Texas truck accident claims and federal trucking rules
Interstate truck drivers carrying property may drive at most 11 hours after 10 hours off duty, may not drive past the 14th hour on duty, and need a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving (49 CFR §395.3). TxDOT counted 1,716 crashes involving a commercial motor vehicle in Tarrant County in 2024.
General information about Texas law, not legal advice. The author is not a lawyer. Laws change; check the linked sources and talk to a Texas lawyer about your situation.
Hours-of-service limits (property-carrying trucks)
Under 49 CFR §395.3, unless an exception in §395.1 applies (eCFR):
- a driver may not drive without first taking 10 consecutive hours off duty;
- may not drive after 14 consecutive hours after coming on duty;
- may drive a total of 11 hours within that 14-hour period;
- must take a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving (short-haul exceptions apply);
- may not drive after 60 hours on duty in 7 days, or 70 hours in 8 days, depending on the carrier's schedule; a 34-hour off-duty period restarts the count.
Driver logs are one kind of record lawyers look at in truck cases; other federal rules cover maintenance and driver qualifications.
Truck crashes in Tarrant County
TxDOT's "CMV Involved Crashes and Injuries by County" tables list Tarrant County crashes involving a commercial motor vehicle: 2,024 in 2022, 1,868 in 2023 and 1,716 in 2024. In 2024, 19 of those were fatal crashes, with 19 people killed (TxDOT 2024). More detail is on our Fort Worth crash data page.
"Average settlement for an 18-wheeler accident"
We do not publish average settlement figures; no official source tracks them, and outcomes depend on the facts. What the law does say: fault is divided under Chapter 33 (ch. 33), exemplary damages require clear and convincing proof of fraud, malice or gross negligence (§41.003) and are limited by §41.008, and the deadline is generally two years (§16.003).
Frequently asked questions
How many hours can a truck driver drive in a day?
Under 49 CFR Section 395.3, a property-carrying driver may drive up to 11 hours within a 14-hour on-duty window, after first taking 10 consecutive hours off duty, with a 30-minute break required after 8 hours of driving unless a short-haul exception applies.
How many truck crashes happen in Tarrant County?
TxDOT lists 1,716 crashes involving a commercial motor vehicle in Tarrant County in 2024, including 19 fatal crashes with 19 people killed.
Sources
- 49 CFR §395.3 (eCFR) (checked October 18, 2026)
- TxDOT: 2024 crash statistics, table 30 (CMV crashes by county) (checked October 18, 2026)
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §§41.003, 41.008 (checked October 18, 2026)