New regulation might add more trucks to roads in Eagle Ford Shale area

Texas truck accident injury attorneys on the interplay of economics, regulations, and resident needs

Residents of the counties in the economically booming Eagle Ford Shale region have become concerned about the traffic hazards, safety issues, and rising number of truck-related accidents in their area. For the most part, it seems that locals try not to complain and look on the bright side of the economic equation rather than dwelling on its downsides.

But the problem of deteriorating roads and an alarming increase in the numbers of fatal truck-related accidents have caught the attention of government officials. A new federal safety rule takes effect next year that will limit the number of hours that truck drivers can legally drive. Our Texas truck accident injury attorneys point out that the new rule reduces flexibility regarding weekly hours drive times and requires more consistent rest periods.

The American Trucking Association (ATA) maintains, as expected, that the new rule won’t really add to safety. The ATA says that while truck drivers will have to drive fewer hours and get more rest breaks, industries will have to add more trucks and more drivers to the roads to make up for the shortfall in individual drivers’ drive times. On already crowded roads, where truckers already face pressure to shorten delivery times, this could increase risks of a deadly truck-related crash.

The ATA states that industries have already faced a shortage of truck drivers for the past decade. The organization says that nationwide, there’s currently a shortage of between 20,000 and 30,000 truck drivers. And that number is only expected to increase when the new federal safety rule goes into effect and industries must make up the shortfall in additional trucks and drivers.

Truck driving is actually a tough and stressful job. It requires long periods of time away from home and family, and all the stresses of driving present a daylong occupational hazard. And yearly turnover in the job can be between 70% and 90%. As the economy recovers, some truck drivers have been turning to construction jobs instead in order to stay closer to home.

The Eagle Ford Shale oil and gas companies have been using higher than average starting salaries for truck drivers to lure them to the region. A truck driver with a Class A commercial drivers license could start at $50,000 to $70,000 per year. Compare this to the $36,000 to $50,000 starting salary for local and regional distribution and delivery jobs and one can see why more truck drivers are flocking to the eagle Ford Shale development.

Our Texas truck accident injury attorneys predict that the Texas counties affected by the Eagle Ford Shale activity will see an increase in numbers of trucks, new truck drivers, and truck-related accidents once the federal regulation restricting drive times takes effect next year. We strongly support the new federal safety rule, yet local residents could feel the devastating effects in terms of traffic accidents and fatalities even more strongly than in recent years.

Learn what you can do to preserve your rights and win financial recovery after a devastating truck-related accident has injured you or your family. Download our Texas truck accident injury attorneys’ free book explaining the steps to take after a truck crash injury from our web page. The book is free to our readers and could help you cope successfully with the worst effects of a traumatic truck wreck.

South Texas oil boom, deteriorating roads, and truck wrecks

South Texas truck crash lawyers: Eagle Ford Shale development insights

South Texas oil and natural gas development in the Eagle Ford Shale region is bringing new levels of prosperity to the state. This South Texas shale development boasts, on average, about 200 oil-producing wells and 70 natural gas-producing wells. A typical well might average from around 300 to 600 barrels per day at peak production times.

The large shale development of the Montana and North Dakota region typically only averages about half that, in spite of having horizontal lateral reaches in the oil reservoirs that are around twice as long as in the Eagle Ford Shale. So the South Texas development remains the top producer and brings in stunning amounts of revenue to the state and to the companies that work the oil and gas development.

But all is not good. Our South Texas truck crash lawyers point out that the vast number of truck trips required to service fracking operations in the region has taken their toll on local roads. The trucks plying the region might be heavily loaded with sand, water, pipes, heavy equipment, oil, or gas. And sleepy rural roads are deteriorating quickly under the strain.

The huge increase in traffic along with damaged, unreliable roads are leading to increasing numbers of fatal truck wrecks. The elevated risk of fatal truck wrecks has state and county officials, as well as local residents, much worried.

Some counties have proposed transportation fees like access and impact fees to help mitigate the damage caused by the increased truck traffic and to provide funds for improving and repairing local roads, in part to help prevent fatal truck wrecks. Oil and gas companies are balking at the idea. But ultimately, our South Texas truck crash lawyers believe that the companies and the state are likely going to have to share oil and gas revenues more widely with affected Eagle Ford Shale counties in order to keep production activities and the trucking that enables it to operate.

If you or a loved one were harmed in an Eagle Ford Shale truck wreck, contact the experienced South Texas truck crash lawyers at Denena & Points to learn the steps you need to take to protect your rights and obtain just financial compensation for your injuries. Our Texas Board Certified personal injury attorneys have the expertise and skill that could point you to a full financial recovery.

We’ve been successfully aiding clients with both aggressive settlement negotiations and courtroom trial matters for almost 15 years. Our in-depth knowledge of the law has led numerous clients to multi-million dollar recoveries. We could help you too. Call or contact us online today to schedule your free initial consultation.

Avoid truck collisions with trains at South Texas crossings

Every year our Texas truck collision injury attorneys see a few major news stories involving truck collisions with trains, either Amtrak or freight trains, at railway crossings. Sometimes the truck has gotten stuck on the tracks before a collision. Occasionally a truck driver tries to beat a train across the railway and doesn’t quite make it.

Approximately every three to four hours, a train collides with a vehicle or a pedestrian somewhere in the U.S. Many of the truck collisions with trains occur at rural crossings that don’t have the automatic gates and flashing lights you might be accustomed to in urban areas. In Eagle Ford Shale country, with its endless miles of rural roads that have only in recent years seen heavy traffic, some of these barely noticeable railway crossings can be dangerous for the many truck drivers operating rigs for the oil and gas companies.

Truck drivers in the Eagle Ford Shale country should be aware that a train could approach a crossing at any time. Modern trains are relatively quiet, and you might not hear them approach, especially if you have music on or you’re on your cell phone. Our Texas truck collision injury attorneys emphasize that freight trains don’t go by reliable, fixed schedules. And as anyone who has ridden Amtrak well knows, passenger train progress can vary widely from the “schedule.”

Drivers approaching a railway crossing are required to stop at least 15 feet away from the nearest rail if they see or hear a railroad crossing signal, a lowered gate bar across the tracks, a flagger warning of a train’s approach, or an approaching train. The driver must remain stopped until the railroad-crossing signal disengages and it is safe to proceed. Or, in the absence of a signal, when the train has sufficiently cleared the crossing area and it is safe to proceed.

Truck collisions with trains are mostly preventable given reasonable safety precautions. Truck drivers and others in Eagle Ford Shale country should always err on the side of caution. Clearly if you collide with a train in any way, it was not safe to proceed. Learn more about what to do in the event of a train collision in this article by our Texas truck collision injury attorneys.

Tips to avoid a Texas Eagle Ford Shale rollover or jackknife accident

Eagle Ford Shale truck accident attorneys: Commercial truck accidents are an everyday feature of life these days in the busy world of the Texas Eagle Ford Shale development. A large number of these accident result in serious or fatal injuries. So many trucks operate over the roads of the South Texas region, and they’re often in such a hurry, that truck rollovers and jackknife accidents seem unavoidable.

But commercial truck accidents are almost always avoidable with proper loading, careful driving, and thorough truck maintenance. Some of the Eagle Ford Shale truck wrecks result from under-steering or from over-steering. Many Eagle Ford Shale rollover accidents result from heavy trucks’ inherent yaw instability.

Our Eagle Ford Shale truck accident attorneys note that a truck’s yaw is its rotation tendency around its vertical axis. A truck’s yaw will focus on the point where the tractor joins to the trailer. The flexibility at this juncture is what allows such large and heavy trucks to maneuver around corners and curves. But it can also lead to a snaking motion.

As a truck travels at speed, a sudden change in steering direction, to change lanes or take a curve, can lead to oscillation in the trailer or cause it to sway from side to side. The higher the speed, the greater the motion. And the presence of additional combination trailers will magnify the effect. This yaw instability effect can result in a dangerous Eagle Ford Shale rollover accident with injuries or fatalities.

Various factors exist that could increase the yaw instability effect and a truck’s potential for an Eagle Ford Shale rollover accident. These factors include the condition of the road on which the truck is operating, the speed at which the vehicle is traveling, the distribution of the truck’s cargo load, the stiffness of the vehicle’s suspension, the placement of the truck’s fifth wheel, and the condition of the vehicle’s tires. Worn tires are often a factor in causing dangerous rollover accidents, even in passenger vehicles.

To minimize your potential for an Eagle Ford Shale rollover accident or jackknife wreck, you probably know the tips to follow in operating your truck:

• Load and secure your truck’s cargo with care. Suddenly shifting cargo carries the potential for deadly rollover wrecks and jackknife accidents.
• Perform a thorough check of your truck and cargo distribution prior to taking to the road.
• Get plenty of sleep to avoid the dangers of driver fatigue.
• Use caution when taking corners and curves and passing other vehicles.
• Try to maintain a safe gap between your truck and the vehicles ahead of you. Our Eagle Ford Shale truck accident attorneys understand that on the crowded roads in the Eagle Ford Shale area, it might be difficult to maintain a safe gap. But giving yourself the distance to maneuver or stop when you need provides an extra safety measure that could save you from a dangerous wreck.
• Apply brakes carefully, especially when your truck is lightly loaded to avoid the danger of a jackknife accident or skid.
• Avoid over-steering and under-steering.

If you’ve been injured in a truck rollover or jackknife accident, contact our Eagle Ford Shale truck accident attorneys for a free and confidential legal consultation. Our more than 14 years of practical experience and knowledge successfully helping injured truck crash victims could provide the guidance you need to make a full financial recovery for your injuries and losses from the wreck.

As Texas Board Certified attorneys, our personal injury expertise is a cut above what you might find with less specialized lawyers. Contact the Eagle Ford Shale truck accident attorneys at Denena & Points for your free consultation and let us put our knowledge and skill to work for you.

Eagle Ford Shale truck rollover danger from hauling additional trailer

Eagle Ford Shale truck accident lawyers: The Eagle Ford Shale development has generated a huge amount of economic prosperity in the region. As the regional economy has boomed, so has the number of large, commercial trucks on local roads. Roads that, for the most part, were never anticipated to carry large amounts of heavy truck traffic.

The accompanying boom in serious and fatal truck accidents in the Eagle Ford Shale region has local residents, law enforcement officers, and Texas experts on traffic safety concerned. Part of the increase in these fatal truck accidents in the Eagle Ford Shale region might stem from the difficulty of maneuvering heavily-loaded commercial trucks over narrow, now damaged roads never designed for such traffic. And the shortage of available truck drivers has led some companies to use double and even triple trailers when possible.

Tractor-trailer trucks have a rearward amplification effect when changing trajectory that causes the trailer to swing outward a bit, then swing back. Our Eagle Ford Shale truck accident lawyers point out that the effect is magnified with the addition of extra trailers. The result could be a truck rollover when the truck has part of its massive weight on one side of the pulling tractor and part of its weight shifting in the other direction.

Lane changes, curves, and turns have to be taken very carefully, smoothly, and at appropriate speeds to avoid truck rollover dangers. This can be a challenge on the damaged and narrow roads in the Eagle Ford Shale region, especially when they are packed with other drivers all in a hurry. Driving heavy trucks with combination trailers take particular skill and experience. Driving these double and triple combinations on crowded, narrow, and pot-holed Eagle Ford Shale roads takes special skill and experience.

The Eagle Ford Shale development has seen an alarming increase in fatal truck accidents. Our Eagle Ford Shale accident lawyers urge regional oil and gas companies to ensure that their drivers are properly trained and licensed to operate the heavy commercial trucks, and that those operating combination trailers have additional training, testing, and the proper endorsement on their licenses.

Companies should refrain from urging their drivers to make hauls at the end of long shifts. And truckers should do their safety checks and loading prior to beginning a haul with care. Around 300 truck drivers have lost their lives in recent years from fatal truck accidents and truck rollovers in the Eagle Ford Shale region. With proper safety precautions in mind, the drivers could be their own first line of defense in preventing dangerous commercial truck crashes.

If you or a loved one were injured in an Eagle Ford Shale truck accident and you need help, contact our Eagle Ford Shale truck accident lawyers for a free and confidential consultation. We have more than 14 years of experience successfully handling all sorts of truck accident injury and wrongful death claims on behalf of our clients.

We have helped them make the full financial recoveries they deserve for their needless injuries, including recoveries in the hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars. Don’t let high-powered trucking companies deny you the compensation you deserve. Hire the aggressive and knowledgeable, Texas Board Certified truck accident personal injury lawyers at Denena & points to obtain the just compensation you deserve to get your life back on track after a traumatic truck crash.

Importance of adequate truck cargo restraints in preventing accidents

Houston truck cargo accident attorneys: Yesterday in Corpus Christi, Texas, a loaded 18-wheeler lost its cargo load while negotiating a curve on North Padre Island Drive. Corpus Christi police, who responded to the truck cargo accident, said that the trucker had attached the 48,000-pound load to the 18-wheeler with six 5,000-pound cargo straps. In other words, the trucker was using restraints designed to hold 30,000 pounds to try and keep 48,000 pounds in place.

When the physical forces involved in taking the curve caused the inadequately restrained load to shift, the shifting cargo load actually bent the frame of the truck’s trailer. The falling cargo caused the 18-wheeler to jackknife on the side of North Padre Island Drive. (Source: Ben Lloyd, kristv.com, 9/6/12)

The truck cargo accident and cleanup delayed traffic for several hours. But curiously enough, news reports say that the driver did not receive any violation citations. Our Houston truck cargo accident attorneys point out that federal regulations require truckers to check their cargo loads for adequate restraint before taking to the road. So the 18,000-pound difference in restraint capacity for the fallen cargo seems to constitute a violation. The driver was indeed a lucky trucker: no citations and apparently no injuries either.

Truck cargo accidents where an 18-wheeler’s load falls into the road from inadequate restraint can cause serious and even fatal injuries. Especially at night, when fallen cargo presents a hazard that other drivers won’t see until it’s too late to safely stop, fallen cargo is an unnecessary hazard on Texas roads

If you have been injured in a falling cargo accident, contact the experienced, Texas Board Certified Houston truck cargo accident attorneys at Denena & Points for a free and confidential legal consultation. Let our personal injury expertise be your guide to the full financial recovery you deserve following injury from a hazardous truck cargo accident.

Dealing with post traumatic stress disorder after a TX truck accident

Houston 18-wheeler accident attorneys: Texas truck accidents cause devastation in victims’ lives every day. A tractor-trailer crash can easily be fatal. Underride and other accidents lead to disabling injuries and a lifetime of medical expenses. But the physical injuries aren’t the only problems from which victims suffer and for which they deserve compensation.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often follows a tractor-trailer crash. PTSD leaves its victims unable to sleep, work, or live a normal life. Victims might feel irritable and tired and find themselves unwilling to socialize, avoiding social situations altogether. Personal relationships and work obligations suffer as a result.

Our Houston 18-wheeler accident attorneys realize that about 10% of Texas truck accident victims will find themselves suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder. And they might not realize why they’re still suffering after their physical wounds have healed. PTSD victims need counseling and therapy to recover from this additional burden following a tractor-trailer crash.

PTSD symptoms include:

• Panic attacks, anxiety, or nausea when you recall the accident;
• Nightmares and/or flashbacks about the tractor-trailer crash;
• Inability to talk about the accident to others;
• Difficulty relaxing or sleeping;
• Fear of being back out on the road;
• Agoraphobia;
• Fear of being alone;
• Unusual irritability;
• Fear of social situations;
• Fear of loud noises; and/or
• New dependence on drugs or alcohol to escape.

Your struggle with the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder might negatively affect your life long after your physical injuries from the Texas truck accident have healed. You might need lengthy and expensive psychological therapies to help you cope with the aftermath of your tractor-trailer crash.

But you need to ask for help to alleviate your suffering. The experienced Houston 18-wheeler accident attorneys at Denena & Points could guide you in your quest to obtain fair compensation for your pain and suffering after a traumatic Texas truck accident. Contact us for a free and confidential legal consultation regarding your accident and PTSD problems.

On inexperienced drivers behind the wheel of massive semi trucks

Our Houston wrongful death lawyers were appalled to hear of the tragic death of two Texas women killed by a 16-year-old driving a big rig. The teenager was behind the wheel of a Volvo truck hauling horses to Wyoming after a rodeo in Oklahoma.

The Volvo truck left the road of I-70 east of Denver, CO around 6:30 in the morning and struck and killed the two women as they changed a tire. The women, Amanda Oyo-Iyamu of Carrollton and Shun Jones of Balch Springs, probably never even knew what hit them.

The teenager had been behind the wheel of the Volvo truck with his father, 37-year-old Michel Martin, in the truck cab with him. Reportedly, just moments after the fatal tractor-trailer wreck, Martin’s friends, who had been in a vehicle traveling behind the truck, picked up the teen and left the scene. The father tried to take the heat for the fatal impact. (Source: Jonathan Betz, WFAA, 7/16/2012)

Our Houston wrongful death lawyers find it understandable, maybe even laudable, that the father tried to take the blame for his son for the fatal impact. But there’s no getting around that the father’s mistake in letting the child drive the heavy truck on the highway in the first place contributed to the two tragic deaths.

Here in Texas, it’s not that unusual to have teens drive large trucks and farm vehicles on rural roads. But our Houston wrongful death lawyers point out that letting them take the wheel on the interstates at highway speeds is another matter. Maybe the father was fatigued and thought he’d let his son take the wheel for a while so that they didn’t have to pull off the road to rest.

Even if the teen was accustomed to taking farm trucks and vehicles out on the roads from time to time, there’s no getting around the fact that it takes time and experience to learn to drive safely, account for all highway hazards around a vehicle, and react safely to the various situations you might encounter while behind the wheel.

Driving a complex and massive heavy truck takes even more time and care than driving a lighter, smaller passenger vehicle. Loaded livestock trucks react more slowly to commands to turn and stop. The trucks contain more complex gearboxes and controls than passenger vehicles. And their huge weight adds to the momentum that can impel them forward into deadly impacts.

We can’t know for certain if the father would have avoided leaving I-70 in that early morning hour or if he would have reacted more effectively if he noticed the truck veering from the roadway. But his experience behind the wheel could have made a crucial difference to the two women changing the tire.

Now Martin faces the charge of filing a false police report and his son faces two felony charges of leaving the scene of the fatal wreck as well as two misdemeanor charges for negligent driving causing death. And a Texas family suffers the loss of two beloved relatives. It was negligent for the father to allow his teenage son, who could not have had sufficient experience driving, to take the wheel of that livestock truck that morning.

Driver negligence can happen anywhere at any time. Learn what to do if you and your family suffer grievous losses because of another person’s negligence. Download our Houston wrongful death lawyers’ free, informative book on your essential steps to a full financial recovery after a serious wreck. It’s available to our readers with a click on this web page.

Why you need a genuine truck accident lawyer after your Houston injury

If you’ve been injured in an accident with a commercial truck, you’ll find all kinds of lawyers out there that say they can help you. But commercial truck accident injury claims are complex, require highly technical proof, and are hotly contested by well-financed defense teams sent in by the insurance companies and trucking companies.

To win your case and the full financial recovery you deserve after a trucker or trucking company negligence has caused you harm, you need the skilled services of a Houston truck accident lawyer that has built a long-term, successful practice around commercial truck accident injury cases.

At Denena & Points, we have done just that. For more than 14 years, we’ve been negotiating favorable settlements and taking cases through trial where necessary to win our clients the just monetary compensation they deserve for their injuries. Chad Points came out of the trucking industry. He knows how the trucking companies work, and where to find the clear and convincing evidence you will need to win your claim.

Our Houston truck accident lawyers know what to look for at the accident scene and in the vehicles involved in a wreck to pinpoint the parties responsible for causing your accident. We’re completely familiar with the truck accident case process from start to finish. We know the procedural rules, filing deadlines, and process you will need to follow to win your case.

We’ve been working with qualified technical and mechanical experts for years that could help explain crucial evidence for your accident case in court. We know the focus and the weaknesses of various experts in the field to give us a solid foundation for calling into question defense witnesses’ testimony in court.

Insurance companies and the major trucking companies know our long track record and our reputation as dedicated Houston truck accident lawyers. They know when a lengthy court case can’t help them win. Our reputation could help you reach a more favorable conclusion on your case sooner than you would with an attorney who only handles an occasional truck accident case.

Let our in-depth knowledge, dedication, and reputation help you obtain the full financial compensation that you need to help yourself and your family after a horrific truck accident injury. Call experienced Houston truck accident lawyers Tony Denena & Chad Points today for a free legal consultation. Let us help.

Picture the worst that could happen in a highway tanker truck accident

Are you prepared to deal with a devastating truck accident and injuries or fatalities? Would you know what to do or how to go about seeking rightful compensation for your losses from the accident?

The Baytown truck accident lawyers at Denena & Points could help. For more than 14 years, we’ve been successfully handling complex truck accident injury and wrongful death claims for injured victims and their families.

Tanker truck accidents can be among the worst crashes for both the truck drivers and others on the road around them due to the large amounts of highly combustible fuels that the trucks carry. As an example, a tanker truck that exploded in Nigeria today after it crashed claimed the lives of 95 people.

The Nigerian tanker truck veered off the road to ovoid a head-on collision with oncoming buses. The accident occurred on a major highway that was undergoing expansion. But at the site where the wreck happened, the highway was still a single lane roadway, forcing traffic approaching from opposite directions to negotiate safe passage through the single lane.

When the Nigerian tanker truck veered away from the oncoming buses near Okogbe town, it landed in a ditch and overturned. The rollover caused the tanker to spill its fuel. And at least 95 people from the surrounding impoverished area rushed to the scene to scoop up the free, spilled fuel. The fuel somehow ignited and the fuel and tanker exploded, killing 95 and injuring 50 others.

Our Baytown truck accident lawyers note that news accounts of the tragedy said that the cause of the explosion was not yet known. Deadly highway crashes with large numbers of fatalities are an unfortunately common occurrence in Nigeria where corruption reportedly hinders or delays badly needed road maintenance projects. The high fatality numbers are attributed in large part to the poor state of the country’s infrastructure. Nigerian roadways are often decades old, poorly maintained, and filled with large potholes. And many drivers disregard traffic laws.

Here in the U.S., our infrastructure and road maintenance is in a much better condition. But tanker truck wrecks can still prove fatal for truck drivers and nearby passenger vehicle occupants. Learn the essential steps you need to take to make a successful truck accident injury claim. Download our Baytown truck accident lawyers’ free book on how to cope with truck accidents from this web page.