The Houston area saw more fatal and non-fatal truck crashes than any other county in Texas last year, according to newly-released 2025 crash statistics from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).
Most alarming of all, Harris County saw 400 fewer truck crashes than in 2024, yet more people were killed and seriously injured. In 2025, nearly 6,000 catastrophic commercial motor vehicle crashes claimed 43 lives and left at least 125 people suffering serious injuries.
Read on to learn about the latest TxDOT data on severe truck crashes in Houston and how our undefeated Houston truck accident lawyers can help protect your rights and secure your future if you or a loved one were injured in an 18-wheeler accident.
With Billions won for accident victims, we’ve repeatedly recovered the largest truck and 18-wheeler accident verdicts and settlements in history for our clients against the largest trucking companies in the world.
Fewer Houston Truck Crashes — But More Fatalities & Serious Injuries
Harris County recorded 5,913 CMV crashes in 2025, down from 6,313 in 2024—a 6.3% decrease. But despite the decline in overall crashes, the number of people killed or seriously injured increased.
At least 43 people were killed in truck crashes in Harris County—the highest number since 2022. And 125 people suffered suspected serious injuries, up nearly 12% from 2024.
According to 2025 TxDOT data, Harris County had:
- The most truck crashes of any Texas county.
- The most truck crash fatalities of any Texas county.
- A spike in suspected serious injuries from the previous year.
Harris County’s 5,913 CMV-involved crashes accounted for approximately 15.3% of the 38,533 crashes recorded statewide — nearly 1 in 6 truck crashes in Texas occurred in the Houston area. That was more than 1.5 times the number recorded in Dallas County, which had 3,778 CMV-involved crashes.
And when adding in the seven counties that make up the greater Houston metroplex, the region saw an additional 23 fatalities and 156 suspected serious injuries. including 7 truck crash fatalities alone in Fort Bend County, home to Sugar Land and portions of Katy, and 39 serious injuries in Montgomery County, home of The Woodlands and Conroe.
66 Truck Crash Fatalities Across Greater Houston in 2025
The truck crash toll extends beyond Harris County.
Across the seven surrounding counties that make up the greater Houston area, an additional 23 people were killed and 156 suffered suspected serious injuries in CMV-involved crashes in 2025.
Combined with Harris County, that means at least 66 people were killed and 281 suffered suspected serious injuries in truck crashes across the eight-county region.
- Harris County: 43 fatalities, 125 suspected serious injuries
- Chambers County: 4 fatalities, 12 suspected serious injuries
- Brazoria County: 3 fatalities, 13 suspected serious injuries
- Fort Bend County: 7 fatalities, 15 suspected serious injuries
- Montgomery County: 1 fatality, 39 suspected serious injuries
- Galveston County: 1 fatality, 4 suspected serious injuries
- Waller County: 2 fatalities, 6 suspected serious injuries
- Liberty County: 5 fatalities, 67 suspected serious injuries
These counties encompass communities throughout the greater Houston area, including Sugar Land, Katy, The Woodlands, and Conroe, as well as rural areas crossed by major interstate and farm-to-market routes that carry heavy commercial truck traffic.
Liberty County saw the most dramatic increase in serious truck crash injuries. The county recorded 67 suspected serious injuries in 2025—more than four times the 15 injuries reported in 2024. Fort Bend County also saw a sharp increase in fatalities, with seven people killed in 2025, compared with just two in 2024—3.5 times as many fatalities.
What Is Behind the Rise in Deadlier Crashes in Houston?
As anyone who drives in Houston knows, you’ll find heavy trucks just about anywhere — from city streets to the Gulf Freeway to rural farm-to-market routes. That’s because The Port of Houston and the region’s sprawling freight network keep long-haul and local trucks moving through the area around the clock.
Add major construction projects, rapidly growing communities, and some of the nation’s busiest freight corridors and hazardous interchanges, such as the I-10 and Beltway 8 interchange in Spring Branch or multiple I-45 interchanges along 610, and navigating the region seems more challenging than ever.
But dangerous Houston roads, poor driving conditions, and congestion alone do not cause catastrophic truck crashes. In our experience, most are entirely preventable — and often occur when truck drivers or trucking companies put profits, productivity, or deadlines ahead of safety.
Common Causes of Houston Truck Crashes
- Hours-of-service violations and driver fatigue
- Cell phone use and distracted driving
- Impaired driving
- Inexperienced or unqualified drivers
- Negligent hiring
- Negligent supervision
- FMCSA violations
- Reckless driving, speeding, and unsafe lane changes
- Poor maintenance, defective brakes, and inadequate inspections
When an 18-wheeler weighing tens of thousands of pounds crashes at highway speeds, even a moment of negligence can have catastrophic consequences.
Frequently Asked Questions
I Was Injured in a Houston Truck Accident. What Should I Do?
Seek medical attention, report the crash, and preserve any evidence you have, including photos, videos, witness information, and medical records. You should also contact a truck accident lawyer before giving a recorded statement or accepting a settlement from the trucking company or its insurer.
How Long Do I Have to File a Truck Accident Claim in Texas?
Texas generally gives injured people two years from the date of a truck accident to file a personal injury lawsuit, but it is important to contact an experienced Houston truck accident attorney as soon after a crash as possible to prevent critical evidence from being lost or destroyed.
What If the Trucking Company Says the Crash Was My Fault?
Never assume the trucking company’s version of events is accurate. Only an experienced truck accident lawyer can investigate the crash, identify every potentially responsible party, and fight to hold them accountable. Even if you may have contributed to the accident, you may still be entitled to compensation under Texas law.
What Evidence Can Help Prove a Houston Truck Accident Case?
Black box data, driver logs, dash-cam footage, maintenance records, inspection reports, drug and alcohol testing, phone records, and the trucking company’s hiring and safety records. This evidence is important after a Houston truck accident, but disappears quickly, which is why our trial attorneys move immediately to preserve and obtain it, while also sending an accident reconstruction team to inspect the crash scene and vehicles before critical evidence is lost, altered, or “misplaced.”
How Much Is a Houston Truck Accident Case Worth?
Each personal injury case is different, and the value of your compensation depends on the unique details of your accident and injuries. Cases involving catastrophic injuries or wrongful death may be worth substantially more, particularly when evidence shows serious misconduct or safety violations.
Our Houston Truck and 18 Wheeler Accident Lawyers have consistently recovered the largest commercial truck accident verdicts and settlements in Texas history, providing us with the experience and resources to take on the biggest trucking companies in the United States and obtain the maximum compensation possible for our clients.
Undefeated Houston Truck Accident Lawyers: 1-888-603-3636 for a Free Consult
Our Houston Truck Accident Lawyers continue to monitor the rising number of deaths and serious injuries resulting from truck crashes in Harris County truck accidents and advocate for injury victims across the state of Texas, fighting for justice and the maximum compensation possible on our clients’ behalf. Our record-setting wins for Houston truck accident victims include:
- $23.5M Settlement on behalf of a client who was seriously injured and whose wife was tragically killed in a head-on by a commercial truck
- $20M Settlement on behalf of the wife of a 64-year-old man tragically killed in a head-on with an 18-wheeler in north Houston
- #1 largest Truck Accident Settlement in Texas and in the defendant’s 66-year corporate history after a Harris County area truck crash
If you or a loved one were injured or tragically killed in a truck or 18-wheeler accident, contact us today for a free consultation at 888-603-3636 or by sending us a confidential email through our Contact Us page.
We’ll answer your questions, explain your rights, and make sure you have the information you need to decide what’s best for you and your family.
All consultations are free, and you won’t pay us a dime unless we win your case.
We proudly serve Harris County, Midland County, and throughout the state of Texas. We are located in Houston and Midland and throughout the state of Texas:
Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers – Houston
2700 Post Oak Blvd #1000, Houston, TX 77056
(888) 603-3636
Open 24 hours
Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers – Midland
306 W Wall St Suite 701, Midland, TX 79701
(432) 220-0000
Open 24 hours