Trucking Accidents:

Moravcik Threadgill & Starry has the experience, resources and skills to stand up against the largest trucking, transportation, and oilfield companies.

Inexperienced Truck Drivers are operating in Midland, Odessa and the Permian Basin

Some of the world’s largest oil companies, production companies, drillers, and pipeline companies, including Oxy, Mustang, Pioneer, BP and ExxonMobil, are spending billions to get a foothold in West Texas. Unfortunately, there just aren’t enough experienced workers or drivers in the Permian Basin to meet their needs. New drivers and workers are being rushed to the fields without adequate training to perform their jobs safely. These companies are hiring fast food workers, restaurant workers, and retail workers to drive large complicated and dangerous trucks. To make matters even worse, the drivers are often illegally forced (or enticed with high pay) to work extremely long hours, often to the point of exhaustion. As a result, West Texas is seeing more truck and 18-wheeler crashes and oilfield accidents than ever before.

Midland-Odessa’s Highways are Now the Most Dangerous in the United States. Interstate 20 and the 250 Loop are referred to as “death traps” by the locals. Route 285 – the infamous “Death Highway” – is now one of the three most dangerous highways in the United States, with over 10,000 trucks and 18-wheelers using it to transport equipment and supplies every day. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of fatal and catastrophic truck and 18-wheeler accidents on West-Texas roads.

Causes of Truck and 18-Wheeler Accidents in West Texas

The causes of trucking accidents in West Texas, Midland, Odessa, and the Permian Basis varies. But some of the most frequent cases are:

• Driver inexperience
• Driver exhaustion and inadequate sleep
• Poor Signage on the Roads (which are frequently under construction)
• Unqualified Pilot Vehicle Drivers
• Failure of Employers to Enforce Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations
• Lack of proper maintenance and inspection of Trucks
• Intoxication
• Speeding (a “time is money” mentality)

Sadly, many drivers are turning to illegal drugs, like cocaine and methamphetamines, to stay awake for 20+ hours at a time. This epidemic is making the roads of West Texas extremely unsafe for the rest of us.

Trucking Company Tactics Can Be Effective Against Inexperienced Attorneys

Moreover, “profits over safety” is more pronounced in the Permian Basin than almost anywhere. Trucking company lawyers are experience and will fight and delay most cases. From “losing” critical evidence from the truck’s ECM (Black Box) to destroying the driver’s logbooks, there’s little the companies won’t do to avoid paying you and your family the damages you deserve. Trucking companies are also notorious for destroying or losing driving logs, training records, and other important evidence. This makes it difficult to develop and win a case. It is important to hire a law firm that has experience battling such tactics.

If you or a loved one were injured or tragically killed in a Truck or 18-Wheeler Accident, contact Moravcik Threadgill & Starry by submitting your case (on the right) or contacting us (below). We will answer your questions, explain your rights and options, and make sure you have the information you need to decide what’s best for you and your family.

All consultations are free, and you won’t pay us a dime unless we win your case.

More Information

• Determining Commercial Vehicle Accident And Injury Liability In Midland-Odessa
• Texas Interstate 20 Accidents: Who And How To Sue For Personal Injury
• Texas Trucking: Accidents and Injuries Across Midland-Odessa And Permian Basin

For more information on personal injury law, please click here.