If you were hurt in a truck accident in El Paso, you can call Lovett & Murray Law Firm (formerly Lovett Law Firm) at 915-757-9999 for a free consultation at its main office, 619 Arizona Ave. The firm, founded in 1999 by Robert L. Lovett, handles truck and 18-wheeler injury claims on contingency, so you pay no fee unless it wins your case.
Whichever firm you call, it should be able to explain the federal trucking rules that apply to your crash, move fast to preserve the evidence, and tell you by name who will work on your case. Here is what to do first, what to ask any firm, and how Lovett & Murray answers.
What to do in the first days after a truck crash in El Paso
The trucking company starts building its side of the case right away, because carriers send rapid response teams after a crash to protect their interests.
- Get medical care right away. See a doctor the same day, even if you feel able to walk away. Your medical records are the first proof of your injuries.
- Get the police report. Call 911 from the scene so officers document the crash, and write down the report number.
- Photograph everything. Take pictures of the truck cab, the trailer, the license plates, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) number on the truck, which identifies the carrier, the cargo, your vehicle and the scene. Get the driver's name, the company name, the insurance information and the names of any witnesses.
- Do not talk to the trucking company's insurer. Do not give a recorded statement or sign anything before you speak with a lawyer.
- Call a lawyer quickly. The truck's electronic logging device (ELD) and its event data recorder, often called the black box, record speed, braking and hours driven. That data can decide a truck case, and electronic logging device data can be overwritten within days. A lawyer can send a preservation letter that demands the company keep all of it.
For a longer walk through the process, read our guide to truck accident claims in Texas.
What to ask any firm before you hire it for a truck case
A truck case is not a car case with a bigger vehicle. Before you sign with any firm, ask these questions and listen for specific answers.
- Do you work with the federal trucking rules? Carriers and their drivers must follow Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rules on hours of service, vehicle maintenance, driver qualifications, drug and alcohol testing and cargo securement. When Lovett & Murray takes a truck case, it reviews whether the carrier and the driver followed those rules.
- How will you get the electronic logging device and black box data? Lovett & Murray sends the trucking company a spoliation letter demanding that it preserve the black box data, driver logs, maintenance records and communications.
- Who besides the driver can be held responsible? The firm looks at the driver, the carrier, brokers, cargo loaders, maintenance providers and vehicle manufacturers to identify every responsible party.
- Will you investigate the crash itself? Lovett & Murray works with accident reconstruction experts and engineers, obtains the driver's qualification file, drug and alcohol test results, training records and prior violations, and consults medical experts to document your injuries and future care needs.
- Are you ready to go to trial? Trucking companies and their insurers pay attention to whether a firm will try a case. Lovett & Murray prepares every case as if it is going to trial, and its founder, Robert L. Lovett, has more than 30 years of trial experience.
- What will it cost, and is it in writing? Lovett & Murray offers a free consultation and works on contingency, with no fee unless the firm wins. With any firm, ask for the fee percentage, whether it changes if the case goes to trial and how case costs are handled, and get the agreement in writing.
- Can we talk in Spanish? The Lovett & Murray team communicates fluently in English and Spanish, so you and your family can go through the case in the language you are most comfortable with.
Why truck accidents in El Paso are different
El Paso sits at a crossroads of interstate and international commerce. I-10 is one of the busiest freight corridors in North America, and trucks traveling between Mexico, Texas, New Mexico and beyond move through El Paso's highways every day. Conditions the firm's attorneys see regularly include:
- I-10 corridor crashes: high-speed collisions involving semis, tankers and flatbeds traveling through El Paso between Southern California and East Texas
- Border crossing congestion: trucks entering from Mexico through the ports of entry create sudden slowdowns and merge-related crashes
- Loop 375 and US-54 hazards: both routes carry heavy truck traffic between industrial areas and distribution centers
- Tire blowouts and rollovers: extreme West Texas heat speeds up tire wear, which leads to blowouts and loss-of-control crashes
- Fatigue-related wrecks: long-haul drivers pushing past hours-of-service limits to meet delivery deadlines
- Improperly secured cargo: shifting loads that make a truck jackknife or spill debris across lanes
Crashes near the ports of entry can involve carriers and insurers based in Mexico, which adds layers to the claim. Our guide to truck accidents at El Paso's border ports explains what changes.
Who can be responsible for a truck crash
More than one party can share the blame for a truck crash:
- The truck driver, for fatigue, distraction or impairment
- The trucking company, for negligent hiring, inadequate training or pressuring drivers to break hours-of-service rules
- The cargo loader, for overweight or improperly secured loads
- The maintenance contractor, for defective brakes, tires or equipment
- The truck or parts manufacturer, for a defective vehicle or part
What a claim may be worth depends on your injuries, the evidence and who is at fault. Our guide to truck accident compensation in El Paso explains the categories of damages.
Who will work on your case
Robert L. Lovett founded the firm in 1999 and remains personally involved in every case it handles. He has more than 30 years of trial experience, earned his law degree at Texas Tech University School of Law, and is admitted to the State Bar of Texas, the State Bar of New Mexico, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas and the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico. Read Robert L. Lovett's full profile.
Russell A. Murray is a shareholder who joined the firm in 2015. He earned his law degree at Baylor University School of Law and is admitted to practice in Texas and New Mexico. Both attorneys handle truck accident cases.
18-wheeler and commercial truck crashes
Crashes with fully loaded tractor-trailers, tankers and cargo haulers often cause catastrophic injuries, and they turn on federal rules, cross-border carriers and the truck's electronic records. For a deeper look at those cases, see our commercial truck accident lawyer page.
Truck crashes in Las Cruces and on I-25
Las Cruces is where I-25 and I-10 converge, and both corridors carry heavy commercial truck traffic. If your crash happened in Las Cruces or elsewhere in southern New Mexico, the firm's Las Cruces office is at 541 North Alameda Blvd, Las Cruces, NM 88005, and you can reach it at 575-523-5555. New Mexico gives you three years to file a personal injury claim instead of the two years Texas allows, but the truck's electronic evidence can disappear just as fast. Learn more on our Las Cruces personal injury lawyer page.
Call the El Paso office
Lovett & Murray's main office is at 619 Arizona Ave, El Paso, TX 79902, phone 915-757-9999. The East El Paso office is at 12102 Montwood Dr Suite C, El Paso, TX 79936, phone 915-995-5683. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM, and Friday, 7:30 AM to 11:30 AM.
The consultation is free and you pay nothing unless the firm wins. Call 915-757-9999 or send us your case details online. To see every type of case the firm handles, visit our El Paso personal injury attorneys home page.