Houston Company Vehicle Accident Lawyer
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If you were seriously injured in a Houston crash with a company car, work pickup, or delivery van, the purpose of the trip can affect who is responsible. If the driver was on a service call, making a delivery, or driving between job sites, the business may share responsibility.
I’m Greg Baumgartner. I’ve represented injured Texans and families for more than 40 years. If you’d like me to review what happened, call (281) 587-1111 or request a free case evaluation. You pay no attorney fee unless we recover money for you.
Quick Answer: A commercial vehicle accident claim differs from a regular car accident claim because a business may own, lease, insure, maintain, or control the vehicle. That can mean more insurance coverage, more evidence to preserve, and more than one party responsible for your injuries. |
This page covers company cars, work pickups, and delivery vans. If you were hit by an 18-wheeler or other tractor-trailer, federal trucking rules also apply, and our Houston truck accident lawyer page is the better place to start. For crashes involving only private passenger vehicles, see our Houston car accident lawyer page.
What I Investigate First After a Commercial Vehicle Crash
I start with the trip. Where was the driver going, and who sent them there? The company logo on the door gives me a name to look into. A work order may show where the driver was sent. A dispatch message may show who gave the assignment. GPS data can help check the route and timing.
I compare those records with the driver’s account. If the company says the driver was on a personal errand, a service ticket or delivery timestamp may help show what the driver was actually doing. I want to identify those records early, while they’re still available.
What Type of Commercial Vehicle Hit You?
Not all commercial vehicle cases are the same. The right legal path depends on the vehicle, who controlled it, and why it was on the road.
Vehicle or Claim Type | Helpful Internal Resource |
18-wheeler, semi-truck, tractor-trailer, or dump truck | Houston truck accident lawyer |
Amazon, FedEx, UPS, delivery van, or box truck | |
Uber vehicle | Uber accident lawyer |
Lyft vehicle | Houston Lyft accident lawyer |
Bus, shuttle, or passenger carrier | Bus accident lawyer |
Drunk commercial driver | |
Fatal commercial vehicle crash |
Why Commercial Vehicle Claims Are Different
A crash with a company vehicle is often more complex than a crash with a private driver. The person behind the wheel may have been working, making deliveries, transporting passengers, hauling cargo, or driving a vehicle owned by a business. That matters because the company may be responsible for the driver’s conduct.
Commercial claims also involve different evidence. A company may have dashcam video, GPS data, dispatch notes, delivery app records, maintenance records, driver files, inspection reports, and internal incident reports. Some of that proof can disappear quickly if no one demands that it be preserved.
Crashes with 18-wheelers and other large trucks also bring federal safety rules into the case. Those claims are covered on our Houston truck accident lawyer page and in our guide to FMCSA violations in truck accident cases.
Who May Be Responsible for a Commercial Vehicle Crash?
Many people assume the driver is the only person responsible. Sometimes that is true. But in serious commercial vehicle cases, our investigation often looks beyond the driver. Depending on the facts, responsibility may fall on:
- The commercial driver who caused the crash
- The employer or company that controlled the driver’s work
- The vehicle owner or leasing company
- The motor carrier or fleet operator
- A broker, shipper, or cargo loader
- A maintenance company that failed to fix a safety problem
- A manufacturer if a defective part contributed to the wreck
- A rideshare or delivery platform when the vehicle was being used for paid work
Finding every responsible party is important because commercial crashes often cause serious injuries and high losses. It may also reveal multiple layers of insurance coverage.
Company Car and Work Vehicle Accidents in Houston
A crash with a company car, work pickup, or service van can raise questions about both the driver and the business. The driver may have been traveling between job sites, delivering materials, or responding to a service call. Those facts can affect who is responsible and which insurance policies apply.
When the driver was doing company work
Under Texas law, an employer may be responsible for an employee’s negligence when the employee was acting within the course and scope of employment. We look at whether the trip was part of the employee’s assigned work and served the employer’s business.
Being on the clock or driving a vehicle with a company logo does not answer that question on its own. Work orders, route records, supervisor messages, and the driver’s destination can help explain the trip. An ordinary commute usually falls outside the scope of employment, although an assigned transportation duty or special errand may change the analysis.
When an employee used a personal car
An employee’s own car can also be involved in a claim against a business. The driver might have been delivering an order or picking up supplies for the employer. Vehicle ownership is one fact to investigate. The employment relationship and the trip’s purpose also matter.
Finding the insurance that applies
The insurance card exchanged at the scene may identify only one policy. Depending on the facts and policy terms, coverage may also involve a commercial auto policy, employer coverage for vehicles it does not own, or an umbrella or excess policy. We examine who is insured, which vehicles and uses are covered, and any exclusions.
Personal auto policies differ in how they treat deliveries and other business driving. The Texas Department of Insurance explains why you should check delivery-driving coverage carefully. The driver’s work activity and the actual policy terms help determine what coverage may be available for your claim.
A Case Where Company Maintenance Mattered
Our firm handled a wrongful death claim after a truck driver’s rig jackknifed. We proved that the motor carrier was negligent in maintaining the truck. The case settled at trial. Read more about the case in our truck and commercial vehicle results.
If you were hit by a work vehicle, save any photos that show the company name, license plate, or vehicle number. Those details can help me identify the vehicle and find out who has the records.
Commercial Vehicles We Handle in Houston
Houston roads are filled with business vehicles. Some are easy to spot, like 18-wheelers and delivery vans. Others look like regular cars but are being used for work. Baumgartner Law Firm handles serious injury claims involving:
- Delivery vans and box trucks
- Company cars and work pickup trucks
- 18-wheelers and tractor-trailers
- Dump trucks and construction vehicles
- Utility and service vehicles
- Amazon, FedEx, UPS, and other delivery vehicles
- Uber and Lyft vehicles
- Buses, shuttles, and passenger vans
- Oilfield and industrial service trucks
- Commercial vehicles hauling equipment or cargo
If your crash involved only private passenger vehicles, our Houston car accident lawyer page may be the better fit. If your crash involved a tractor-trailer or large truck, our Houston truck accident lawyer page explains those claims in more detail.
Reviewed by Greg Baumgartner, founder of Baumgartner Law Firm.
Evidence We Work to Preserve Immediately
Evidence can decide a commercial vehicle case. A company may already have investigators and insurance representatives working within hours of the crash. You should have someone protecting your side just as quickly.
Depending on the vehicle and company involved, we may seek preservation of:
- Dashcam, in-cab, and surveillance video
- GPS, route, and delivery app data
- Electronic logging device records and driver logs
- ECM or black box data
- Dispatch notes and trip documents
- Driver qualification and training files
- Drug and alcohol testing records when required
- Maintenance and inspection records
- Cargo loading records
- Company safety policies and prior violations
- Photos, witness statements, and police crash reports
Texas law also requires quick reporting in certain crashes. A driver must immediately report a collision to law enforcement when it causes injury, death, or damage to a vehicle so it cannot be normally and safely driven. See Texas Transportation Code Section 550.026. TxDOT also explains that law enforcement officers must submit certain crash reports to the state after investigating crashes involving injury, death, or at least $1,000 in apparent property damage. See TxDOT crash reports and records.
Recent Commercial Vehicle Accident Case Results
5.75 Million
In this complex case, we represented a truck driver who caused an accident that killed two innocent victims. With our expertise, we proved the motor carrier was negligent in maintenance, and we recovered more money for the injured driver than the attorneys for the innocent victims recovered.
5 Million
In a commercial vehicle accident where a person was killed, the company initially denied liability. After discovery in our lawsuit, the insurance company tendered its full policy limits to us.
View other noteworthy recent results
Common Causes of Commercial Vehicle Accidents
Commercial vehicle crashes often happen because a company puts speed, delivery volume, or cost savings ahead of safety. Common causes include:
- Distracted driving, including phone, dispatch, or app use
- Speeding or driving too fast for traffic and weather
- Driver fatigue or long hours behind the wheel
- Unsafe lane changes and wide turns
- Following too closely
- Poor hiring, training, or supervision
- Deferred maintenance, bad brakes, worn tires, or lighting problems
- Improperly loaded cargo
- Pressure to meet unrealistic delivery or route deadlines
- Driving while intoxicated or impaired
When reckless conduct is extreme, a claim for punitive damages in Texas may be considered. Punitive damages are not available in every case, but they may apply when the facts show gross negligence, such as knowingly ignoring serious safety risks.
What Compensation Can Be Recovered?
A serious commercial vehicle crash can affect your health, work, family, and future. Compensation may include both financial losses and human losses. In the right case, we may pursue money for:
- Emergency care, hospital bills, surgery, therapy, and future medical treatment
- Lost wages and loss of future earning ability
- Pain, suffering, mental anguish, and physical impairment
- Scarring, disfigurement, or loss of enjoyment of life
- Property damage and out-of-pocket expenses
- Future care needs after a brain, spine, burn, or other catastrophic injury
- Wrongful death damages for eligible family members after a fatal crash
Commercial cases may be worth more than ordinary claims because there may be more insurance available. Federal minimum insurance rules for large trucks are explained on our Houston truck accident lawyer page.
No lawyer can promise a settlement value without knowing the facts. Injury severity, fault, insurance limits, medical proof, future care, lost income, and evidence all matter. For more detail on value factors, see our guide to the average car accident settlement in Houston.
What to Do After a Commercial Vehicle Accident in Houston
The first few steps after a crash can protect your health and your claim. If you can do so safely:
- Call 911 and get medical help for anyone who is hurt.
- Photograph the vehicles, damage, road conditions, license plates, company logos, DOT numbers, trailer numbers, and any visible cargo.
- Get the driver’s name, employer, insurance information, and license information.
- Ask witnesses for their names and phone numbers.
- Do not guess about fault or give a recorded statement to the company’s insurer.
- Get medical care, even if pain seems mild at first.
- Contact a lawyer quickly so evidence can be preserved before it is lost.
For a broader checklist, see our guide on what to do after a car accident in Houston.
How Baumgartner Law Firm Helps
Baumgartner Law Firm handles serious injury and wrongful death cases for people and families in Houston and across Texas. We do not represent insurance companies. We prepare cases for the fight the other side is likely to bring.
In a commercial vehicle accident case, we can:
- Send preservation letters to protect key evidence
- Investigate the driver, employer, carrier, and vehicle owner
- Review insurance coverage and search for excess policies
- Work with accident reconstruction, trucking, medical, and financial experts when needed
- Handle the insurance company so you do not have to
- Document medical care, lost income, future needs, and human losses
- File a lawsuit when the insurer will not make a fair offer
- Prepare the case for trial from the beginning
Our firm has recovered significant results in commercial vehicle and wrongful death cases. You can review selected case results on our website. Past results do not guarantee a future outcome, but they show the type of serious cases our firm has handled.
Frequently Asked Questions About Commercial Vehicle Accident Claims
What is a commercial vehicle accident?
A commercial vehicle accident is a crash involving a vehicle used for business purposes. This can include delivery vans, company cars, work trucks, 18-wheelers, buses, rideshare vehicles, and service vehicles.
Is a company responsible if its driver caused the crash?
A company may be responsible if the driver was working at the time of the crash or if the company’s own negligence contributed to the wreck. Examples include poor hiring, weak training, unsafe policies, or failure to maintain the vehicle.
What if the driver was an independent contractor?
The independent contractor label does not end the analysis. We look at who controlled the work, vehicle, route, schedule, app, cargo, and safety rules. In some cases, more than one business may still be responsible.
Why is evidence preservation so important?
Commercial vehicle cases often involve company-controlled evidence, such as video, GPS data, driver logs, inspection records, maintenance files, and dispatch records. If that proof is lost, the case can become harder to prove.
How long do I have to file a lawsuit in Texas?
In most Texas injury and wrongful death cases, the deadline is two years from the date the claim accrues. See Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003. You should still act quickly because evidence may disappear long before the filing deadline.
Can I recover if I was partly at fault?
Yes, as long as you are responsible for 50 percent or less. Under Texas proportionate responsibility law, your recovery can be reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are more than 50 percent responsible, you cannot recover damages.
How much does it cost to hire Baumgartner Law Firm?
The consultation is free. We handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. That means you owe no attorney’s fee unless we recover money for you.
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