In Texas, a truck accident claim must generally be filed within 2 years of the crash, and the state follows modified comparative negligence (51% bar). Federal FMCSA regulations govern the carrier's conduct, while Texas law governs the injury claim itself — which is why the state your crash happened in changes what your case is worth and how long you have.
How fault works in Texas
Texas calls this proportionate responsibility. Your recovery is reduced by your share of fault, and you recover nothing if you are found more than 50% responsible.
This matters more than most people expect. The trucking company's insurer is not only arguing about how much you were hurt — it is arguing about what share of the crash was your responsibility, because every percentage point shifted onto you reduces what it pays. In Texas, that pressure is constant throughout the claim. See who can be held liable.
Where truck crashes happen in Texas
Texas carries more truck freight than any other state. Laredo is the busiest land port of entry in the United States, and the I-35 corridor above it runs a near-continuous stream of cross-border tractor-trailers through San Antonio, Austin, and the Dallas–Fort Worth inland port complex.
The corridors that carry the most commercial truck traffic:
- I-35 (Laredo–San Antonio–Austin–Dallas, the NAFTA corridor)
- I-10 (El Paso–San Antonio–Houston)
- I-45 (Dallas–Houston)
- I-20 (West Texas–Dallas–Shreveport)
- I-30, I-27, and US-59 / I-69
Crashes on these routes tend to involve interstate carriers, which means the federal safety regulations — hours-of-service limits, maintenance duties, drug and alcohol testing — apply alongside Texas negligence law.
Texas-specific issues worth knowing
Before you talk to an adjuster
- Punitive (exemplary) damages are capped in Texas at the greater of $200,000 or twice economic damages plus an equal amount of non-economic damages up to $750,000. Compensatory damages in an ordinary injury case are not capped.
- Claims against a Texas governmental unit fall under the Texas Tort Claims Act, which requires formal notice — often within six months, and sooner under many city charters — and caps recovery.
- Texas crash reports (form CR-3) are obtained through TxDOT's Crash Report Online Purchase System.
Federal rules do not change at the state line
Whatever state you were injured in, a carrier operating in interstate commerce answers to the same federal standard: at least $750,000 in liability coverage, hours-of-service limits under 49 CFR Part 395, and a six-month retention floor on driver duty records. What changes from state to state is the deadline, the fault rule, and any damages limits.
That combination is why the same crash can be worth substantially different amounts in two neighboring states — and why preserving the truck's data matters equally everywhere.
Areas served in Texas
Attorneys in the referral network handle commercial truck cases throughout Texas, including Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, and Laredo. A free case review routes your request to an attorney licensed in the state where your crash happened.
Other states
See all states → or check filing deadlines for all 50 states.
Sources
- Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts — Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- SAFER Company Snapshot — carrier safety records — Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Federal regulations and crash statistics are updated periodically. Figures cited on this page reflect the referenced publications at the time of writing; check the source for the current edition.