There is an increasingly common—and frightening—overlap between oilfields and auto/truck accidents in Texas, leaving families at risk of losing a loved one. In fact, according to the Houston Chronicle, statewide, commercial vehicle accidents have increased by more than 50 percent since 2009 due to the state’s ongoing drilling and fracking boom. But what is the connection, specifically?
Sadly, one family found out recently: the Gomez family lost their wife and mother, Vilma Marenco, due to an accident that occurred in September of last year, when a trucker (who had no insurance and no valid state license) who was hauling pipe for an oilfield hauling company allegedly ran a red light and hit her car. Marenco was less than a mile away from her home in Houston when the tractor-trailer (full of metal pipe) struck her car and crushed it.
Texas Is the #1 State for Commercial Truck Highway Deaths
As highway deaths drop in other states, accidents in Texas—particularly those involving commercial trucks—are on the rise since the state’s oil drilling and fracking boom began in 2008. Since then, Texas has led every other state with the highest number of motor vehicle deaths each year. And the trends do not indicate that the rate of these accidents will slow anytime soon.
Accidents Highest In Oil/Gas-Related Counties
How can surveyors tell that the increase in auto accidents is specifically linked to the state’s oil and gas industries? Records indicate that fatal accidents are increasing more in the particular counties where the roads are more frequently used specifically by tractor-trailers, tanker trucks, and vans hauling materials and workers to oil and gas well sites. These counties include those associated with the Permian Basin, Eagle Ford counties, and Barnett Shale counties.
“Road Check”
Each year, state troopers have found that around 30 percent of the commercial trucks in Texas should not be operating at all due to life-threatening safety issues, such as defective brakes or intoxicated drivers. In addition, the number of trucks that fail to meet basic federal and state road safety standards are on the increase overall.
The truck that killed Marenco was linked to an unlicensed Houston trucking company that had previously failed safety audits and, regardless, continued to use defective trucks. The specific truck that crashed into Marenco’s car was found to have a dozen or so defects, including faulty brakes.
Zehl & Associates | Experienced Injury Attorneys Covering Houston, Austin, and Dallas
When accidents like these injury and/or kill someone, they indicate a reckless, wanton disregard for the basic laws and safety.
The lawyers at Zehl & Associates provide experienced and aggressive representation for victims of injuries. In the past five years alone, our lawyers have recovered more than $1 Billion in compensation for injury victims in Texas and nationwide. To speak with a lawyer at the firm with the #1 largest accident verdict in Texas, call Zehl & Associates at (888) 984-1135 or request a free consultation online today.