If a commercial truck hit you in Kaufman, our truck accident lawyers move fast to protect evidence and pursue the compensation Texas law allows. You may be dealing with painful injuries, missed paychecks, and calls from an insurer that wants a quick recorded statement. Meanwhile, the trucking company may already be building its defense.
A Kaufman truck accident lawyer at Garcia, Garcia & Mullen Criminal Defense & Injury Lawyers can push back against that head start. Our team pulls driver logs, reviews your medical records with a clinician's eye, and confronts the carrier when it tries to shift blame onto you. Call (214) 214-1000 to schedule a free case evaluation and learn where your claim stands.
Truck cases turn on two kinds of evidence: What the driver and carrier did, and what the crash did to your body. Our firm brings firsthand knowledge of both.
Attorney Jim Mullen is a registered nurse who worked in critical care trauma before he practiced law. He also holds a Class A commercial driver's license (CDL), so he understands electronic logs, inspection reports, and dispatch records like a trained driver.
That combination matters when an insurer argues your injuries came from something other than the crash. We use that clinical knowledge to connect each diagnosis to the forces of the collision and to document how your injuries may affect your work and daily life. Our team also works with an emergency medicine physician consultant who can help us interpret complex medical findings.
When you hire us, you can expect the following:
Commercial truck crashes happen often on Kaufman County roads. According to the 2025 crash statistics from the Texas Department of Transportation, the county recorded 223 crashes involving a commercial motor vehicle in 2025. That count reflects crash reports processed as of April 7, 2026.
Those crashes included three fatal crashes that killed seven people. Another 13 crashes produced 18 suspected serious injuries, the kind that often mean surgery, long hospital stays, or lasting limitations. The toll rose from the prior year, when the 2024 TxDOT county report listed 207 commercial vehicle crashes and one death.
Interstate 20 and U.S. Highway 175 both run through the county. As a result, many local drivers share the road with heavy trucks every day.
Interstate trucking companies must follow the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. When a carrier or driver breaks those rules, the violation can support your negligence claim.
Under 49 CFR 395.3, a property-carrying driver may drive up to 11 hours within a 14-hour window that begins after 10 consecutive hours off duty. The rule also bars driving after 8 cumulative hours behind the wheel without a 30-minute break. Weekly limits stop a driver after 60 on-duty hours in 7 days, or 70 hours in 8 days, depending on the carrier's schedule.
Fatigue rarely shows up in a police report. Our team compares electronic logs with fuel receipts, GPS data, and delivery records to spot hours that don't add up.
Under 49 CFR 395.8(k)(1), carriers must keep drivers' records of duty status and supporting documents for at least 6 months from the date the carrier receives them. After that window closes, the regulation no longer requires the carrier to keep them.
Those records can show whether a driver was over hours when your crash happened. A truck's onboard systems and cameras may also record speed, braking, and video, so our demands cover that data too. We send preservation demands early to help keep that evidence available while your claim moves forward.
A truck crash often involves more than one responsible party. Depending on the facts, liability may extend to the following:
Every one of those claims still requires proof of causation. In Werner Enterprises, Inc. v. Blake, decided June 27, 2025, the Supreme Court of Texas held that a truck driver's conduct was not a substantial factor in a crash where another vehicle lost control and crossed the median. Because the claims against the trucking company depended on the driver's responsibility, they also failed.
That decision makes early crash reconstruction and vehicle data downloads critical. We build 18-wheeler accident claims on proof that the truck's operation caused the collision, not just that a big rig was involved. When a carrier blames another motorist or a road hazard, we answer with evidence showing what its driver did and when.
Yes, in many cases. Under Section 33.001 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, an injured person cannot recover damages if their percentage of responsibility is greater than 50%. Section 33.012 then reduces any recovery by a percentage equal to the injured person's share of responsibility.
For example, if your total damages are $100,000 and a jury assigns you 20% of the responsibility, your recovery would drop to $80,000. At 51%, you would recover nothing.
That is why trucking insurers may try to inflate your share of fault. We answer those arguments with dashcam footage, event data, and witness statements.
Section 16.003 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code generally requires a personal injury lawsuit to be filed no later than 2 years after the day the cause of action accrues. If you miss that deadline, you may lose the ability to pursue compensation in court.
The 2-year filing deadline and the 6-month log retention rule run on separate clocks. Key trucking records can disappear long before the lawsuit deadline arrives, which is why the first weeks after a crash matter so much.
Kaufman County's district courts include the 86th, 422nd, and 489th. The Kaufman County Justice Center on U.S. Highway 175 serves as the county's main courthouse.
It depends on the cargo and the type of operation. Under 49 CFR 387.9, for-hire carriers hauling nonhazardous property across state lines in vehicles rated at 10,001 pounds or more must carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage. Certain hazardous materials require $1 million or $5 million.
Depending on your injuries, you may pursue economic damages such as medical expenses, lost wages, and future medical costs. Non-economic damages can address pain and suffering, mental anguish, and physical impairment.v
Certain family members may be able to bring a wrongful death claim against the parties responsible. Under Section 16.003, a lawsuit for injury resulting in death generally must be filed within 2 years, and that period starts on the date of death.
Talk with a lawyer before you give the trucking company's insurer a recorded statement. Adjusters may use your words to downplay your injuries or assign you a larger share of fault. Once we represent you, we can handle those communications for you.
We handle truck accident cases on a contingency fee basis. That means you pay no attorney's fees upfront, and we take a percentage of any recovery under the terms of your signed agreement. Before you commit, we explain the percentage and how case costs are handled.
Yes. Our firm has a personal injury office at 307 N Washington St, Suite 212B, in Kaufman, and meetings there are by appointment only. Call ahead to schedule a time.
The trucking company's records will not wait for you to heal, and your claim should not wait either. Every day without action gives the carrier more time to shape its version of events. Garcia, Garcia & Mullen Criminal Defense & Injury Lawyers can start protecting evidence, handling the insurers, and building your case while you focus on recovery.
Call (214) 214-1000 or schedule a free case evaluation online to speak with a Kaufman truck accident lawyer about your options. We serve injured people throughout Kaufman County, including Kaufman, Forney, Terrell, and Crandall.
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Phone: (214) 214 1000
Phone: (214) 214 1000
