Gamez Law Firm

Gamez Law Firm is a personal injury law firm with over 40 years of experience. This page focuses on accidents involving commercial trucks: 18-wheeler trucks, delivery vans, and other heavy vehicles. The firm represents victims and their families in negotiations with insurers and in court.

Why a separate page for trucks? A fully loaded tractor-trailer weighs dozens of times more than a family car, and the difference is evident in the consequences. It's like a bowling ball hitting a soda can. The page starts here and goes through, one by one, the types of accidents, causes, injuries, those at fault, and deadlines.

What the client relationship looks like

The firm has a policy it calls "all-access": the client receives the attorney's cell phone number and can call or text whenever a question arises. The team also makes home or hospital visits, which is helpful when a person can barely get out of bed. They speak Spanish, and the website has an entire section in that language. As a reviewer, I remembered the detail about the phone number more easily than any slogan on the site.

Do you have a valid case? The page explains negligence simply: someone had a duty of care, failed to fulfill it, and this led to an accident and damages. Texas applies the modified comparative negligence rule. In plain English, in many cases you can receive compensation even if you're partly at fault.

What kinds of accidents fall under this category

The list is long and specific. It includes jackknife accidents, where the trailer rotates at a right angle to the cab and blocks multiple lanes. There are also rollovers on curves and underride collisions, where a small car ends up under the trailer. Next are rear-end collisions, blind spots, wide turns at intersections, tire blowouts, and cargo falling onto the road.

Some types have their own pages. Accidents involving FedEx and UPS trucks have a separate section, linked to driver fatigue and tight delivery deadlines. There are also pages for freight trucks, garbage trucks, the weight limit of an 18-wheeler, and alcohol and drug use among drivers. It works like a good table of contents: you can jump straight to your situation.

When it comes to causes, driver fatigue ranks first, even though federal law limits driving hours. Next are speeding, inattentive driving, and bad weather combined with driving errors. Some causes stem from other factors. Brakes fail due to poor maintenance, improperly loaded cargo throws the vehicle off balance, and some companies push drivers to meet impossible deadlines.

Who pays, in the end?

In a truck accident, multiple parties are often held liable at once. The article names the driver, the trucking company, those who loaded the cargo, the repair shop, and the parts manufacturer, as well as other drivers, pedestrians, or cyclists. Through vicarious liability, the trucking company can be held responsible for the actions of the employee behind the wheel. It's like splitting the bill among friends: everyone pays their share.

The injuries described are severe: brain trauma, spinal cord injuries, fractures, internal bleeding, burns, and deep cuts. The page also lists psychological trauma, such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression.

What Compensation Can Be Sought

Economic damages cover quantifiable losses. This includes past and future medical costs, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, damage to a vehicle, and home or vehicle modifications due to a disability. All of these are substantiated by invoices, receipts, pay stubs, and expert reports.

Non-economic damages pertain to the intangible aspects. The page lists physical pain, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, scarring, permanent disability, and loss of the companionship of a spouse (loss of consortium). For families who have lost a loved one, there are also claims for wrongful death.

Punitive damages apply when the at-fault party went beyond mere negligence. We are talking about gross negligence or willful disregard for the safety of others. This page refers to Section 41.003 of the Texas Code of Civil Practice and Remedies, which also sets the caps.

The two-year statute of limitations and its exceptions

The lawsuit must be filed within two years of the accident. If the deadline passes, the right to seek compensation in court is lost, no matter how strong the case may be. For claims against public entities, the page specifies only six months, and for minors or incapacitated individuals, the statute of limitations may be longer.

Evidence also has a shorter statute of limitations. Data from the electronic logbook—a sort of "black box" for driving hours—maintenance records, and the driver's qualification file must be retained promptly. It's like food in the fridge: the longer you wait, the less there is left to use.

Insurance adjusters call quickly after an accident, but they work for the transportation company. Any statement given in the heat of the moment can be used to reduce the payout or deny the claim. In my opinion, the advice to leave all communication to your attorney is the most practical tip on the page.

Trucks are just one part of the business. The firm also handles car accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, and ridesharing accidents, as well as workplace accidents, slip-and-fall incidents, and premises liability cases. The website features a results section, client reviews, a video center, a blog, and a frequently asked questions page about car accidents.

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