Oil & Gas Trucking in Texas: The Dangers of Oil & Gas Truck Accidents & Who’s Liable
July 1, 2019
The oil and gas industry is one of the most dangerous industries to work in.1 Of all the risks oilfield and gas workers face, the single biggest threat to their lives is truck accidents.
To help the victims of oil and gas truck accidents, below, we have answered some commonly asked questions about these wrecks. While this information is generally helpful, please don’t hesitate to contact a truck accident attorney at the Amaro Law Firm whenever you are ready for answers and advice regarding your potential claim.
Have You or a Loved One Been Hurt in a Truck Accident?
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What Are Oil & Gas Truck Accidents So Prevalent?
Oil & Gas Trucking in Texas: The Dangers of Oil & Gas Truck Accidents & Who’s Liable
While various factors can cause these trucking wrecks, some of the most significant contributing factors include:
- Exemptions from hours-of-service (HOS) regulations: These regulations, enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, are intended to prevent fatigued driving by limiting the hours that truckers can be behind the wheel. Since the 1960s, oil and gas truckers have been exempt from some of these HOS rules. That means that more of these truckers are driving for extended periods of time, increasing the risk of trucker fatigue and crashes.
- Long shifts: It’s not uncommon for oil and gas workers to work shifts that are 17 hours or more. In many cases, it’s after these marathon shifts that workers are getting behind the wheel to operate a huge, complicated truck carrying flammable, volatile material. This is another way in which driver fatigue has been a big problem for oil and gas truckers.
- Lack of training: When a boom happens, petroleum and gas companies scramble to hire quickly and meet the demand. That commonly leads to unqualified workers get assigned to tasks they’re not equipped to handle. While that can mean failing to take the proper safety cautions, it can also result in poor judgment and catastrophic missteps.
Who’s Liable for Oil & Gas Trucking Accidents in Texas?
Liability for an oil and gas truck wreck will depend on who’s responsible for causing the accident. In some cases, one party may be solely responsible; in others, multiple parties may share fault. Those who are commonly liable for these types of commercial trucking accidents can include:
- Equipment manufacturers: These companies can be liable if equipment malfunctions and causes accidents due to faulty equipment design or subpar construction. For example, if an inherently faulty brake system causes a wreck, the manufacturer may be responsible for the resulting damage.
- Oil and gas companies: If these company’s policies and procedures (or safety violations and oversights) cause truck wrecks, the company will likely be liable.
- Trucking companies: Motor carriers may be at fault for oil and gas truck accidents if, when they are working as contractors for oil and gas companies, they hire unsafe or unqualified drivers, violate safety regulations, or fail to maintain safe trucks.
- Truck drivers: If distracted, impaired, unqualified, or otherwise negligent truckers fail to safely operate their vehicles and cause wrecks, they can be liable for that accident.
- Other drivers: If the misbehaviors or illegal actions of other motorists on the road play a role in causing a wreck, they will be at least partially at fault for it.
- Others: Depending on the circumstances, any number of other parties can be liable for oil and gas truck accidents. For instance, a city or county may be at fault if their construction crews haven’t properly set up work zone areas and the poor setup contributes to a crash.
An attorney at the Amaro Law Firm can help you determine who’s liable for your injuries if you’ve been hurt in any type of oil and gas truck accident. The sooner you get answers about liability, your rights, and your legal actions, the sooner you can take action to:
- Hold the at-fault parties responsible for harming you
- Get on the path to recovery and justice.
A Truck Accident Attorney at the Amaro Law Firm Can Help You Recover: Contact Us
If you or a loved one has been hurt in any type of truck wreck, you can rely on an experienced truck accident attorney at the Amaro Law Firm for exceptional advocacy in the pursuit of justice and recovery. We proudly represent accident victims, injured workers, and others, working relentlessly to bring their cases to successful resolutions.
Call (713) 955-5521 or Contact Us
for a Free, Confidential, No-Obligation Case Evaluation
Truck Wreck Attorneys of The Amaro Law Firm’s record of success and exceptional advocacy in truck accident cases has earned us 5-star ratings on Google and Facebook, glowing testimonials from former clients, and a 10 rating on Avvo.
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