Statute of Limitations
Texas has a 2-year statute of limitations for personal injury from truck accidents (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003). Modified comparative fault with 51% bar. Wrongful death also has a 2-year SOL. Claims against TxDOT or other state entities must comply with the Texas Tort Claims Act (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101) — notice within 6 months. Texas is known for high-value truck accident verdicts, including frequent nuclear verdicts.
2 years from date of accident
Where to File in Texas
Venue & Jurisdiction: Truck accident lawsuits in Texas are filed in the district court of the county where the accident occurred or where the defendant resides or has its principal place of business. Texas district courts hear civil cases with no dollar ceiling. Federal diversity jurisdiction applies for out-of-state defendants when damages exceed $75,000. Harris County (Houston), Dallas County, Bexar County (San Antonio), and Tarrant County (Fort Worth) courts handle the greatest volume of commercial trucking cases.
Statute of Limitations: Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code § 16.003 imposes a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury and wrongful death claims from truck accidents. The limitations period begins on the date of injury or death. Texas applies a modified comparative fault rule (51% bar): a plaintiff bearing more than 50% of fault recovers nothing. Preserving electronic logging device (ELD) data and black-box (ECM) evidence quickly is critical because FMCSA requires retention for only six months.
FMCSA & Texas Regulations: All commercial motor vehicles operating in Texas must comply with FMCSA regulations (49 C.F.R. Parts 350–399), including hours-of-service limits, mandatory ELDs for most carriers, and CDL standards. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) and Texas Department of Public Safety (TxDPS) enforce state trucking rules, including Texas-specific oversize/overweight permit requirements for loads traversing state highways. Texas also requires motor carriers operating intrastate to register and maintain minimum liability insurance with TxDMV.
High-Accident Corridors: Texas has the nation's highest volume of fatal large-truck crashes. The most dangerous corridors include Interstate 35 (the NAFTA superhighway from Laredo through San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas–Fort Worth), Interstate 10 (El Paso to Houston), U.S. 83 (South Texas), and Interstate 20 (Fort Worth to Odessa through the Permian Basin). The Permian Basin energy corridor sees heavy oilfield truck traffic on FM roads not designed for commercial loads, producing disproportionate casualties.
Exposure in Texas
Source: TxDOT Commercial Vehicle Data 2024
Source: NHTSA FARS 2024
Source: FMCSA / TxDOT 2024
Clinics & Specialists in Texas
Memorial Hermann — Texas Medical Center — Level I Trauma Center
Your Legal Team
Robert Vega
Senior Partner
Houston, TX
Robert Vega has spent 20 years exclusively handling commercial truck and 18-wheeler accident cases along the Texas corridor — one of the busiest truck freight routes in the United States. His engineering background gives him a decisive advantage in analyzing black box data, FMCSA inspection records, and vehicle maintenance failures that other attorneys overlook. Robert has secured verdicts and settlements exceeding $200 million for truck accident victims, including three nuclear verdicts over $15 million. He is a recognized authority on FMCSA regulatory violations and has testified before the Texas Legislature on commercial carrier safety standards. His firm responds to serious truck accidents within hours to preserve critical evidence before carrier rapid-response teams can control the scene.
Education
- J.D., University of Texas School of Law (2006)
- B.S., Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University (2003)