On a late night in 2025, an Amazon tractor-trailer traveling at high speed collided with slowed traffic on I-35 in Austin, triggering a devastating chain reaction involving 17 vehicles. Five people died — three adults, a child, and an infant. Eleven others were hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. This tragedy illustrates a sobering reality: all that separates us from a life-altering or life-ending accident is often just a thin line painted on the roadway.
For families whose loved ones have been injured or killed in a truck accident, this line becomes the dividing point between life as they knew it and a future marked by grief, uncertainty, and the need for justice.
With Texas experiencing record numbers of large truck crashes in 2025, understanding what to do after such an accident has never been more critical. These cases aren’t just about seeking compensation — they’re about preventing future tragedies and ensuring that families have the resources they need to rebuild their lives. In this article, the wrongful death lawyers at Varghese Summersett discuss what to do if a loved on is injured or killed in a truck accident.
Immediate Steps After a Truck Accident
In the aftermath of a truck accident, time is critical. These incidents often result in catastrophic injuries or fatalities, and the steps you take immediately can significantly impact your loved one’s health, your legal options, and your ability to secure justice. From emergency medical care to securing critical evidence, every moment matters. Here’s what you need to do — and why you shouldn’t delay.
1. Ensure Emergency Medical Care
Your first priority is getting your loved one the medical attention they need. If someone has been killed, the medical examiner will handle immediate procedures, but if your loved one survived, emergency care is paramount.
2. Contact an Experienced Truck Accident Attorney Immediately
This step is more urgent than most people realize. Critical evidence begins disappearing within hours of a truck accident, and trucking companies often have response teams working to minimize their liability before families even understand what happened.
3. Let Your Attorney Handle Evidence Preservation
A knowledgeable truck accident attorney will immediately send preservation letters to secure:
- Electronic logging device data that tracks driver hours and vehicle movements
- GPS and fleet management information
- Driver employment records and medical certifications
- Vehicle maintenance logs and inspection reports
- Video footage from the truck and surrounding businesses
- Drug and alcohol testing records
If your loved one has been injured or killed in a truck accident, you can’t afford to wait. Taking swift legal action is the best way to protect your family’s rights and ensure the responsible parties are held accountable.
Why Truck Accident Cases Require Specialized Knowledge
When someone is injured or killed in a trucking accident, the legal path forward is far more complex than a typical car crash. These cases require attorneys who not only understand personal injury law but also possess deep knowledge of the federal and industry-specific regulations that govern commercial trucking. Without this specialized insight, crucial details can be overlooked — and justice delayed or denied.
Understanding Federal Regulations
Commercial trucking operates under extensive Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations that most attorneys never encounter. These regulations cover everything from driver qualifications and hours of service to vehicle maintenance and safety management controls. An attorney experienced in truck accident cases understands how violations of these regulations can contribute to accidents and how to use this knowledge to prevent future incidents. Violations of FMCSA rules are often a hidden factor in cases where someone is injured or killed in a truck accident, making it critical for your attorney to understand and leverage these standards.
The Complexity of Trucking Operations
Modern trucking involves sophisticated systems for tracking drivers, monitoring vehicle performance, and managing safety protocols. Attorneys who regularly handle these cases understand how trucking companies operate, what safety measures should be in place, and how to identify failures in the system that led to the accident.
Multi-Layered Responsibility
Unlike car accidents, truck accidents often involve multiple parties: the driver, the trucking company, the company that loaded the cargo, the maintenance provider, and sometimes the manufacturer of truck components. Understanding these relationships and how they contribute to accidents requires specialized experience.
If your loved one has been injured or killed in a trucking accident, it’s essential to work with a legal team that knows how to navigate the unique challenges these cases present. At Varghese Summersett, we have the experience, resources, and commitment to uncover the truth, hold all responsible parties accountable, and fight for the justice and compensation your family deserves.
How Legal Action Creates Meaningful Change
When a loved one is injured or killed in a trucking accident, the impact goes far beyond a single family — it exposes flaws in a system that should prioritize safety. Legal action isn’t just about compensation; it’s a powerful tool to bring about real, lasting change in the trucking industry. By uncovering negligence and pushing for reforms, experienced attorneys help protect others from suffering the same fate.
Forcing Safety Improvements
Experienced truck accident attorneys don’t just seek compensation—they use the legal process to force trucking companies to implement safety changes. This might include requiring installation of collision avoidance systems, implementing better driver training programs, or changing dangerous operational practices.
Exposing Patterns of Negligence
When attorneys thoroughly investigate truck accidents, they often uncover patterns of safety violations that extend beyond a single incident. This information can lead to broader regulatory action and industry-wide safety improvements.
Holding Companies Accountable
Many trucking accidents occur because companies prioritize profits over safety, cutting corners on driver training, vehicle maintenance, or operational procedures. Legal action holds these companies accountable not just financially, but by requiring them to change practices that put everyone on the road at risk.
If your loved one was injured or killed in a trucking accident, pursuing legal action can lead to more than just justice for your family — it can help create a safer future for everyone on the road. At Varghese Summersett, we are committed to making that difference by holding negligent companies accountable and demanding change where it’s needed most.
How Specialized Attorneys Help Beyond Legal Action
When someone is injured or killed in a trucking accident, the challenges facing families go far beyond the courtroom. The emotional, financial, and logistical aftermath can be overwhelming — especially while navigating grief or ongoing medical care. Specialized truck accident attorneys don’t just handle the legal aspects; they provide vital support in managing the ripple effects of tragedy.
Immediate Medical Care Coordination
After ensuring emergency treatment, experienced truck accident attorneys can help coordinate ongoing medical care without requiring upfront payment from families. They work with medical providers who understand that compensation will come from the responsible parties.
Supporting Grieving Families
When a family member has been killed, attorneys who regularly handle wrongful death cases understand the unique challenges families face. They can help connect families with grief counselors, financial advisors, and other resources while handling the legal complexities.
Managing Complex Investigations
Truck accident investigations involve multiple agencies, extensive documentation, and technical analysis that can overwhelm families dealing with tragedy. Experienced attorneys coordinate with investigators, handle records requests, and ensure nothing is overlooked.
Communication with Insurance Companies
Trucking companies and their insurers often contact families quickly after accidents, sometimes trying to minimize their responsibility. Having an experienced attorney handle these communications protects families from saying something that could harm their case while ensuring their rights are protected.
At Varghese Summersett, we understand that families dealing with someone injured or killed in a trucking accident need more than just legal representation — they need comprehensive support. From coordinating care to protecting you from aggressive insurance tactics, we’re here to shoulder the burdens so you can focus on healing.
What to Look for in a Truck Accident Attorney
When a loved one has been injured or killed in a trucking accident, choosing the right attorney is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Truck accident cases are unlike any other personal injury matter — they demand legal professionals who bring both in-depth industry knowledge and a commitment to uncovering the full truth. Knowing what to look for can make all the difference in the outcome of your case.
Deep Understanding of FMCSA Regulations
Your attorney should be thoroughly familiar with federal trucking regulations and how violations contribute to accidents. They should understand concepts like hours of service rules, commercial driver licensing requirements, and safety management controls.
Experience with Trucking Industry Operations
Look for attorneys who regularly handle truck accident cases and understand how trucking companies operate, what safety systems should be in place, and how to identify operational failures.
Track Record of Creating Change
The best truck accident attorneys don’t just win cases—they force safety improvements that prevent future accidents. Ask about specific examples of how they’ve used legal action to improve trucking safety.
Resources for Comprehensive Investigation
These cases require substantial resources for investigation, expert analysis, and case development. Your attorney should have established relationships with accident reconstruction specialists, trucking industry experts, and medical professionals.
Families who have had someone injured or killed in a truck accident deserve a legal advocate who can navigate this high-stakes environment and deliver meaningful results. If your loved one was injured or killed in a trucking accident, don’t trust your case to just any attorney. At Varghese Summersett, we bring the experience, knowledge, and resources necessary to take on the trucking industry — and win. We’re not just here to represent you; we’re here to make a difference.
How Varghese Summersett Can Help
At Varghese Summersett, we understand that truck accident cases are about more than legal victories—they’re about preventing future tragedies and ensuring families have the resources they need to move forward. Our attorneys have extensive experience with FMCSA regulations and understand the complex operations of trucking companies.
We immediately dispatch investigators to preserve critical evidence and coordinate with medical providers to ensure your loved one receives necessary care without upfront costs. For families who have lost someone, we help connect you with the resources you need while aggressively pursuing the systemic changes necessary to prevent similar tragedies.
Our experience with trucking cases has taught us that these accidents often result from preventable safety violations. We use every case as an opportunity to force improvements in trucking safety, whether through better driver training, improved vehicle maintenance, or enhanced safety monitoring systems.
The Broader Impact
When someone is injured or killed in a truck accident, the consequences often ripple beyond the crash site — exposing gaps in safety protocols and pushing for stronger oversight. Every truck accident case is an opportunity to make roads safer for everyone. When attorneys with deep understanding of trucking regulations and industry practices thoroughly investigate these accidents, they often uncover safety violations that extend far beyond the specific incident. This information can lead to company-wide policy changes, regulatory action, and industry improvements that prevent future accidents.
The I-35 crash in Austin serves as a stark reminder of how dangerous our roadways have become. With commercial trucking traffic expected to increase significantly in coming years, holding trucking companies accountable for safety violations is more important than ever.
Speak to a Truck Accident Lawyer Today
If your family has been affected by a truck accident, don’t wait to seek experienced legal representation. Evidence disappears quickly, and trucking companies begin working immediately to minimize their responsibility. Contact Varghese Summersett today to ensure your rights are protected and to help prevent similar tragedies from affecting other families.
Every truck accident case is an opportunity to save lives by forcing safety improvements. Let us help you turn your family’s tragedy into meaningful change that protects everyone who shares the road with these massive vehicles.
Contact Varghese Summersett at (817) 203-2220 to speak with experienced truck accident attorneys who understand both the legal complexities and the human impact of these devastating accidents.
