Truck driver fatigue is one of the most common ways truck accidents occur. In Texas and New Mexico, particularly in the Permian Basin, fatigued driving has reached epidemic proportions. The oil and gas industry requires a constant stream of 18-wheelers to deliver supplies to service the industry. As production in the area increases, the need for drivers is at an all-time high. Experienced truck drivers are no longer available, and young drivers who are minimally trained and lack any experience operating these large vehicles are now driving 18-wheelers and other commercial vehicles throughout the region.
While truck driver fatigue can impact truck drivers anywhere in America, the problem is far more extreme in the Permian Basin. Young, inexperienced drivers work for ten or eleven days straight, fourteen hours per day, with only four or five hours sleep, day after day. Young drivers want to make the most of the opportunity to earn up to $120,000 per year – but it is innocent people who are paying the price of their lack of experience – and lack of sleep.
Get the Legal Help You Need
Commercial vehicle accidents can lead to far more severe injuries than regular car accidents. If you or a family member were severely injured in a Permian Basin trucking accident, contact Sorey & Gilliland, LLP immediately for help. We have extensive experience and will answer your questions even if we can’t take your case.
Death Highway – US Rt 285
US Rt 285, is one of the main corridors used by the gas and oil industry, stretching between 285 Pecos, Texas, to Carlsbad, New Mexico, is now called “Death Highway” due to the high numbers of fatalities occurring each year. This highway was built long ago, in the 1920s, to service the farmers in the area. It was never intended to withstand the heavy traffic of the oil and gas industry. New roads are in the works, but until they are operational, any person who drives on this highway is putting themselves at risk of death. The combination of poor roads, with giant potholes, and tired, inexperienced drivers have proven to be deadly.
Fatigued Truck Drivers in the Permian Basin
The NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) has issued studies evaluating the effect of fatigued driving. While the trucking industry is a vital support to the oil and gas industry, the pressures of the job may not allow a driver to get sufficient rest. Nationally, one report reveals that trucks are involved in about 285,000 crashes each year, a shockingly high number.
Texas and New Mexico are two of the states where the problem is much more severe. The sustained traffic flow in the oil region of the Permian Basin, along with under slept drivers, has led to shocking numbers of deaths on the highways in the area. The study reveals that 87.2 percent of truck crashes were driver-related. Driver fatigue is among the most dangerous of all situations, posing risks equal to drunk driving.
The Increase in Deadly Truck Accidents in the Permian Basin
Ector County in Texas has reported more than 5,000 wrecks. Crashes in the Permian Basin are up 67 percent since 2016, with fatalities up 97 percent. If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident in the Permian Basin region, driver fatigue may have played a role. You deserve justice for what occurred.
People or Profits?
While the oil and gas industry has brought prosperity to both New Mexico and Texas, it has also brought pain, loss, and devastation to many individuals and families. These profits flow into the pockets of the gas and oil companies who may have failed to ensure others sharing the roads are safe from harm. Allowing a driver to operate an 80,000-pound vehicle with minimal training and lack of sleep puts all traveling these roadways at high risk of injury or death. The responsible parties must be held accountable.
Filing a Personal Injury Claim in a Fatigued Driver Accident
If you were injured in a truck accident or lost a loved one, you have the right to file a claim or lawsuit to recover financial damages. Fatigued truck driver accident cases are far more complex than a standard car accident. The complaint may name multiple parties, based upon the facts in the case. These large commercial trucks are in such heavy use that companies fail to maintain them as they should. Various safety systems can suddenly fail, such as tires, brakes, or hydraulic systems, leading to disaster. We advise you to enlist the assistance of a Texas personal injury lawyer, or a New Mexico personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after the accident. At Sorey & Gilliland, LLP, we offer a free case consultation, with no obligation.
Why Choose Sorey & Hoover, LLP?
Many law firms offer services in truck accident cases, and it may be challenging to know where to turn for help. At Sorey & Hoover, LLP, our attorneys believe that you deserve dedicated legal services from an attorney who is personally invested in you, your family, and your case.
Not every personal injury attorney has experience in case development and presentation at trial. As seasoned litigators, you can be confident your case is being handled by experienced legal professionals when under the care of the legal team at Sorey & Gilliland, LLP.
- Our firm focuses all legal work on personal injury.
- We offer personal, client-centered legal services.
- We will travel to meet you if you are unable to come to our office.
- We offer a free consultation and will answer questions, even if we don’t take on your case.
Call Sorey & Hoover, LLP Today.
We urge you to contact our legal team at Sorey & Hoover, LLP as early as possible after a fatigued driver accident in Texas or New Mexico. Call now and get your questions about filing an injury claim or lawsuit answered by a dedicated truck accident lawyer. You can reach us at (903) 230-5600.
