2026 Texas 18-Wheeler Crash Report

Executive Summary

Texas reported 38,533 commercial-motor-vehicle-involved crashes during 2025.

• 469fatal crashes
• 528fatalities
• 1,267suspected serious-injury crashes
• 1,611suspected serious injuries
• 4,522suspected minor-injury crashes
• 6,576suspected minor injuries
• 4,339possible-injury crashes
• 7,056possible injuries
• 27,587non-injury crashes
• 349crashes categorized as unknown severity

The term "commercial motor vehicle" is the TxDOT dataset category and can include commercial vehicles other than tractor-trailers. We use "18-wheeler" in consumer-facing language, but the statistics above reflect all CMV-involved crashes reported by TxDOT, not exclusively 18-wheeler crashes.

Texas CMV Crash Trend (2023–2025)

Where Did Texas Record the Most Commercial Vehicle Crashes?

Harris County recorded substantially more CMV-involved crashes than any other Texas county in 2025, followed by Dallas, Bexar and Tarrant counties.

These are the counties with the most reported CMV crashes. Crash count alone is not a danger rate — it does not account for vehicle miles traveled, population, or exposure data. We do not describe these as "the most dangerous counties" because no rate-based analysis has been performed.

County-by-County CMV Crash Data

Additional Texas County CMV Crash Data

Federal Commercial-Truck Data

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) maintains a separate crash-statistics database through its Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS). The figures in this report come from TxDOT, not FMCSA, and the two datasets are not interchangeable.

• •The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration maintains a separate crash-statistics database through its Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS).
• •TxDOT and FMCSA datasets are not interchangeable. Different inclusion and reporting rules may cause the totals to differ.
• •FMCSA expressly states that recent MCMIS crash data are preliminary.
• •FMCSA states its MCMIS data are considered preliminary for 22 months to allow changes as additional data are reported.
• •For these reasons, TxDOT 2025 completed annual Texas statistics are the primary numbers used in this report. FMCSA should be treated as supplemental federal context.

This report does not mix an FMCSA total with a TxDOT total in the same chart. TxDOT and FMCSA datasets are labeled independently wherever they appear.

Why Commercial Truck Claims Can Be Different

Commercial truck crashes can involve issues not always present in ordinary passenger-vehicle crashes. The following factors may be relevant in a commercial-trucking claim. This is informational, not a legal promise or guarantee of any outcome.

• •Commercial insurance policies that are typically larger than passenger-vehicle coverage
• •Employer and motor-carrier involvement beyond the individual driver
• •Multiple potentially responsible parties — driver, carrier, shipper, broker, loader, maintenance contractor, or parts manufacturer
• •Driver qualification records, including employment history, driving record, and drug-test results
• •Hours-of-service information and electronic logging-device (ELD) data
• •Vehicle maintenance and inspection records
• •Onboard and electronic data, including black-box / event data recorder (EDR) information
• •Dash-camera or surveillance evidence
• •Cargo and loading issues, where relevant
• •FMCSA compliance issues, where relevant

A violation of a federal or state regulation does not automatically establish liability, and commercial-truck claims do not guarantee larger settlements. Every case depends on its specific facts, evidence, and applicable law.

What These Statistics Do Not Tell You

Crash statistics cannot determine what an individual personal-injury claim is worth.

Claim value can vary based on:

• •Liability — who was at fault and whether fault is clear or disputed
• •Injury severity — the specific type and seriousness of your injuries
• •Medical treatment — the scope and continuity of your treatment
• •Duration and recovery — how long treatment lasted and whether you have recovered
• •Past economic losses — medical bills and lost wages
• •Future damages — future medical needs or earning-capacity impact, where supported by evidence
• •Insurance availability — the coverage that is actually available to compensate you
• •Multiple responsible parties — whether more than one party or company may be liable
• •Evidence — the strength of the documentation supporting your claim
• •Jurisdiction — the county and court where your claim would be filed
• •Other case-specific facts that no dataset can capture

This report does not publish an "average Texas 18-wheeler settlement" or median settlement numbers. Government crash statistics do not establish settlement value. For a personalized preliminary claim range based on the facts of your case, use the free calculator linked below.

Sources and Methodology

Related Texas Trucking Resources

Research compiled by Texas Settlement Calculator from publicly available government crash statistics.

TexasSettlementCalculator.com is an independent informational and advertising platform. It is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Government agencies referenced in this report do not sponsor or endorse this website.