We ranked 11 Texas truck accident lawyers and law firms by their published 18-wheeler results. First is Arnold & Itkin, whose trial team won a $604 million Dallas County verdict in a fatal 18-wheeler pileup case in July 2026. Texas gives you 2 years to sue in most injury and death cases, and every attorney below is listed with a phone number and street address.
Quick answer: the first 3 firms in our review
Arnold & Itkin (Houston, Dallas): (888) 493-1629. $604M Dallas County verdict against a freight broker, a trucking company and its driver after a fatal 18-wheeler pileup (2026).1, 2
Glasheen, Valles & Inderman (El Paso, Austin): (915) 590-1900. Counsel in the $104M El Paso verdict against Mesilla Valley Transportation in a truck-driver fatigue death (2026).3, 4
Zehl & Associates (Houston, Midland): (713) 491-6064. $37.5M Dallas County verdict for the family of a truck driver killed while parked on a highway shoulder (2024).5, 6
Email ct@rolesource.co with your state and what happened, and we will point you to a firm on this list that takes cases there. We are not a law firm, we do not sell your details, and we keep your email only until we have answered it.
Firms we reviewed, in ranked order
Recoveries are firm-reported unless a news source is named. Past results do not predict future results. We could not confirm a third-party star rating for any firm in November 2026, so rating lines are left out.
1
Arnold & Itkin LLP
Best fit for: fatal multi-vehicle 18-wheeler crashes where a freight broker or shipper may share the blame.
$604 million verdict, Dallas County Court at Law No. 4, against freight broker C.H. Robinson, carrier Lupus Superior and its driver, over a 2021 I-20 pileup in Mississippi that killed three (Texas Lawbook and firm release, July 2026).2, 8, 9
$59.5 million settlement for two Texas farm workers hurt in an 18-wheeler crash (firm-reported).8
$35.5 million settlement for a family hurt in a truck crash (firm-reported).8
1101 Montana, El Paso, TX 79902; Austin: 1703 West Ave, Austin, TX 78701; Odessa: 511 N Lincoln, Odessa, TX 797613
Lead attorneys:
David Glasheen and Jason Medina (Mesilla Valley case); partners include Kevin Glasheen, Noe Valles and Chad Inderman · State Bar of Texas lookup4, 7, 10
Fee:
Contingency fee; percentage not published. No fee or case costs owed if there is no recovery.10
$104 million El Paso County jury verdict (448th District Court, July 2026) against Mesilla Valley Transportation after a fatigued driver fell asleep and hit a parked truck on I-40, killing Orlando Robles; shared with co-counsel Tawney, Acosta & Chaparro (firm release; also reported by FreightWaves).4, 11
$20 million, truck wreck, wrongful death and injury (firm-reported).10
$15 million, oilfield pickup truck crash, wrongful death (firm-reported).10
$37.5 million Dallas County verdict (2024) for the family of a truck driver killed when an Oncor Electric truck hit him while he was parked on the shoulder (firm-reported).5, 6
$23.5 million settlement for a client hit head-on by a commercial truck (firm-reported).5
$4.2 million Dallas verdict against R&L Carriers after a 5-week trial (firm-reported).5
Rob Ammons, Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization (per firm site); State Bar of Texas lookup; TBLS lookup7, 13, 14
Fee:
Contingency fee; percentage not published. Free consultation.13
In practice:
Rob Ammons has handled product liability cases since 199113
Results:
$49 million Ector County jury verdict after an 18-wheeler turned across a 29-year-old father's path near Midland (firm-reported).13
$20.85 million settlement after a semi hauling an oversized load hit a passing car at night, killing a father (firm-reported).13
$10 million settlement after a truck crash at a Houston intersection killed a driver (firm-reported).13
Fee terms not published on the pages we checked.15
Results:
$44.1 million Dallas County verdict ($24.1M compensatory, $20M punitive) against New Prime Inc. and its driver for a death in the February 2021 I-35W ice-storm pileup in Fort Worth (reported by FOX 4, December 2025).16
$27.5 million of the $104 million El Paso verdict against Mesilla Valley Transportation went to this firm's client, the victim's son ($20M compensatory, $7.5M punitive; reported by FreightWaves, July 2026).11
$4.715 million El Paso verdict for a client with spinal injuries after a crash with a United Petroleum Transports semi (firm-reported).24
$7,396,314 Travis County jury verdict (January 2020) for a Del Valle man hurt when an over-height flatbed load hit a bridge and a tie-down ratchet came through his windshield (firm-reported).26
John David Hart, Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law and Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization (per firm site); State Bar of Texas lookup; TBLS lookup7, 14, 28
Fee:
No fee unless the firm wins; percentage not published.28
Results:
$5.1 million settlement, with co-counsel Dan Boulware, for families in a fatal Easter Sunday 2007 18-wheeler crash (firm-reported).29
The same facts as the profiles above, in one table: each entry links to the full profile and keeps its source mark. Where a firm does not publish a figure, the cell says so.
No fee unless the firm wins; percentage not published.28
$5.1 million settlement, with co-counsel Dan Boulware, for families in a fatal Easter Sunday 2007 18-wheeler…29
Which one fits your case
A death in the family: start with the firms that publish wrongful death verdicts: Arnold & Itkin, Glasheen Valles & Inderman, Zehl, Ammons and Branson. These cases often add the broker, shipper or fleet owner as defendants.2, 4, 6, 13, 16
A serious injury, no death: Williams Hart & Boundas Easterby, Kherkher Garcia, Tawney Acosta & Chaparro, Carlson and Salinas list large injury results for back, spine and brain harm.19, 22, 24, 26, 27
Location: Houston has the most choices (5 firms).1, 5, 12, 17, 20 El Paso: Glasheen Valles & Inderman or Tawney Acosta & Chaparro.3, 23 Fort Worth: John David Hart.28 Austin: Glasheen Valles & Inderman or Carlson.3, 25 San Antonio: Carlson or Salinas.25, 27
Timing: if your crash was many months ago, call this week. The 2-year deadline leaves little time to collect truck data, driver logs and inspection records.30, 31
Oilfield trucks: Zehl (Midland office), Glasheen Valles & Inderman (Odessa office) and Ammons (Ector County verdict) show Permian Basin work.3, 5, 13
A tractor-trailer near the junction of Interstate 10 and State Highway 130, Texas. Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
How we rank
We scored each firm on four things: 50% published Texas trucking results (size, and whether a court or news report backs the figure), 25% focus on truck and 18-wheeler cases, 15% Texas office coverage across the six largest metros, and 10% access (free consultation stated, Spanish-language pages, clear fee terms). We left out star ratings because we could not confirm a third-party rating page for these firms in November 2026; ratings you see elsewhere come from third parties. No firm paid to be listed. The order is our judgment under this method, not a claim that any firm is the best for your case.
Top rated truck accident lawyers in Texas
Texas trucking verdicts from 2024 to 2026 include $604 million in Dallas County (Arnold & Itkin)2, $104 million in El Paso (Glasheen Valles & Inderman with Tawney Acosta & Chaparro)4, 11, $44.1 million in Dallas County (Branson)16 and $37.5 million in Dallas County (Zehl).6 A big verdict tells you a firm will try a case. It does not tell you what your case is worth, and jury awards can be cut or reversed on appeal. Ask any lawyer how many trucking cases they have tried to verdict recently and who will handle your file day to day.
Truck accident lawyer near me: how to narrow this list
Start with firms that have an office in your metro, since truck cases need quick scene work and local court filings. Then check three things. First, look up the attorney in the State Bar of Texas directory to confirm a license in good standing.7 Second, see whether the attorney is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law at tbls.org.14 Third, ask whether the firm sends a preservation letter to the trucking company in the first days, because electronic logs and dash-camera video can be overwritten.31
How much does a truck accident lawyer cost in Texas
Every firm on this list that states its fee terms works on contingency: you pay nothing up front and the lawyer takes a share of what you recover.1, 5, 10, 13, 17, 21, 27, 28 None of the 11 firms publishes its percentage, so ask for it in writing before you sign, and ask whether it rises if the case goes to trial or appeal.1, 5, 10, 13, 15, 17, 20, 21, 23, 25, 27, 28 Also ask who pays case costs, such as experts, crash reconstruction and depositions, if you lose. Arnold & Itkin and Glasheen Valles & Inderman say they advance costs and charge nothing without a recovery.1, 10
Deadline to file a truck accident claim in Texas
Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003(a) gives you 2 years from the day the claim accrues to file a personal injury lawsuit. For a death, Section 16.003(b) sets the same 2 years and says the claim accrues on the day the injured person dies, not the crash date.30 Claims against a city, county or state agency can require written notice much sooner, so check that first if a government vehicle or road defect was involved.32 Source: Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003.
What to do after a semi or 18-wheeler crash in Texas
Get medical care first and keep every record. Call police so a crash report exists. Write down the truck company's name, USDOT number and trailer number from the cab door and trailer.33 Photograph the vehicles, skid marks and any spilled cargo, and get witness names. Do not give a recorded statement to the trucking company's insurer. Then call a lawyer soon: the truck's electronic logging device, engine data and dash video are the best proof of speed and driving hours, and the carrier controls them.31
18-wheeler crashes on I-10, I-35 and I-45
Several results above came from Texas interstates. The $12.45 million Williams Hart verdict arose from an 18-wheeler rear-ending a sedan on I-45 in Houston.18 Branson's $44.1 million verdict came from the 2021 I-35W ice-storm pileup in Fort Worth.16 Zehl's $37.5 million Dallas County verdict involved a truck driver parked on a highway shoulder.5, 6 Carlson's Travis County verdict involved an over-height load driven off its approved route.26 For I-10 crashes around El Paso and San Antonio, the local firms here are Glasheen Valles & Inderman, Tawney Acosta & Chaparro, Carlson and Salinas.3, 23, 25, 27
Oilfield truck accidents in West Texas
Water haulers, sand trucks and crew pickups crowd Permian Basin roads. Ammons won a $49 million Ector County verdict after an 18-wheeler turned across a driver near Midland.13 Glasheen Valles & Inderman lists a $15 million result for an oilfield pickup truck death and has an Odessa office.3, 10 Zehl has a Midland office.5 Oilfield crashes often involve an operator, a contractor and a trucking company, each with its own insurance, so the first job is sorting out who employed the driver and who owned the truck.
Trucking company insurance in Texas truck crashes
Interstate carriers must carry federal minimum liability coverage, and large fleets often carry more through excess policies.34 The insurer usually opens a file soon after a serious crash. Carriers often open at a fraction of the policy and verdicts in this practice regularly exceed the primary policy.26 A lawyer can demand every policy, including the freight broker's and shipper's, and can name the broker as a defendant when it hired an unsafe carrier.2, 9
Wrongful death after a Texas truck crash
When a truck crash kills someone, Texas law (Section 71.004) lets the surviving spouse, children and parents bring a wrongful death claim,35 and the estate can bring a separate survival claim.36 The 2-year clock in Section 16.003(b) runs from the date of death.30 Punitive damages are possible when a company was grossly negligent:37 the Branson verdict included $20 million in punitive damages,16 and the Mesilla Valley verdict included $7.5 million in punitive damages for one plaintiff.11 Families should keep funeral bills, the death certificate and the victim's pay records.
Board certified truck accident lawyers in Texas
The Texas Board of Legal Specialization certifies lawyers in Personal Injury Trial Law. Certification looks at a lawyer's trial experience in the field and requires passing an exam.38 Two lawyers on this list say on their own sites that they hold it: Rob Ammons and John David Hart.13, 28 Check any lawyer's status yourself with the TBLS Find a Board Certified Lawyer search; the specialty is described at tbls.org/specialtyarea/PI.38
Not sure? Use a bar referral service
Not sure? The State Bar of Texas Lawyer Referral & Information Service: (800) 252-9690, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central, texasbar.com LRIS page.39 A referred lawyer gives up to a 30-minute consultation for no more than $20.39 The State Bar service sends callers from Harris, Dallas, Bexar, Travis, Tarrant and Jefferson counties to those counties' own certified services;39, 40 the city section below lists the ones for Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin and Fort Worth.
By city
Houston
Arnold & Itkin, Zehl & Associates, The Ammons Law Firm, Williams Hart & Boundas Easterby and Kherkher Garcia all have Houston offices.1, 5, 12, 17, 20 Local referral: Houston Lawyer Referral Service, (713) 237-9429 or (800) 289-4577.40
Dallas
Arnold & Itkin, The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson and Kherkher Garcia have Dallas offices.1, 15, 20 Zehl & Associates won its $37.5 million verdict in Dallas County.6 Local referral: Dallas Bar Association, (214) 220-7444.40
San Antonio
George Salinas Injury Lawyers and The Carlson Law Firm have San Antonio offices, and Arnold & Itkin lists San Antonio among its Texas offices.1, 25, 27 Local referral: San Antonio Bar Association, salawhelp.org.40
Austin
Glasheen, Valles & Inderman (1703 West Ave) and The Carlson Law Firm (11606 N. I-35) have Austin offices.3, 25 Local referral: Lawyer Referral Service of Central Texas, (512) 472-8303.40
Fort Worth
The Law Offices of John David Hart is based in Fort Worth.28 Branson, in Dallas, won the $44.1 million verdict from the Fort Worth I-35W pileup and lists a DFW metro line, (972) 263-7452.15, 16 Local referral: Tarrant County Bar Association, (817) 336-4101.40
El Paso
Glasheen, Valles & Inderman (1101 Montana) and Tawney, Acosta & Chaparro (7016 Orizaba Ave) are both in El Paso, and both represented families in the $104 million Mesilla Valley verdict.3, 4, 11, 23 The State Bar's list of certified services shows no separate El Paso service, so use the State Bar line, (800) 252-9690.39, 40
Frequently asked questions
Who are the top rated truck accident lawyers in Texas?
Under our method, the top three are Arnold & Itkin, Glasheen Valles & Inderman and Zehl & Associates, based on published trucking verdicts from 2024 to 2026.2, 4, 6
How do I find a truck accident attorney near me in Texas?
Use the city section above, then confirm the lawyer's license in the State Bar of Texas directory and any board certification at tbls.org.7, 14
How much does a Texas truck accident lawyer cost?
The firms here that state fee terms work on contingency, so you pay nothing up front. None publishes its percentage; get it in writing.1, 5, 10, 13, 17, 21, 27, 28
How long do I have to file a truck accident lawsuit in Texas?
Two years under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003. For a death, the 2 years start on the date of death.30
What should I do right after an 18-wheeler accident?
Get medical care, call police, note the truck company's name and USDOT number, skip recorded statements to the insurer, and call a lawyer so truck data is preserved.
Can I sue the trucking company and not just the driver?
Often yes. Carriers, owners, shippers and freight brokers can share liability; the $604 million Dallas County verdict was against a freight broker as well as the trucking company and its driver.2, 9
Who handles oilfield truck accidents?
Zehl (Midland office), Glasheen Valles & Inderman (Odessa office) and Ammons (Ector County verdict) list Permian Basin truck work.3, 5, 13
Is there a low-cost lawyer referral service in Texas?
Yes. The State Bar of Texas LRIS at (800) 252-9690 arranges a consultation of up to 30 minutes for no more than $20.39
