful Death Claims: Justice for Lost Loved Ones

There is no pain greater than losing a family member to a trucking company’s greed. Whether it was a tired driver crossing the center line or a company that skipped brake maintenance, we hold them responsible. We investigate the “Safety Management System” data of the carrier to see if they have a history of killing people on Texas roads. A pattern of violations can lead to punitive damages, which are designed to punish the company and prevent them from hurting another Higgins family.

Your fight for justice begins with one call: 888-ATTY-911. We answer. We fight. We win.

Why Higgins Victims Trust Attorney911

• 25+ Years Experience: Ralph Manginello has been litigating since 1998.
• Insurance Defense Advantage: We know the insurer’s playbook.
• Multi-Million Dollar Results: Proven success in TBI, Amputation, and Death cases.
• Federal Court Admission: We can handle complex interstate trucking cases.
• No Win, No Fee: You pay nothing unless we recover money for you.
• 24/7 Availability: Legal emergencies don’t wait for business hours.

As Ernest Cano said, “Mr. Manginello and his firm are first class. Will fight tooth and nail for you.” Don’t let the trucking company push you around. Let us push back.

Call 1-888-ATTY-911 today for your free, no-obligation Higgins case review. Hablamos Español.

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