Texas Truck Accident Lawyer

An 18-wheeler crash is not like a passenger vehicle crash. For starters, trucking accidents cause far more property damage and bodily injuries. Further, you can be assured that the trucking company and its insurance companies will immediately begin working hard to shift responsibility from the truck driver or the trucking company to the victim or someone else to try to escape responsibility for the truck accident, which is why it is crucial that you choose a trucking crash law firm with experience.

Car accidents, despite popular belief, are nothing like truck accidents. In addition to the size of the vehicles and substantial differences in force and momentum, truck accident cases are won or lost based on the lawyer’s understanding of the technology that trucking companies and their drivers use to monitor the movement, speed, fuel consumption and driving activity of the trucks. A proper investigation is crucial when it comes to an 18-wheeler accident claim.

Unlike a typical auto accident, a truck accident lawyer has to thoroughly understand the federal and state regulations that govern the companies and their drivers. Additionally, your lawyer should know how to review and “audit” the truck driver’s logbook to determine if the driver is in compliance with those laws.

When an employee is acting as an agent for the company, the company is, generally, responsible for the actions of their employees. This means that when a company vehicle is involved in an accident, the driver and the company may be liable for damages. The driver may be responsible if negligence played a role in the accident. In addition, employers may be liable for:

• Negligent supervision
• Negligent hiring practices
• Failure to verify proper licensing/ certification
• Improperly training drivers
• Failure to maintain vehicle

If an employee is using a company car for personal business at the time of the accident, the company owner can still be held liable in this situation. A car owner is required to use due care when allowing someone to drive the vehicle. If the company failed to check the employee’s driving record or should have known that the employee had medical or other conditions that impacted the operation of the vehicle, it can be found liable for negligent entrustment of the vehicle.

As with other types of accidents, there are three types of damages that a Carlson Law Firm 18-wheeler crash attorney can help you recover:

• Economic damages: losses that can be strictly quantified, such as medical bills, damages property and lost wages;
• Noneconomic damages: Pain and suffering, for example.
• Punitive damages: sometimes awarded by a jury for no other purpose than to punish an especially egregious offender.

Of course, the types of damages which you are eligible to collect will vary significantly based on the precise nature of your case and the quality of legal representation you choose.

With Texas experiencing an oil boom, there have been significant increases in deadly car crashes in the Midland-Odessa area. While many believe that the economic downturn would lead to safer roads, there has been more than 60 deadly car crashes in the Permian Basin by mid-2020. Because of the economic growth in the area, roads cannot keep up with traffic. West Texas roads were designed for slow moving farm equipment, not the large 18-wheelers or semi-trucks that carry tons of materials up and down the highway.

Route 285

Route 285 is west of Midland-Odessa and runs through Fort Stockton and Pecos, Texas up through Carlsbad, New Mexico. Many consider the highway to be the deadliest in the country—earning it the nickname Death Highway.

Negligent West Texas Trucking Companies

There are several issues that are contributing to the severity of trucking crashes in the Texas Permian Basin.

1. Trucks traveling in the Midland-Odessa area are often overloaded and carrying more weight than the truck was likely designed for.
2. 18-wheelers require a significant amount of maintenance and are often operating on public roads without proper inspections.
3. Because of the high demand for oil, trucking companies often hire inexperienced drivers. This can lead to younger, more inexperienced drivers.
4. Driver fatigue can play a significant factor in West Texas trucking crashes.

Oil and Gas Production Crash Statistics

In addition to crashes along U.S. Highway 285, there has been a significant increase in crashes across Texas’ five major oil and gas production regions. For example, in 2018, these regions accounted for close to half of all traffic deaths in the state. In 2019, there were 198,645 vehicle crashes across the state’s energy region. The following is regions account for nearly half of Texas’ traffic fatalities.

• Barnett Shale: 109,597 traffic crashes resulted in 710 fatalities and 3,400 serious injuries.
• Eagle Ford Shale: 21,443 traffic crashes resulted in 258 fatalities and 782 serious injuries.
• Granite Wash: 8,674 traffic crashes resulted in 86 fatalities and 324 serious injuries.
• Haynesville/Bossier Shale: 9,512 traffic crashes resulted in 134 fatalities and 352 serious injuries.
• Permian Basin: 49,410 traffic crashes resulted in 485 fatalities and 1,321 serious injuries.

Hurt in a Midland 18-Wheeler Crash?

A West Texas 18-wheeler accident requires the local knowledge of a West Texas lawyer. There is value in hiring local counsel that drive your roads and work side by side with you. The injury lawyers at The Carlson Law Firm understand that unsafe drivers and unsafe vehicles are what make the roads dangerous. We can help you hold those drivers accountable for injuries that you or your family have suffered. A Midland 18-Wheeler Accident Lawyer is conveniently located at:

900 Loop 250 Frontage Road Suite B
Midland, TX 79705