Fatal 18-Wheeler and Tractor-Trailer Crashes in Renner: What Families Need to Know

You’re reading this because someone you love didn’t come home from the roads around Renner. The same highways most of us drive every day without thinking—Interstate 35, the President George Bush Turnpike, State Highway 121—took your father, your wife, your son, or your sister when an 80,000-pound tractor-trailer changed everything in an instant. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003 has already started a clock that doesn’t stop while you grieve. You have exactly two years from the date of the fatal injury to file a wrongful-death action under § 71.001. That clock runs whether or not the carrier’s insurance company is returning your calls.

We’ve handled hundreds of these cases in North Texas. We know the carriers that run these corridors, the defense playbook they deploy, and the two-year window that closes faster than most families realize. The carrier whose driver killed your loved one has had lawyers working since the night of the crash. The longer you wait, the more evidence they control—the electronic logging device (ELD) data, the dashcam footage, the maintenance records, the driver’s qualification file—and the more of it disappears. We send the preservation letter within 24 hours that locks it down. We pull the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Safety Measurement System (SMS) profile on the carrier and the Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) record on the driver before discovery even opens. We know what the Texas Pattern Jury Charges will ask in the Collin County or Denton County court where your case will be filed, and we build the case for those questions from the first investigator we send to the scene.

The Reality of a Fatal 18-Wheeler Crash on North Texas Roads

Renner sits at the crossroads of three major freight corridors that carry some of the highest commercial-vehicle traffic in Texas. Interstate 35, the NAFTA superhighway, moves cross-border freight from Laredo through San Antonio, Austin, and into the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, where it splits into I-35E and I-35W. The President George Bush Turnpike (SH 161) and the Sam Rayburn Tollway (SH 121) form a 52-mile loop around the northern and eastern edges of the metroplex, carrying everything from Amazon delivery vans to oilfield service trucks to refrigerated trailers bound for the region’s distribution hubs. State Highway 121 itself runs through Frisco, Plano, and McKinney, connecting the corporate campuses of Toyota, Frito-Lay, and JCPenney to the interstate network.

When a fully loaded tractor-trailer loses control on one of these corridors—whether from brake failure, driver fatigue, improper lane change, or a mechanical defect—the physics leave no time for the driver of a passenger vehicle to react. The Texas Department of Transportation’s Crash Records Information System (CRIS) recorded 46,257 crashes in Dallas County in 2024, 305 of them fatal. In Collin County, 15,348 crashes resulted in 67 fatalities. The fatality rate on rural stretches of I-35 north of Denton is 2.66 times higher than on urban interstates, per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). These aren’t statistics for Renner families. They’re the wreck that closed the highway last Tuesday, the ambulance your neighbor heard at 2 a.m., the flowers on the overpass at the intersection of SH 121 and Custer Road.

The carriers that run these corridors know the numbers. Werner Enterprises, J.B. Hunt, Schneider National, and the Amazon Delivery Service Partner (DSP) contractors that operate out of the DFW metroplex’s fulfillment centers all carry Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) scores that track their safety records across seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs). When we open a case in Renner, we pull those scores before we file the lawsuit. The pattern is usually visible before the deposition even begins.

What Texas Wrongful-Death and Survival Statutes Give Your Family

Texas law doesn’t just recognize one claim when a loved one is killed in a commercial-vehicle crash. It recognizes three separate statutory tracks, each with its own damages calculus and its own two-year clock under § 16.003.

1. Wrongful Death (Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 71.004): The surviving spouse, children, and parents of the decedent each hold an independent wrongful-death claim. This means your claim as a surviving spouse is not the same as your child’s claim, and neither is the same as your parent’s claim if your loved one was your child. Each claimant can recover for:

   • Pecuniary loss (the financial support the decedent would have provided)
   • Mental anguish (the emotional pain of losing a loved one)
   • Loss of companionship and society (the intangible benefits of the relationship)
   • Loss of inheritance (what the decedent would have saved and left to heirs)

2. Survival Action (§ 71.021): The estate of the decedent holds a separate claim for the pain and mental anguish the decedent endured between the moment of injury and death. This claim also covers medical expenses incurred before death and funeral expenses. It’s not about what the family lost—it’s about what the decedent suffered.

3. Loss of Consortium: While not a separate statutory claim, Texas common law recognizes loss of consortium for spouses, which compensates for the loss of love, affection, comfort, and sexual relations.

A fatal crash in Renner isn’t one case—it’s a coordinated set of claims that must be filed within two years of the injury, or they die procedurally. The carrier’s insurer knows this. They’re counting on grief to run the clock.

The Federal Regulations the Carrier Is Supposed to Follow

Every commercial motor carrier operating in Texas is subject to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) under 49 C.F.R. Parts 390 through 399. These aren’t just guidelines. They’re the legal standard that defines what a reasonably prudent motor carrier should do. When a carrier violates these regulations, it’s not just negligence—it’s negligence per se under Texas Pattern Jury Charge 27.2, which means the jury is instructed that the violation itself is evidence of negligence.

Here’s what the FMCSRs require—and what we investigate in every Renner case:

• Driver Qualification (49 C.F.R. Part 391): The carrier must verify that the driver has a valid commercial driver’s license (CDL), a current medical examiner’s certificate, and no disqualifying offenses (like DUI or leaving the scene of an accident). The carrier must also check the driver’s employment history for the past three years and conduct a road test or accept a certificate of equivalent training. We pull the driver’s qualification file in every case. If the carrier hired a driver with a suspended CDL or a history of preventable crashes, that’s negligent hiring under Texas law.

• Hours of Service (49 C.F.R. Part 395): Property-carrying commercial drivers are limited to 11 hours of driving within a 14-hour duty window, after 10 consecutive hours off duty. They’re also limited to 70 hours of driving in an 8-day period. The electronic logging device (ELD) mandated under 49 C.F.R. Part 395 Subpart B records every minute the truck is in motion. When the ELD log shows the driver was off duty but the dashcam shows them at highway speed, we have a falsified log. That’s not just a paperwork violation—it’s the gross-negligence predicate under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 41.

• Vehicle Maintenance and Inspection (49 C.F.R. Part 396): The carrier must systematically inspect, repair, and maintain all commercial motor vehicles under its control. Drivers must conduct pre-trip inspections and report defects. The carrier must keep records of inspections, repairs, and maintenance for at least one year. When a brake system fails or a tire blows out, we subpoena the maintenance records. If the carrier ignored a driver’s pre-trip inspection report, that’s negligent maintenance.

• Drug and Alcohol Testing (49 C.F.R. Part 382): The carrier must conduct pre-employment, random, post-accident, reasonable suspicion, return-to-duty, and follow-up drug and alcohol testing. The FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse tracks every positive test result. When the post-accident drug screen comes back positive, the case stops being ordinary negligence and becomes gross negligence under Chapter 41. Lupe Peña, our associate attorney, worked for years on the defense side hiring the same “independent” medical examiners the carriers use to downplay injuries. He knows the panel. We counter with the victim’s treating physicians and independent experts the carrier can’t impeach.

• Cargo Securement (49 C.F.R. Part 393 Subpart I): The carrier must ensure that cargo is properly distributed and secured to prevent shifting or loss during transit. Improperly secured cargo can cause rollovers, lost loads, and catastrophic crashes. When a flatbed hauling steel or pipe loses its load on I-35, we investigate whether the carrier followed the securement rules.

• Minimum Insurance Coverage (49 C.F.R. § 387.7): The carrier must maintain minimum liability insurance coverage of $750,000 for non-hazardous interstate freight, $1,000,000 for passenger-carrying vehicles with 16 or more seats, and $5,000,000 for Class A hazardous materials. Most carriers carry excess and umbrella policies that stack on top of the minimum. When a crash involves a tanker hauling fuel or chemicals, the $5,000,000 floor applies.

The Investigation We Begin Within 48 Hours

Evidence in commercial-vehicle cases has a half-life measured in days. Within 24 hours of taking your case, we send a preservation letter to the motor carrier, the broker, the shipper, and any third-party telematics provider. The letter identifies:

• The truck’s electronic control module (ECM)
• The electronic logging device (ELD) data under 49 C.F.R. Part 395 Subpart B
• The dashcam footage (driver-facing and forward-facing)
• The dispatch communications and routing records
• The Qualcomm or PeopleNet telematics feed
• The maintenance and inspection records under 49 C.F.R. Part 396
• The driver’s qualification file under 49 C.F.R. § 391.51
• The prior preventability determinations
• The post-accident drug and alcohol screens under 49 C.F.R. § 382.303
• Any Form MCS-90 endorsement on the policy

We put the carrier on notice that spoliation—the intentional or negligent destruction of evidence—will be argued, and an adverse inference charge will be sought if any of this disappears. By the time the defense files its answer, the record is locked.

Here’s what we do in the first 72 hours:

1. Pull the FMCSA Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) record on the driver. The PSP report shows the driver’s crash and inspection history for the past five years. If the driver has a pattern of hours-of-service violations or preventable crashes, that’s evidence of negligent hiring.

2. Pull the carrier’s Safety Measurement System (SMS) profile by USDOT number. The SMS scores the carrier across seven BASIC categories: Unsafe Driving, Hours-of-Service Compliance, Driver Fitness, Controlled Substances/Alcohol, Vehicle Maintenance, Hazardous Materials Compliance, and Crash Indicator. A high score in any category is a red flag. A carrier with a pattern of violations in the same category as your crash is a carrier with a documented safety problem.

3. Open the FMCSA SAFER profile. The SAFER profile shows the carrier’s operating authority, insurance coverage, and safety rating. If the carrier is “Unsatisfactory,” that’s a sign of systemic problems.

4. Identify all potentially liable parties. The driver is just one defendant. The motor carrier employer, the freight broker, the shipper, the maintenance contractor, the parts manufacturer, the road designer (if roadway design contributed), and the municipality (if municipal infrastructure contributed) may all share liability. We name every party whose conduct contributed to the crash.

The Defendants Beyond the Driver

Most plaintiffs’ attorneys stop at the driver. We don’t. The driver behind the wheel is rarely the most exposed defendant. The corporate actors who put that driver on the road—the motor carrier, the broker, the shipper, the parent corporation—carry the deeper liability. Here’s who we pursue in a typical Renner case:

• The Motor Carrier Employer: The carrier is liable under respondeat superior for the driver’s negligence committed within the course and scope of employment. But we don’t stop there. We also pursue the carrier for direct negligence—negligent hiring, negligent training, negligent supervision, and negligent retention. If the carrier hired a driver with a history of preventable crashes, that’s negligent hiring. If the carrier ignored a pattern of hours-of-service violations, that’s negligent retention. If the carrier dispatched the driver with a known mechanical defect, that’s negligent supervision. These claims survive even if the driver was an independent contractor.

• The Freight Broker: Brokers like C.H. Robinson, Total Quality Logistics, and Uber Freight arrange loads between shippers and carriers. Under cases like Miller v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. (9th Cir. 2020), brokers have a duty to vet the carriers they dispatch. If the broker arranged a load with a carrier that had a documented safety record, the broker shares liability for negligent selection.

• The Shipper: If the shipper directed unsafe loading, scheduling, or routing, they may share liability. For example, if the shipper loaded a tanker improperly under 49 C.F.R. Part 177, causing the cargo to shift and the truck to overturn, the shipper is liable.

• The Maintenance Contractor: If the carrier outsourced maintenance to a third party, and that contractor failed to inspect or repair the truck properly, the maintenance contractor is liable.

• The Parts Manufacturer: If a defective part—like a brake system, tire, or steering component—caused the crash, the manufacturer is liable under product liability law.

• The Road Designer or Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT): If roadway design—like a missing guardrail, a poorly designed intersection, or inadequate signage—contributed to the crash, TxDOT or the municipality may share liability under the Texas Tort Claims Act. This requires pre-suit notice under § 101.101 within six months of the incident.

• The Municipality: If municipal infrastructure—like a malfunctioning traffic signal or a poorly maintained road—contributed to the crash, the municipality may share liability. Again, pre-suit notice under § 101.101 is required.

• The Parent Corporation: If the carrier is a subsidiary of a larger corporation, and the parent exercised control over the subsidiary’s operations, the parent may be liable under alter-ego or single-business-enterprise theory.

• The Cargo Loaders: If the cargo was loaded improperly, causing the crash, the loading crew at the terminal of origin may share liability.

In a Renner case, we don’t just sue the driver. We sue the trucking company, the broker, the shipper, the maintenance contractor, the parts manufacturer, the road designer, and any other party whose conduct contributed to the crash. The carrier counts on plaintiffs’ counsel who stop at the driver. We start at the corporate parent and work down.

How Texas Pattern Jury Charges Submit Damages to a Jury

A jury in Collin County or Denton County doesn’t decide your case in the abstract. They decide the specific questions submitted under the Texas Pattern Jury Charges (PJC). Here’s what the jury will be asked to determine—and how we build the case to answer those questions:

• PJC 27.1 (General Negligence): Was the defendant negligent, and was that negligence a proximate cause of the occurrence in question? We prove this through the FMCSR violations, the driver’s conduct, and the physical evidence from the scene.

• PJC 27.2 (Negligence Per Se): Did the defendant violate a statute or regulation, and was that violation a proximate cause of the occurrence? We prove this through the FMCSR violations—hours-of-service, driver qualification, vehicle maintenance, cargo securement, or drug and alcohol testing.

• PJC 5.1 (Gross Negligence): Did the defendant act with malice or conscious indifference to the rights, safety, or welfare of others? We prove this through the carrier’s pattern of ignoring safety violations, falsifying logs, or dispatching drivers with known mechanical defects. Gross negligence is the predicate for exemplary damages under Chapter 41.

• PJC 4.1 (Proximate Cause): Was the defendant’s negligence a substantial factor in bringing about the harm, and without which the harm would not have occurred? The Texas Supreme Court’s decision in Werner Enterprises Inc. v. Blake (2024) reshaped proximate cause analysis in catastrophic trucking cases. We build the record carefully to satisfy the heightened framework.

The damages categories under Texas law include:

• Past and Future Medical Care: Everything from the ambulance bill to the trauma-bay resuscitation, the surgical interventions, the inpatient stay, the rehabilitation, and the lifetime cost of future care.

• Past and Future Lost Earnings and Lost Earning Capacity: Not just the paychecks already missed, but the entire career trajectory the survivor lost. For a young victim, this can run into the millions.

• Past and Future Physical Pain: The pain the victim endured from the moment of injury until the present (or until death).

• Past and Future Mental Anguish: The emotional suffering the victim endured.

• Past and Future Physical Impairment: The loss of enjoyment of life, the inability to perform daily activities, and the loss of independence.

• Past and Future Disfigurement: Scarring, burns, amputations, and other permanent changes to appearance.

• Loss of Consortium: For the spouse, the loss of love, affection, comfort, and sexual relations.

• Loss of Companionship and Society: For parents and children, the intangible benefits of the relationship.

• Pecuniary Loss (Wrongful Death): The financial support the decedent would have provided to the surviving family members.

• Mental Anguish (Wrongful Death): The emotional pain of losing a loved one.

• Loss of Inheritance: What the decedent would have saved and left to heirs.

• Exemplary Damages: Where gross negligence is established by clear and convincing evidence, the jury can award exemplary damages to punish the defendant and deter future misconduct. The cap on exemplary damages under § 41.008 does not apply when the underlying act is a felony, such as intoxication manslaughter.

The Defense Playbook in Renner Trucking Cases—and Our Answer

The carrier’s defense lawyer has a script. We’ve read it before we walk into the courtroom. Here’s what they’ll argue—and how we counter it:

1. “The driver did nothing wrong.”

   • Their argument: The driver was professional, the crash was unavoidable, and the victim was partly at fault.
   • Our answer: The hours-of-service log shows what the ELD recorded, not what the driver actually did. The ELD audit, cross-referenced against the dispatch records and the fuel receipts, frequently shows that the truck moved during a period when the log claimed off-duty status. That’s not a “discrepancy.” That’s a federally regulated falsification under 49 C.F.R. § 395.8(e), and under Texas common law, it’s the gross-negligence predicate.

2. “The victim was partially at fault.”

   • Their argument: The victim was speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, or changed lanes unsafely.
   • Our answer: Texas follows modified comparative negligence under § 33.001. Even if the victim was 50% at fault, they still recover. We anticipate this attack and develop evidence that pushes fault back where it belongs. Lupe Peña made these arguments for years when he worked for insurance defense firms. Now he defeats them.

3. “The injuries aren’t as serious as the victim claims.”

   • Their argument: The victim didn’t see a doctor for three weeks, so they must not be seriously hurt.
   • Our answer: Adrenaline masks pain. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) symptoms can take days or weeks to appear. Delayed treatment doesn’t mean no injury—and we have the medical evidence to prove it. Lupe knows the “independent” medical examiners the carriers hire. We counter with the victim’s treating physicians and independent experts the carrier can’t impeach.

4. “The crash was caused by road conditions, not driver error.”

   • Their argument: The road was wet, the victim lost control, or the crash was unavoidable.
   • Our answer: Proper braking technique (threshold braking, not lock-up) prevents jackknifes even on wet roads. FMCSA-required training covers this. If the driver jackknifed, they were either untrained or off-protocol—either way, the carrier is liable.

5. “The carrier isn’t responsible because the driver was an independent contractor.”

   • Their argument: The driver was an independent contractor, not an employee, so the carrier isn’t liable.
   • Our answer: The three Independent Contractor Defeat Tests in the Texas Legal Framework apply:
     • ABC Test: The worker is presumed an employee unless all three prongs prove true: (A) free from company control, (B) performs work outside the company’s usual course of business, (C) customarily engaged in an independently established business. Amazon DSP drivers, FedEx Ground contractors, and oilfield trucking contractors almost always fail prong (B)—delivering packages is Amazon’s business; hauling frac sand is the oilfield company’s business.
     • Economic Reality Test: Examines the degree of company control, the worker’s opportunity for profit or loss, the investment in equipment relative to the company, whether the work requires special skill, the permanency of the relationship, and whether the service is integral to the company’s business.
     • Right-to-Control Test: Does the company retain the right to control how the work is done? Setting routes, schedules, delivery quotas, requiring uniforms, providing equipment, mandating training, monitoring performance through cameras and apps, and the authority to terminate—these are all hallmarks of an employment relationship.

6. “The carrier’s safety record is irrelevant because this was an isolated incident.”

   • Their argument: The carrier’s prior violations don’t matter because this crash was an isolated event.
   • Our answer: The Safety Measurement System (SMS) profile shows the carrier’s pattern of violations. If the carrier has a history of hours-of-service violations, and the driver in your case also violated hours-of-service rules, that’s not an isolated incident. That’s a pattern. We use it to prove negligent retention.

7. “The victim’s pre-existing conditions caused the injuries.”

   • Their argument: The victim had back problems before the crash, so the crash didn’t cause the injuries.
   • Our answer: The eggshell skull doctrine: the defendant takes the plaintiff as they find them. If a pre-existing condition was worsened by the crash, the defendant is liable for the aggravation.

8. “The evidence was destroyed, so we’ll never know what happened.”

   • Their argument: The ELD data, dashcam footage, or maintenance records are gone, so the case can’t be proven.
   • Our answer: We sent the preservation letter within 24 hours. If the carrier destroyed evidence after receiving notice, we argue spoliation and seek an adverse inference charge. The jury is instructed to assume the missing evidence would have been unfavorable to the carrier.

The Two-Year Clock Under § 16.003

Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003 gives you exactly two years from the date of the fatal injury to file a wrongful-death action. That clock runs whether or not the carrier’s insurer is returning your calls. Once it runs, the case dies procedurally, and the carrier walks away from a viable claim because the file was never opened.

Here’s what the two-year clock means for your family:

• The clock starts on the date of the injury, not the date of death. If your loved one was injured on January 1, 2025, and died on January 15, 2025, the clock started on January 1.
• The clock runs on each claim independently. The wrongful-death claim under § 71.001 and the survival action under § 71.021 each have their own two-year clock. If your loved one was injured on January 1, 2025, and died on January 15, 2025, the wrongful-death clock starts on January 15, and the survival action clock starts on January 1.
• The clock runs even if the carrier is negotiating. The carrier’s insurer may string you along with lowball offers, hoping the clock will run. We file the lawsuit before the clock expires to force discovery and preserve your rights.
• The clock runs even if you don’t know your rights. Ignorance of the law is not an excuse. The statute doesn’t care if you didn’t know about the two-year window.
• The clock runs even if you’re grieving. The statute doesn’t pause for funerals, autopsies, or emotional recovery.

We’ve seen families lose viable claims because they waited too long. We never let that happen to our clients.

How Attorney 911 Approaches Your Renner Case

We don’t handle trucking cases like other firms. Most personal injury attorneys have never read 49 C.F.R. Parts 390 through 399. They don’t know how to pull an ELD audit, they don’t understand the Safety Measurement System, and they don’t know how to defeat the independent contractor defense. We do. Here’s how we approach your Renner case:

1. We Preserve the Evidence Before It Disappears

Within 24 hours of taking your case, we send a preservation letter to the motor carrier, the broker, the shipper, and any third-party telematics provider. The letter identifies:

• The truck’s electronic control module (ECM)
• The electronic logging device (ELD) data
• The dashcam footage
• The dispatch communications and routing records
• The Qualcomm or PeopleNet telematics feed
• The maintenance and inspection records
• The driver’s qualification file
• The prior preventability determinations
• The post-accident drug and alcohol screens
• Any Form MCS-90 endorsement on the policy

We put the carrier on notice that spoliation will be argued—and an adverse inference charge sought—if any of this disappears.

2. We Pull the Carrier’s Safety Record Before Discovery Opens

Before we file the lawsuit, we pull:

• The FMCSA Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) record on the driver
• The carrier’s Safety Measurement System (SMS) profile by USDOT number
• The carrier’s SAFER profile
• The carrier’s inspection history from the FMCSA’s Inspection Selection System (ISS)
• The driver’s motor vehicle record (MVR)

This gives us a complete picture of the carrier’s safety record before the defense files its answer.

3. We Name Every Potentially Liable Party

We don’t stop at the driver. We pursue:

• The motor carrier employer
• The freight broker
• The shipper
• The maintenance contractor
• The parts manufacturer
• The road designer (TxDOT or the municipality)
• The parent corporation (under alter-ego or single-business-enterprise theory)
• The cargo loaders

We name every party whose conduct contributed to the crash.

4. We Build the Case for Trial from Day One

We prepare every case as if it’s going to trial. That means:

• Hiring an accident reconstruction expert to analyze the crash
• Hiring a medical expert to establish causation and future-care needs
• Hiring a vocational expert to calculate lost earning capacity
• Hiring an economic expert to determine the present value of all damages
• Hiring a life-care planner to develop a detailed care plan for catastrophic injuries
• Deposing the truck driver, the dispatcher, the safety manager, and the maintenance personnel
• Filing motions to compel when the carrier withholds evidence

We build the case so the carrier knows we’re ready for trial. That creates negotiating strength.

5. We Anticipate the Defense Playbook and Rebut It

We know the defense playbook because Lupe Peña used it for years when he worked for insurance defense firms. We anticipate every argument the carrier will make and develop evidence to rebut it.

6. We File in the County the Carrier Wishes You Wouldn’t File In

Collin County and Denton County juries are known for their fairness. We file in the county where the crash occurred—and where the carrier’s insurer knows the jury pool is most likely to hold them accountable.

7. We Keep You Updated Every Step of the Way

We don’t disappear after we file the lawsuit. We keep you updated on every development in your case. You’ll never wonder what’s happening or when you’ll hear from us next.

What Your Renner Case Is Worth

Every case is unique, but here’s what we know from handling hundreds of commercial-vehicle cases in Texas:

• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Multi-million dollar settlements for clients who suffered brain injuries with vision loss when logs dropped on them at logging companies.
• Amputation: In a recent case, our client’s leg was injured in a car accident. Staff infections during treatment led to a partial amputation. This case settled in the millions.
• Wrongful Death: At Attorney 911, our personal injury attorneys have helped numerous injured individuals and families facing trucking-related wrongful death cases recover millions of dollars in compensation.
• Spinal Cord Injury: In a recent case, our client injured his back while lifting cargo on a ship. Our investigation revealed that he should have been assisted in this duty, and we were able to reach a significant cash settlement.
• Burn Injuries: Our firm is one of the few firms in Texas to be involved in BP Texas City Refinery explosion litigation, which involved severe burn injuries and wrongful deaths.

The value of your case depends on:

• The severity of the injuries
• The carrier’s safety record
• The driver’s conduct
• The strength of the evidence
• The venue where the case is filed
• The damages categories under Texas law

We don’t estimate your case until we’ve pulled the evidence, reviewed the medical records, and consulted with our experts. But we can tell you this: the carrier’s insurer is calculating you as a settlement risk. We’re calculating the carrier as a defendant.

Why Choose Attorney 911 for Your Renner Trucking Case

We’re not like other personal injury firms. Here’s what sets us apart:

1. Ralph Manginello’s 27+ Years of Experience

Ralph Manginello has been representing injury victims in Texas since 1998. He’s admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas and has federal court experience that most plaintiffs’ attorneys lack. He grew up in Houston’s Memorial area, went to UT Austin, and has spent his career fighting for families in communities like Renner. When your case is filed in Collin County or Denton County, Ralph’s 27+ years and federal court admission mean he’s standing in a courtroom he knows—not one he’s visiting.

2. Lupe Peña’s Insurance Defense Advantage

Lupe Peña worked for years at a national defense firm, learning firsthand how large insurance companies value claims. He calculated claim valuations himself, hired independent medical examiners, and deployed the defense playbook from the inside. Now he fights for you. Here’s what Lupe says about insurance company tactics:

“I’ve reviewed hundreds of surveillance videos and social media posts as a defense attorney. Here’s the truth: insurance companies take innocent activity out of context. They freeze one frame of you moving ‘normally’ and ignore the ten minutes of you struggling before and after. They’re not documenting your life—they’re building ammunition against you.”

Lupe’s defense experience is now your advantage.

3. Our Multi-Million Dollar Case Results

We’ve recovered over $50 million for our clients across all practice areas. Here’s what some of our clients say:

• Brian Butchee: “Melanie was excellent. She kept me informed and when she said she would call me back, she did. I got to speak with Ralph Manginello once and knew quickly the way his Firm was ran.”
• Stephanie Hernandez: “When I felt I had no hope or direction, Leonor reached out to me…She took all the weight of my worries off my shoulders.”
• Chelsea Martinez: “Special thank you to my attorney, Mr. Pena, for your kindness and patience with my repeated questions.”
• Dame Haskett: “Consistent communication and not one time did i call and not get a clear answer…Ralph reached out personally.”
• Donald Wilcox: “One company said they would not except my case. Then I got a call from Manginello…I got a call to come pick up this handsome check.”
• Tymesha Galloway: “Leonor is the best!!! She was able to assist me with my case within 6 months.”
• Greg Garcia: “In the beginning I had another attorney but he dropped my case although Mangiello law firm were able to help me out.”
• Jacqueline Johnson: “One of Houston’s Great Men Trae Tha Truth has recommended this law firm. So if he is vouching for them then I know they do good work.”

4. Our 4.9-Star Google Rating from 251+ Reviews

We’re proud of our 4.9-star rating from over 251 Google reviews. Here’s what some of our clients say about working with us:

• Dean Jones: “Best lawyers in the city…fast return..and they really care about their clients.”
• Monty Cazier: “Very professional and got good results.”
• Bill Spragg: “Mr. Manginello got us a nice result in my wife’s injury.”
• Ernest Cano: “Mr. Maginello and his firm are first class. Will fight tooth and nail for you.”
• Glenda Walker: “They make you feel like family and even though the process may take some time, they make it feel like a breeze. They fought for me to get every dime I deserved.”

5. Our Three Office Locations

We have offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont to serve clients across Texas. Our primary Houston office is at 1177 West Loop S, Suite 1600, Houston, TX 77027.

6. Our Contingency Fee Structure

We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing upfront. Our fee is 33.33% of the recovery if the case settles before trial, and 40% if it goes to trial. You may still be responsible for court costs and case expenses, but we only get paid if we recover compensation for you.

7. Our 24/7 Live Staff

When you call 1-888-ATTY-911, you’ll speak to a live staff member—not an answering service. We’re here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

8. Hablamos Español

Lupe Peña is fluent in Spanish, and we have bilingual staff members who can assist you in Spanish. No interpreters are needed.

What to Do Next

If you’ve lost a loved one in a fatal 18-wheeler or tractor-trailer crash in Renner, here’s what you need to do:

1. Call 1-888-ATTY-911 for a free case evaluation. In 15 minutes, we’ll tell you exactly what your case may be worth—and there’s no obligation.
2. Don’t speak to the insurance adjuster without your attorney present. The adjuster’s job is to close your file for the lowest possible amount. They’re not on your side.
3. Don’t sign anything without talking to us first. The carrier may try to get you to sign a release before you know the full extent of your damages. We’ll review any offers and advise you on the best course of action.
4. Let us handle the legal work. We’ll preserve the evidence, pull the carrier’s safety record, name all potentially liable parties, and build the case for trial. You focus on your family.

The two-year clock is running. Every day you wait, the carrier controls more of the evidence. Call us today at 1-888-ATTY-911 or fill out our contact form at https://attorney911.com/contact/. We’re here to help.

Para las familias hispanohablantes de Renner:

Sabemos que enfrentar el sistema legal después de un accidente catastrófico con un camión de carga puede ser abrumador, especialmente cuando la compañía transportista y su aseguradora se comunican en inglés y con un equipo de abogados que conoce cada táctica de demora. Nuestro despacho atiende a las familias en español, desde la primera llamada hasta la última audiencia en el tribunal del condado donde se presente el caso. El Código de Práctica Civil y Remedios de Texas, Sección 16.003, otorga dos años desde la fecha de la lesión fatal para presentar una demanda por homicidio culposo—el reloj no se detiene mientras la familia está de luto.

Llame al 1-888-ATTY-911 hoy mismo para una evaluación gratuita de su caso. Hablamos su idioma.