What Damages Can You Recover After a Houston Truck Accident?

Truck accidents are among the most devastating collisions on Texas roads. An 18-wheeler can weigh 80,000 pounds or more, and when it strikes a passenger vehicle, the damage — physical, emotional, and financial — is rarely small. If you or a family member has been injured in a Houston-area truck crash, here's what Texas law allows you to recover.

🚛 The bottom line: Texas law lets truck accident victims recover three categories of damages — economic, non-economic, and (in rare cases) punitive. Values are often substantially higher than in regular car accident cases because of injury severity and commercial insurance limits.

The three categories of damages

• Economic damages — your measurable financial losses (medical bills, lost wages, property damage)

• Non-economic damages — the human losses that don't come with a receipt (pain, suffering, disfigurement)

• Punitive damages — a punishment for egregious conduct (rare, high legal bar)

Each category requires different evidence and different legal arguments.

Economic damages — what you can document

These are the costs you can put a number on. In a truck accident, they usually include:

• Emergency room, hospital, surgery, therapy, and medication costs

• Future medical care projected over your lifetime

• Lost wages and loss of future earning capacity

• Vehicle repair or replacement and rental car expenses

• Out-of-pocket travel to medical appointments and home modifications (ramps, equipment)

Keep every receipt and bill. Your attorney will often retain a life care planner or economist to project future losses in serious cases.

Non-economic damages — the human losses

Not every loss has a price tag. Non-economic damages compensate for:

• Physical pain and suffering

• Mental anguish and emotional distress

• Loss of enjoyment of life (hobbies, activities, relationships)

• Disfigurement, scarring, and permanent disability

• Loss of consortium (spousal companionship) and loss of parent-child relationship

These are often the largest component of a truck accident settlement because severe injuries typically come with lasting quality-of-life impacts.

Punitive damages — when they apply

Texas allows punitive damages (“exemplary damages”) only when the at-fault party acted with gross negligence, malice, or fraud. Examples from real truck cases include drivers operating while intoxicated, trucking companies falsifying driver logs, or companies knowingly putting unsafe equipment on the road. Texas caps punitive damages at the greater of $200,000 or two times economic damages plus up to $750,000 in non-economic damages.

🚨 Why truck cases are different (and often bigger)

• Multiple defendants. Beyond the driver, you may have claims against the trucking company, owner, loader, mechanic, or manufacturer.

• Federal regulations. Interstate trucking is governed by FMCSA rules. Violations (hours-of-service, maintenance, driver qualifications) strengthen your case.

• Larger insurance policies. Commercial trucks typically carry $1 million+ liability policies — far more than a typical passenger vehicle.

• Evidence disappears fast. Black-box data, driver logs, and maintenance records can be preserved only if you act quickly — ideally with a legal “spoliation letter” within days.

Common pitfalls that reduce recovery

• Giving a recorded statement to the trucking company's insurance adjuster early

• Signing a medical authorization that grants access to your entire medical history

• Settling before the full scope of your injuries is known

• Missing the 2-year Texas statute of limitations

Hurt in a Houston truck accident?

The Law Office of Jason Castaneda handles commercial truck and 18-wheeler cases across Houston, Harris County, and Texas. We preserve evidence, bring in crash reconstruction experts, and pursue every liable party to maximize your recovery — with no fees unless we win.

📞 Call (713) 808-9696 for a free consultation.

This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Every case is different. If you've been injured in a truck accident, consult a licensed Texas attorney about your specific situation. Reading this article does not create an attorney-client relationship.