Houston Truck Accident Lawyer

Q: Does Cross & York handle truck accident cases across all of Texas?

Yes. Cross & York represents clients across Texas, including Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and surrounding areas.

Q: What if the trucking company says the crash was my fault?

Do not accept that at face value. An attorney can examine the ELD data, driver logs, police report, and witness statements to establish what actually happened.

If you are looking for a Houston truck accident lawyer after a crash involving a semi-truck, 18-wheeler, or other commercial vehicle, the right accident lawyer makes a significant difference to your outcome. This page covers what you need to know about truck accident claims in Houston and how the firm can help.

Why do you need a Houston truck accident lawyer?

A Houston truck accident lawyer gives you the best chance of recovering full compensation because truck accident cases are significantly more complex than ordinary car accident claims.

Commercial trucks are regulated by the FMCSA, which sets mandatory rules on driver hours, vehicle maintenance, drug testing, and cargo loading. When those rules are broken, a violation becomes direct evidence of negligence. An attorney who understands these regulations, and how to access the electronic logging data that records them, is in a fundamentally stronger position than one who does not.

Trucking companies and their insurers have experienced claims teams working to limit their exposure from the moment a crash is reported. A specialist attorney levels that playing field.

What makes Houston truck accident cases different?

Houston truck accident cases are shaped by the city's position as one of the largest freight hubs in the United States, which means more trucks on the road and a higher volume of serious crashes than most other cities.

Houston is home to one of the busiest port complexes in the country, a major petrochemical corridor along the Ship Channel, and a network of distribution centers serving the wider Gulf Coast region. Commercial trucks moving goods through and around the city travel millions of miles each year. The combination of high traffic density and heavy vehicle loads means that when crashes happen, the results are often severe.

Texas law adds a further dimension. The Texas statute of limitations for personal injury claims is 2 years from the date of the accident (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Section 16.003). That deadline is strict. Missing it bars you from bringing a claim, regardless of how clear the liability is. But the more pressing reason to act quickly is evidence: black box data, dash cam footage, and surveillance video around Houston's highway corridors can disappear within days.

Which Houston highways see the most truck accident risk?

Houston's major freight corridors carry some of the highest commercial truck volumes in Texas, and each has its own accident patterns.

I-10 (Katy Freeway / East Freeway). One of the busiest freight routes in the country, connecting Houston to San Antonio in the west and Beaumont and the Louisiana border in the east. High-speed through traffic mixed with urban congestion creates significant crash risk.

I-69 / US-59 (Southwest Freeway / Eastex Freeway). A key corridor for trucks moving between the Port of Houston and interior distribution points, and northward toward Dallas.

I-45 (Gulf Freeway / North Freeway). Connects Houston to Galveston in the south and Dallas in the north. Heavy port-related truck traffic on the southern stretch.

Beltway 8 (Sam Houston Tollway). The primary loop route for trucks bypassing central Houston to move between freight hubs. High volume of loaded and overweight vehicles.

I-610 (Loop). Inner loop carrying significant local freight traffic between industrial zones and distribution centers.

If your accident happened on any of these routes, the likelihood of multiple liable parties, including the carrier, shipper, and in some cases the port authority or road maintenance contractor, is worth investigating.

How does Texas law affect your Houston truck accident claim?

Texas uses a modified comparative negligence system, which means you can still recover compensation even if you were partly at fault for the accident, as long as your share of fault does not exceed 50 percent. If you were 20 percent at fault, you recover 80 percent of the total damages. If you were 51 percent at fault, you recover nothing.

This rule matters because trucking company insurers often try to assign partial blame to the injured party to reduce what they owe. An experienced attorney anticipates this and builds a case that accurately establishes the driver's and company's share of fault through the available evidence: hours-of-service records, maintenance logs, ELD data, and accident reconstruction.

Texas also applies the 2-year filing deadline strictly. There is no grace period for missing it. Contact an attorney well before that date, and ideally within weeks of the crash, to give your case the strongest possible foundation.

What does a Houston truck accident attorney do for your case?

A Houston truck accident attorney handles every stage of the process, from the moment you retain them through to settlement or verdict.

The first step is evidence preservation. A legal hold notice is sent to the trucking company requiring them to preserve the ELD data, driver logs, drug and alcohol test results, maintenance records, and any on-board camera footage. This must happen quickly: the window for preserving this evidence is short.

The attorney then investigates liability across all potential defendants. In Houston truck accident cases, this commonly includes the driver, the carrier, the cargo shipper, and sometimes a maintenance contractor. Each party may carry a separate insurance policy. Pursuing all of them simultaneously is what maximises the recovery.

Once liability is established, the firm negotiates directly with the insurers. You can see the full five-step process Cross & York follows from case review through to payment. Throughout that process, you pay nothing. Cross & York works exclusively on a contingency fee basis: no win, no fee.

Cross & York focuses exclusively on commercial truck accident cases, including trucking liability and FMCSA violation claims, and handles cases nationally, including Texas. More about the firm is on the about page.

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to file a truck accident claim in Houston?

In Texas, you have 2 years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury claim. This deadline is set by the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code and is applied strictly. Missing it will prevent you from bringing a claim. Contact an attorney as soon as possible: acting quickly also protects critical evidence that can disappear within days of a crash.

Does Cross & York handle truck accident cases across all of Texas?

Yes. Cross & York represents clients across Texas. Cross & York handles commercial truck accident cases nationally, including Texas. and the firm has handled truck accident cases throughout the state, including Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and surrounding areas.

What if the truck driver was from out of state?

Out-of-state carriers operating in Texas are still subject to FMCSA federal regulations and to Texas personal injury law. Where the driver or company is based does not limit your right to bring a claim in Texas.

What if the trucking company says the crash was my fault?

Do not accept that at face value. Trucking companies routinely dispute liability to limit their exposure. An attorney can examine the ELD data, driver logs, police report, and witness statements to establish what actually happened. Texas comparative negligence rules mean you can still recover compensation even if you share some of the fault, as long as your share does not exceed 50 percent.

How much does it cost to hire a truck accident lawyer in Houston?

Cross & York works on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing upfront and nothing during the case. The firm's fee comes from the settlement or verdict only if you win. If you do not recover compensation, you owe nothing.