Why 18-Wheeler Accident Recoveries Are Often Larger
18-wheeler accidents produce severe injuries because of the mass disparity between a 40-ton commercial vehicle and a passenger car. Federal law requires interstate carriers to carry a minimum of $750,000 in liability coverage, and most large trucking companies carry $1 million or more. Combined with the ability to pursue multiple defendants each carrying their own insurance, serious 18-wheeler accident cases in San Antonio and Bexar County can produce significantly larger recoveries than standard car accident claims.
Economic Damages
All quantifiable financial losses caused by the crash are recoverable as economic damages:
- Emergency room, trauma center, and hospital expenses
- Surgical and specialist costs
- Physical and occupational rehabilitation
- Future medical expenses projected by treating physicians and life care planners
- Lost wages for all time missed during recovery
- Loss of future earning capacity if permanent impairment affects work ability
- Home and vehicle modification costs for disability accommodation
- Caregiver and home health expenses
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages represent the human cost of the injury. Texas law allows recovery for: physical pain and suffering (past and future), mental anguish, physical impairment, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life. In catastrophic injury cases — spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injury, amputation, severe burns — non-economic damages can be the largest component of the total recovery, often exceeding economic damages.
Punitive Damages
When a carrier or driver acted with gross negligence — knowingly dispatching a fatigued driver in violation of hours of service rules, ignoring known brake defects, or operating under the influence — Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code §41.003 allows exemplary (punitive) damages. These are not capped the same way medical malpractice non-economic damages are capped in Texas. Wayne Wright evaluates punitive damage exposure in every truck accident case involving carrier misconduct.
Wrongful Death Compensation
When an 18-wheeler accident results in a fatality, surviving spouse, children, and parents may recover damages for loss of companionship and society, mental anguish of bereavement, and pecuniary losses including the financial support and services the decedent would have provided. The decedent's estate may separately pursue the survival action for the decedent's own pain, suffering, and medical expenses before death.
How Wayne Wright Maximizes Truck Accident Recovery
We identify all defendants and all insurance policies before settlement discussions begin. We retain life care planners and vocational economists to fully document future damages. We prepare every case for trial in Bexar County District Court — because that preparation is what produces maximum settlement value from carriers who know we will not back down. Call 210-888-0078 for a free consultation today.
Wayne Wright pursues every defendant and every insurance policy. No fee unless we win.
Call 210-888-0078 — Free Consultation