Reeves County, Texas, is a site of Permian Basin drilling and active rig locations. Companies currently drilling in Reeves County include Helmerich & Payne Inc., Pioneer Energy Services Corp., Precision Drilling Corporation, Capstar Drilling, Ensign Energy Services Inc., Nabors Industries Ltd., Cactus Drilling Company, Noram Drilling, Big E Drilling, Frontier Drilling, and Scandrill Company.
All this industry activity means more oil and gas trucks on the road and more trucking accidents. In Reeves County alone, there were 17 people killed in crashes involving commercial vehicles in a recent year, as reported by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). In addition to traffic deaths in truck accidents, there were 57 possible injuries and 287 non-injury crashes.
What Causes These Truck Accidents?
Critical Event
In the Large Truck Crash Causation Study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), researchers assigned a “critical event” (action or event that put the vehicle on a course that made collision unavoidable) to each large truck involved in a crash. The three major critical events assigned to large trucks and their drivers were:
- Running out of the travel lane, into another lane or off the road (32%)
- Loss of control of the vehicle, due to traveling too fast for conditions, cargo shift, vehicle systems failure, poor road conditions, or other reasons (29%)
- Colliding with the rear of another vehicle in the truck’s travel lane (22%)
Critical Reason
Failures leading to critical events were labeled “critical reasons” in the study. Of the large trucks studied that were involved in crashes, 55% were assigned the critical reason for the accident. Classified in major categories, these failures leading to truck accidents were attributed to:
- Truck drivers (87%)
- Vehicle failure (10%)
- Environmental factors (3%)
Associated Factors
Researchers collected hundreds of factors for each vehicle involved in a crash. The top ten factors associated with large trucks and their drivers were:
- Brake problems
- Interruption of traffic flow (traffic congestion, previous accident)
- Prescription drug use
- Traveling too fast for conditions
- Unfamiliarity with the roadway
- Problems with the roadway
- Required to stop before a crash (crosswalk, traffic light)
- Over-the-counter drug use
- Inadequate surveillance
- Driver fatigue
Who Is Liable for Reeves Truck Accidents?
Even when a truck driver’s negligence clearly caused a crash, the trucking company may also be liable for injuries, depending on the circumstances; for example:
- Hiring an inexperienced driver or a driver who fails a drug test, if the driver caused the crash.
- Incentivizing drivers to work longer than allowed under FMCSA hours of service regulations, if fatigued driving led to a truck accident.
In addition to truck drivers and trucking companies, there are other parties potentially liable for truck accidents. These may include:
- Shippers or loaders of cargo, if the truck was overloaded or loaded improperly, and that was the underlying cause of the crash
- Oil companies, when truck accidents involve the transport of oil in the Permian Basin
- Third parties, if the trucking company leased the truck from a third party that failed to perform required maintenance
- Manufacturers of a vehicle, tires, or parts, if a defective part led to equipment failure and the trucking accident
Why You Need a Lawyer
Truck accidents are complex cases, involving federal regulations and multiple potentially liable parties. If you have been seriously injured or lost a loved one in a Reeves truck accident, your best course of action is to speak with an experienced truck accident lawyer right away. Sorey & Hoover, LLP can:
- Investigate your truck accident to determine cause and liability
- Collect and preserve evidence to support your case
- Build a strong claim for compensation
- Negotiate skillfully with the other side on your behalf
- Fight for the compensation you deserve in court, if necessary
After a serious truck accident that was someone else’s fault, call us at (903) 230-5600 to schedule a consultation. We can tell you if you have a case and what damages you may be entitled to claim.
