In the aftermath of a catastrophic truck accident, understanding your legal rights — including what it takes to secure an 18-wheeler accident settlement that fully compensates you for your losses and the amount you can expect to recover— is critical.
Large trucks and 18-wheelers have become an increasingly dangerous presence on Texas roadways. While truck accidents are rising nationwide, Texas has consistently led the country in fatal and serious truck crashes year over year for more than a decade.
With increased freight and oilfield traffic, widespread driver shortages, and relentless pressure on trucking companies to prioritize speed over safety, the risks on Texas highways continue to escalate.
In fact, Texas experienced a 22% increase in deadly truck crashes from 2020 to 2024, with at least 740 fatalities and more than 12,000 serious injuries just last year, according to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) crash statistics.
Read on to learn what impacts the value of an 18-wheeler accident settlement in Texas and how our undefeated Texas truck accident lawyers never settle for less than the justice and maximum compensation you deserve.
What Is the Average 18-Wheeler or Semi-Truck Accident Settlement in Texas?
If you search online, you may find estimates that place the “average” truck accident settlement anywhere from $5,000 to tens of millions of dollars. That’s a massive range and for good reason: no two 18-wheeler accident cases are ever alike, and neither are the outcomes.
The truth is, numerous factors play a role in determining case value, including:
- The severity and types of injuries
- The number of vehicles involved
- Whether multiple parties (trucking companies, the driver, third-parties) share liability
- The extent of your economic and non-economic damages
- The availability and preservation of evidence
- Your attorney’s experience, reputation, and willingness to take on the largest trucking companies in the world
In addition, a law passed in Texas in 2024 increased the minimum insurance coverage required for commercial motor vehicles, including 18-wheelers. This change could potentially lead to higher settlement amounts for victims.
That said, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to what an “average” settlement looks like in 2025. But one thing is certain: the lawyer you choose will have a major impact on how much you’re able to recover.
In fact, statistics show that individuals who hire a personal injury attorney are 3.5 times more likely to win their cases compared to those who go it alone.
At Zehl & Associates, we don’t just win — we set records. Our undefeated Texas truck accident lawyers have recovered Billions for accident victims, including some of the largest truck and 18-wheeler settlements and verdicts in Texas and U.S. history.
Because of our continued success—both inside and outside the courtroom—a majority of our client’s cases are settled for record-setting amounts before trial.
18-Wheeler Accident Settlements in Texas: Six Factors That Impact Your Recovery
Truck accident lawsuits are among the most complex of all motor vehicle accidents — and the most intimidating even for many lawyers. The reality is there are an array of factors that will impact your ability to maximize your recovery and hold the trucking company accountable.
The following factors can impact how much you are able to recover:
1. What Caused the Accident?
The root cause of the crash plays a critical role in holding the trucking company and other at-fault parties fully accountable and recovering all of your damages. Common causes include:
- Reckless actions such as speeding and distracted driving
- Driver fatigue
- Drug use and intoxication
- Inadequate training
- Negligent hiring of inexperienced and unqualified drivers
- Negligent loading
- Inadequate Maintenance
- Equipment Failures
Each of these factors can point to different responsible parties — from the truck driver and their employer to third-party maintenance companies — which can significantly impact the size and scope of your claim.
2. Who Is at Fault?
Texas follows a modified comparative negligence rule, known as the “51% Bar Rule,” which allows injured victims to recover compensation even if they were partially responsible for the crash — as long as they were not more than 50% at fault.
However, if you’re 51% or more responsible, you are barred from recovering anything.
If you’re found partially at fault, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of responsibility. For example:
- If a jury finds you 30% at fault and awards $100,000 in damages, your final recovery would be $70,000.
Trucking companies and their insurers will often try to shift blame onto the injured party to avoid responsibility and pay you as little as possible. That’s why it’s critical to work with a truck accident lawyer who knows how to push back against their dirty tactics and demand the full compensation possible.
3. How Substantial Are Your Injuries & Losses?
The severity and long-term impact of your injuries are among the biggest drivers of a truck accident settlement or verdict. The more serious and permanent your injuries, the more compensation you may be entitled to recover.
Both sides will assess the lasting consequences of your injuries — including disabilities, amputations, and other conditions that alter your ability to work or enjoy life. Of course, the trucking company and its legal team will do everything possible to downplay and discredit your injuries, often scouring social media, calling witnesses, or even hiring medical experts to dispute your claims.
The best truck accident lawyers don’t stop them — we build ironclad cases that prove exactly how you were harmed and the full extent of what you’ve lost. That means pursuing far more than just hospital bills.
Your damages may include past and future:
- Surgeries, hospitalizations, and rehabilitation
- Prescription medications and medical equipment
- Costs of traveling to and from medical appointments
- Lost wages and diminished earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Physical impairment or disfigurement
- Loss of household services
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Funeral and burial costs (in fatal crash cases)
If your injuries are lasting or even permanent, your attorney will work with top medical specialists and economic experts to ensure your recovery accounts for every dollar you’re owed — now and in the future.
At Zehl & Associates, we also increase the value of your case by doing what others don’t:
We take the time to understand who you are, what you’ve lost, and what your life looked like before the accident. Then we do whatever it takes to ensure you receive the maximum compensation you need to care for yourself and your family for the rest of your life.
4. How Much Insurance Is Available?
One of the biggest factors in a truck accident settlement is how much insurance coverage is available — and who holds the policies. These cases often involve multiple insurance companies, each with their own agendas and legal teams working hard to protect their bottom line.
Insurers are notorious for using pressure tactics to push lowball offers early on, or delay tactics to wear you down — hoping you’ll settle for far less than you deserve.
Here’s how different insurance policies could affect your recovery:
- Trucking Company’s Insurance: Most trucking companies carry high-limit commercial policies. But that doesn’t mean the money is easy to access — insurers will look for every excuse to reduce or deny a payout.
- Truck Driver’s Insurance: If the driver is an independent contractor, they may have their own policy. These situations often lead to finger-pointing between insurers, each trying to avoid liability.
- Third-Party Insurance: In some cases, third parties — such as shippers, maintenance contractors, or cargo owners — may also carry policies that apply.
- Your Own Insurance: Depending on the circumstances, your own underinsured motorist coverage may also come into play.
Insurance companies know which law firms settle — and which ones never back down. The reputation of your attorney can directly influence how much you’re offered.
At Zehl & Associates, we’re known nationwide for taking on the largest trucking and insurance companies — and recovering the largest settlements in history. The industry knows that once we’re involved, they have one of two choices: Offer a full settlement that fully compensates our client for every dollar they’re owed, or face us in court — where we remain undefeated and where they’ll likely end up paying even more.
5. Can the Trucking Company Actually Pay You?
Even if you win your case — and win big — the amount you’re able to recover will depend on whether the trucking company (or other at-fault parties) can actually pay it. That’s why having the right legal team on your side is critical.
At Zehl & Associates, we make sure you’re not just awarded compensation — you’re actually paid. Here’s how:
- We go after the full insurance coverage. Most trucking companies carry high-limit commercial policies. We dig deep to find all available coverage — even policies they try to hide — and make the insurance company pay every dollar you’re owed.
- We pursue every responsible party. Many truck crashes involve more than one at-fault company. We identify all of them — from the trucking company to maintenance contractors to manufacturers — and hold them accountable.
- We don’t stop at insurance. If your damages exceed policy limits, we go after the company’s assets, from real estate to equipment to corporate accounts.
Because of our track record and resources, we’re able to recover record-setting settlements and verdicts — and make sure our clients actually receive them.
6. Does Your Lawyer Have a Track Record of Recovering Maximum Compensation?
After a serious 18-wheeler accident, trucking companies and their insurers immediately go into defense mode — deploying teams of lawyers, insurance adjusters, and crash experts with one goal: protect their bottom line and avoid paying what victims truly deserve.
Only a lawyer with a 100% success rate of holding trucking companies fully accountable will know how to level the playing field — and win.
That means your attorney must be ready to:
- Secure critical evidence before it disappears, including black box data, onboard camera footage, electronic driver logs (EDLs), and other advanced vehicle safety and tracking technologies.
- Stay ahead of evolving laws, including recent changes to Texas tort reform and case law that affect liability in multi-vehicle crashes and trucking company accountability.
- Leverage deep knowledge of FMCSRs (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations) to prove violations in hiring, training, maintenance, or hours-of-service compliance.
- Accurately calculate and demand the full extent of your damages, including future medical care, lost earning capacity, and emotional losses.
- Never settle for less than maximum compensation — no matter how aggressive the trucking company or its lawyers or insurers become.
- Prepare every case for trial, because that’s what it takes to get the highest possible settlement or verdict.
At Zehl & Associates, trucking companies know exactly who we are. They know what we stand for. And they know when our name is on your lawsuit, they’re either going to pay the full amount you deserve in a settlement — or face us in court, where they will be forced to pay even more.
What To Do After a Truck Accident
The hours and days following a crash with an 18-wheeler are critical. What you do — or don’t do — can directly impact your ability to recover full compensation. Here’s how to protect your rights from the start:
- Seek medical attention immediately, even if you feel “fine.” Many serious injuries take hours or days to appear.
- Do not speak to the trucking company or their insurer before consulting a lawyer — they are trained to twist your words against you.
- Document everything: photos of the scene, names and contact info of witnesses, medical visits, and anything that shows how the crash has impacted your life.
- Request the police report as soon as it’s available, but don’t assume it’s 100% accurate.
- Contact an experienced truck accident lawyer as soon as possible to ensure evidence is preserved — including black box data, driver logs, GPS records, and camera footage, which may be deleted or overwritten within days.
How To Find the Best Truck Accident Lawyer in Texas
Choosing the right lawyer can make or break your case — especially when you’re up against a billion-dollar trucking company with teams of defense attorneys working to pay you as little as possible. You need a legal team with the resources, reputation, and relentless commitment to win the fight for you.
Here’s what to look for:
Track Record & Reputation
Choose a law firm known for winning — not just settling. Zehl & Associates has secured some of the largest truck accident verdicts and settlements in Texas and U.S. history.
Resources & Experience
Truck accidents are nothing like car crashes. You need a firm with the resources to go toe-to-toe with the largest corporations and the experience to uncover critical evidence before it disappears. Our firm works with top-tier experts in engineering, accident reconstruction, trucking safety, economics, and medicine to prove exactly what happened.
Specialization in Truck Accident Law
We know the trucking industry inside and out — including federal safety regulations (FMCSRs), maintenance standards, hours-of-service rules, and recent updates to Texas transportation law. That’s why we repeatedly secure record-setting punitive damages — and force companies to change their practices for good.
Client-First Representation
We keep you informed, involved, and empowered at every stage of your case. When you hire us, you’re not just another case — you’re family. But don’t just take our word for it. Hear what our previous clients have to say about working with us.
No Upfront Costs. Ever.
We work on a contingency-fee basis. That means you pay nothing unless we win. We also help cover the costs of medical care, expert witnesses, and litigation so you can focus on healing — not finances.
Why Choose Our Undefeated Truck Accident Lawyers To Represent You?
When you hire Zehl & Associates, you’re choosing a team with proven results, unlimited resources, and an unwavering commitment to securing your future.
But we know that success isn’t just measured in verdicts and settlements. It’s about what we do for our clients every single day — which is why we go above and beyond to treat you like family from signup to settlement.
Our team ensures that you receive the best medical care in the country for your injuries, covers reasonable living expenses and bills while your case is pending, and even helps with financial planning when your case is resolved.
And when it comes to results? Our undefeated trial lawyers do whatever it takes to secure record-setting recoveries — and hold even the largest trucking companies fully accountable. We prepare every case for trial from day one, and refuse to settle a case unless our clients and their families are fully compensated for ALL their injuries, losses and damages.
As a result, trucking companies and their lawyers take our clients and their cases much more seriously — and our results speak for themselves.
Record-Breaking $35,000,000 Settlement (2025)
After a Ben E. Keith 18-wheeler tragically struck and killed a devoted mother of one, our undefeated truck accident attorneys secured the largest truck accident settlement in Fort Worth on behalf of her family. We worked with forensic cell phone examiners and medical experts to prove the driver was distracted by his phone, suffering from untreated sleep apnea, and operating a company truck with no onboard monitoring system.
Record-Breaking $37,500,000 Verdict (2024)
When Oncor Electric offered just $5 million after causing a fatal truck crash, we took them to trial—and delivered the largest truck accident verdict in Dallas, Texas in 2024. Our team used traffic footage and a forensic animation to show the truck driver was distracted and never hit the brakes before rear-ending our client at 70 mph on I-635 West. The jury held Oncor fully accountable, ensuring our clients were financially secure after the tragic loss of their loved one.
Record-Breaking $20,000,000 Settlement (2023)
We recovered a record-setting $20 million from one of the largest trucking companies in North America for the family of a 64-year-old man killed in a head-on crash on a rural Texas road. Using black box data, we proved the truck driver was distracted by his phone at the time of the collision—securing justice and financial security for the victim’s family.
Undefeated Texas 18 Wheeler Accident Lawyers: 1-888-603-3636 for a Free Consult
Having successfully represented thousands of accident victims in Texas and across the U.S., our undefeated Texas truck accident lawyers have a track-record of winning the largest verdicts and settlements in history for our clients, and we won’t stop until we’ve done the same for you.
If you or a loved one were injured or tragically killed in an 18-wheeler accident, call 1-888-603-3636 or send us a confidential email through our Contact Us form.
We’ll answer your questions, explain your rights, and provide you with all the information you need to make the best decision for you and your family.
All consultations are free, and you won’t pay us a dime unless we win your case.