Pasadena, TX Truck Accident Lawyer
If you’ve been hit by a commercial truck in Pasadena, you’re likely facing severe injuries, growing medical debt, and pressure from insurance adjusters who want to settle fast and cheaply. These are not simple fender-benders. Truck wrecks cause devastating harm, and the legal claims that follow are far more complicated than a standard car accident case. Pasadena’s proximity to the Houston Ship Channel, petrochemical refineries, and major freight corridors means heavy truck traffic is part of daily life here.
Our Pasadena, TX truck accident lawyer at Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers fights for people. We handle these cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you owe us nothing unless we recover money for you. If you or someone in your family was hurt in a trucking collision, reach out for a free consultation.
Why Choose Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers for Pasadena, TX Truck Accident Cases?
A Record of Results in Truck Crash Litigation
Our personal injury lawyers in Pasadena TX have recovered hundreds of millions in compensation for our clients in personal injury and wrongful death cases across Texas. In truck accident cases specifically, our results include a $35 million settlement for the family of a young woman killed by a Ben E. Keith 18-wheeler in Fort Worth and a $37.5 million verdict in Dallas County for the family of a truck driver killed by an Oncor electric delivery truck. We’ve also secured $9.75 million, $5.5 million, and $4 million in additional trucking collision cases. Those results came from thorough preparation, aggressive litigation, and a willingness to take cases to trial when the other side won’t offer what’s fair.
Trial Lawyers Who Know Both Sides
Founding Attorney Matt Greenberg has spent 12 years handling high-stakes personal injury litigation across Texas, including truck accident cases that have resulted in record-setting verdicts and settlements. Matt is licensed to practice in Texas, Louisiana, and Arizona. He earned his J.D. from Baylor Law School after graduating magna cum laude from Abilene Christian University. Matt has been recognized by Super Lawyers, Lawdragon, and the National Trial Lawyers, and his work has been covered by ABC, FOX, CBS, Law.com, and the Texas Lawbook.
Founding Attorney Mike Streich brings 13 years of experience to truck accident cases and a perspective most plaintiff’s lawyers don’t have. Before representing injured people, Mike spent nearly a decade on the defense side, representing corporations and major insurance syndicates, including Lloyd’s of London members, in catastrophic injury and death cases involving commercial motor vehicles, oilfield incidents, and pipeline accidents. He knows how trucking companies and their insurers investigate claims, assign value, and try to minimize payouts. Mike graduated cum laude from the UH Law Center and has been named a Texas Rising Star by Super Lawyers multiple years, including 2023, 2024, and 2025. He is also an active member of the Houston Trial Lawyers Association.
What Our Clients Say
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“I can’t say enough about how incredible Matt and Mike were throughout my entire case. From day one, they were professional, attentive, and truly invested in fighting for me. They didn’t just show up-they showed out. Their knowledge, confidence, and strategy were clear every step of the way, and because of their hard work, we won.” – Kristy Sims
Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.
Types of Pasadena Truck Accident Cases We Handle
Pasadena sits in one of the most industrialized corridors in Texas. With refineries, chemical plants, and the Houston Ship Channel nearby, heavy commercial trucks are constantly moving through the area on Highway 225, Spencer Highway, and Beltway 8.
We represent people injured in all types of trucking collisions, including:
18-wheeler accidents: Fully loaded tractor-trailers can weigh 80,000 pounds. Collisions at those weights cause severe and often fatal injuries. We investigate driver logs, carrier records, and maintenance histories to identify every liable party.
Jackknife accidents: When a truck’s trailer swings outward and folds against the cab, it can sweep across multiple lanes of traffic. Jackknife crashes are often caused by hard braking, wet roads, or improper load distribution, and they frequently involve several vehicles at once.
Rear-end collisions: A commercial truck traveling at highway speed needs significantly more distance to stop than a passenger car. When a truck driver is fatigued, distracted, or following too closely, rear-end impacts at full speed cause crushing damage to the vehicle ahead.
Rollover accidents: Trucks with a high center of gravity are prone to rollovers, particularly on curved highway ramps and during lane changes at speed. A rolled tractor-trailer can block entire roadways and strike multiple vehicles in the process.
Underride collisions: One of the most dangerous types of truck crashes occurs when a smaller vehicle slides beneath the trailer of a truck, often shearing off the roof of the passenger vehicle. These collisions carry an extremely high fatality rate.
Fatal truck collisions: When a trucking crash takes a life, the surviving family faces grief compounded by financial devastation. We pursue wrongful death claims to hold negligent carriers, drivers, and third parties accountable.
Delivery and commercial vehicle wrecks: Not every truck accident involves an 18-wheeler. Box trucks, delivery vans, and other commercial vehicles cause serious injuries, especially in congested areas around Pasadena, TX. Some of these crashes overlap with claims we handle as car accident cases when a passenger vehicle is involved.
Truck accidents can also involve motorcyclists and bus passengers who share the road with commercial rigs in Pasadena, and our attorneys can assist you with these claims as well.
Texas Legal Requirements for Truck Accident Cases
Two state laws come up in virtually every truck accident claim filed in Texas.
First, the statute of limitations under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003 gives you two years from the date of your injury to file a lawsuit. Miss that deadline and the court will almost certainly dismiss your case. It doesn’t matter how strong your evidence is.
Second, Texas follows a modified comparative fault rule under Chapter 33 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code. Under Section 33.001, you cannot recover damages if you are more than 50 percent at fault for the accident. If you’re found to be 30 percent responsible, your recovery gets reduced by 30 percent. Trucking companies and their insurers use this rule aggressively. They will look for any reason to shift blame onto you, so it’s critical to have an attorney who can challenge those arguments with evidence.
On the federal side, the FMCSA hours-of-service rules under 49 CFR Part 395 limit commercial truck drivers to 11 hours of driving within a 14-hour window after 10 consecutive hours off duty. Violations of these federal regulations are often central to proving liability in a Pasadena truck accident case.
What Damages Are Recoverable in a Pasadena Truck Accident?
Texas law divides recoverable damages into three categories.
Economic damages cover financial losses that can be calculated in dollar amounts: medical bills, future medical treatment, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, loss of future earning capacity, and property damage. Surgeries, long-term physical therapy, and permanent disability claims push these figures into significant territory.
Non-economic damages address the harm that doesn’t come with a receipt. Pain and suffering, mental anguish, disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium for spouses all fall into this category. These damages are often substantial in truck crash cases because the injuries tend to be severe. Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, amputations, and internal organ injuries are far more common in collisions involving commercial trucks than in standard vehicle accidents.
Punitive damages are available in Texas when the defendant’s conduct rises to the level of gross negligence, fraud, or malice. Under Chapter 41 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code, the claimant must prove these elements by clear and convincing evidence. In trucking cases, this sometimes applies when a carrier knowingly allowed a fatigued or unqualified driver behind the wheel, ignored maintenance records, or falsified hours-of-service logs. Punitive damages are meant to punish the wrongdoer and send a message to the industry.
What Steps Should I Take After a Truck Accident?
The actions you take right after a Pasadena truck crash can make or break your case. Here are 10 steps to protect yourself:
- Check for injuries and move to safety if you can do so without making an injury worse.
- Call 911 immediately. A police report creates an official record of the accident, and you may need emergency medical treatment.
- Document the scene with photos and video. Capture the truck, license plates, road conditions, traffic signs, skid marks, debris, and your vehicle damage.
- Get the truck driver’s information, including their name, commercial driver’s license number, insurance details, and the name of the trucking company.
- Collect contact information from any witnesses who saw the collision.
- Seek medical attention, even if you feel OK. Some injuries, including concussions and internal bleeding, don’t show symptoms right away.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the trucking company’s insurer. Adjusters are trained to get you to say things that can be used to reduce or deny your claim.
- Avoid posting anything about the accident on social media. Insurance companies monitor your accounts.
- Keep records of all medical visits, prescriptions, expenses, and time missed from work.
- Contact a Pasadena truck accident attorney as soon as possible. Evidence in truck wreck cases can disappear fast. Electronic logging data, dashcam footage, and driver complaint records need to be preserved through a spoliation letter before the trucking company has a chance to destroy them. The hours and days after a collision are critical, and the steps after an accident can directly affect the strength of your claim.
Pasadena Truck Accident Statistics
According to TxDOT crash data, Pasadena recorded 6,904 total traffic accidents between January 2023 and September 2024, with 16 of those crashes resulting in fatalities. Harris County, where Pasadena is located, consistently ranks among the deadliest counties in Texas for traffic collisions.
On the national level, NHTSA’s 2023 data reported that 5,472 people died in crashes involving large trucks across the United States. That’s roughly 15 fatalities per day. Of those killed, approximately 82 percent were not occupants of the truck. They were people in passenger vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists.
Texas leads the nation in large truck crash fatalities. In 2023, 730 people were killed in truck-related collisions statewide, according to NHTSA overview data. The state also recorded over 35,800 commercial truck crashes during that period, which works out to roughly 98 trucking collisions every single day. Major freight corridors like I-10, I-45, and Highway 225 near Pasadena contribute heavily to those numbers. Federal data from the FMCSA also shows that driver fatigue remains one of the top contributing factors in commercial vehicle crashes. Hours-of-service violations, falsified logs, and unrealistic delivery schedules from carriers push drivers past safe limits.
Large trucks make up roughly 5 percent of vehicles on the road but account for over 13 percent of all traffic fatalities nationwide. That disproportionate danger is a direct result of the physics involved. An 80,000-pound truck hitting a 3,500-pound sedan creates forces that passenger vehicles simply aren’t built to withstand. And because most fatal truck crashes involve multiple vehicles, the people in smaller cars and SUVs bear the worst of it.
Pasadena Truck Accident Lawyer FAQs
How much does a Pasadena truck accident lawyer cost?
We handle truck wreck cases on a contingency fee basis. Our fee is a percentage of what we recover for you, and if we don’t win, you owe us nothing.
How long do I have to file a truck accident lawsuit in Texas?
Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is two years from the date of the accident. Wrongful death claims also carry a two-year deadline. Missing it means losing your right to recover compensation entirely.
What makes truck accident cases different from car accident cases?
Truck cases involve federal regulations like FMCSA hours-of-service rules, multiple potentially liable parties, and corporate defendants with large legal teams. The evidence is more complex, the injuries are typically more severe, and the stakes are higher than in a standard truck accident.
Who can be held liable in a Pasadena truck accident?
Potentially the truck driver, the trucking company, the cargo loading company, the vehicle or parts manufacturer, and the maintenance provider. In many cases, multiple parties share liability. Texas law allows you to pursue claims against all responsible parties.
Should I accept the insurance company’s first settlement offer?
First offers from trucking company insurers are almost always designed to resolve your claim quickly and cheaply, before the full extent of your injuries and damages becomes clear. Avoid common mistakes by speaking with an attorney first.
What if I was partially at fault for the truck accident?
Texas uses a modified comparative fault system. You can still recover damages as long as your percentage of fault is 50 percent or less, though your compensation will be reduced proportionally. At 51 percent or more, you recover nothing.
How long do truck accident cases take to resolve?
It depends on the complexity of the case, the severity of injuries, and whether the case settles or goes to trial. Some resolve in months. Others take a year or more.
What evidence is important in a truck accident claim?
Electronic logging device data, maintenance records, driver qualification files, dashcam footage, black box data, the police report, medical records, and witness statements. Preserving this evidence early is critical because trucking companies are only required to retain some records for a limited period.
Can I file a wrongful death claim if a family member was killed?
Texas law allows a surviving spouse, children, or parents to bring a wrongful death claim. We have secured multiple wrongful death recoveries in trucking cases, including a $35 million settlement and a $37.5 million verdict.
Do I need a lawyer for a truck accident, or can I handle it myself?
You have every right to handle your own claim. But trucking companies deploy teams of lawyers, accident reconstructionists, and adjusters within hours of a crash. Going up against that alone is a significant disadvantage.
What should I bring to my consultation?
Bring the police report, photos from the scene, your medical records and bills, insurance information, and any communications you’ve received from the trucking company or their insurer. Having these prepared ahead of time helps you make the most of that initial meeting and answer any consultation questions your attorney may have.
What is a spoliation letter, and why does it matter?
A spoliation letter is a legal notice sent to the trucking company demanding that they preserve all evidence related to your accident. Without it, electronic data, video, and driver records can be overwritten or destroyed according to the carrier’s regular retention schedule.
Does Greenberg Streich handle cases involving delivery trucks and box trucks?
We handle commercial vehicle accidents involving any truck used for business purposes, not just tractor-trailers and 18-wheelers.
What if the truck driver was an independent contractor?
Trucking companies sometimes classify drivers as independent contractors to avoid liability. We dig into the actual working relationship, because in many cases, the carrier still exercises enough control to be held responsible.
Will my case go to trial?
Most truck accident cases settle before trial. But our firm prepares every case as if it will go to a jury, and we’re ready to try it if the other side won’t offer fair compensation. That trial-ready approach is one of the reasons we consistently achieve strong results.
Most Dangerous Locations for Pasadena Truck Accidents
Pasadena’s industrial footprint makes certain corridors particularly hazardous for truck-related collisions. The heaviest concentrations of trucking traffic move along Highway 225, which connects Pasadena to the Houston Ship Channel and surrounding refinery complexes. Spencer Highway and Red Bluff Road are also high-traffic corridors where commercial vehicles mix with everyday commuters.
Beltway 8 through the Pasadena area carries a significant volume of freight traffic, and the interchange points along Shaver Street and Burke Road are frequent accident locations. Intersections near Strawberry Road and the industrial zones along Allen Genoa Road see regular heavy truck movement. The stretch of Fairmont Parkway between Beltway 8 and Red Bluff also sees frequent large vehicle traffic due to distribution centers in the area. Preston Avenue near the refinery entrances is another area where truck traffic is dense during shift changes and delivery windows.
These areas aren’t just busy. They’re structurally challenging, with narrow lanes, limited sight lines at intersections, and turning radii that weren’t designed for full-sized rigs.
What Are Important Local Resources for Pasadena Truck Accidents?
After a Pasadena, TX truck collision, you may need to contact local law enforcement, medical providers, and government agencies.
Pasadena Police Department – 713-477-1221 (non-emergency). Handles accident reports and on-scene investigations for truck crashes within Pasadena city limits.
HCA Houston Healthcare Southeast – 713-359-2000. A 350-bed facility with a Level III Trauma Center at 4000 Spencer Highway, Pasadena, TX.
Patients Medical Center (St. Luke’s Health) – 713-948-7000. Located at 4600 E. Sam Houston Parkway South in Pasadena, TX, this hospital offers emergency and inpatient services.
Harris County District Clerk – 713-755-6421. Handles civil court filings, case records, and lawsuit documentation for truck accident claims filed in Harris County.
TxDOT Crash Records – for obtaining official Texas crash reports needed for your claim.
Listing these resources does not constitute an endorsement by Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers. We provide this information for convenience only.
Contact Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers
If you or a family member was hurt in a Pasadena, TX truck wreck, we’re ready to help. Our initial consultations are free, and we don’t charge attorney fees unless we recover money on your behalf. When you call, you’ll speak directly with an attorney about your case, not a call center. We understand the urgency of these claims and respond promptly to every inquiry. Greenberg Streich Injury Lawyers is a Texas injury law firm that represents truck accident victims across Pasadena and throughout the state.
