Oil and Gas Truck Accidents: A New Mexico Attorney Can Help

Serving injured motorists for over a decade

New Mexico’s oil boom brings with it a hazard to many of the state’s drivers – an upsurge in the number of oil and gas trucks on the road. Many of these vehicles can be seen travelling on Route 285, which connects southeast New Mexico to Texas’s oil-rich Permian Basin. However, they also make deliveries to Albuquerque, Santa Fe and other cities throughout the state.

With oil and gas trucks, the danger doesn’t just exist due to their size and weight. Since these vehicles carry large amounts of flammable material, an accident can result in an explosion, which can cause serious and fatal injuries to other road users.

Negligence often a factor

Accidents involving oil and gas trucks are almost always attributed to negligence from drivers and the companies that employ them. As New Mexico’s major highways and routes become congested with these massive vehicles, the danger greatly increases.

Common causes of oil and gas truck accidents include:

• Speeding and reckless driving: There is a high stress factor in the oil and gas trucking industry, which has a high driver turnover rate. Drivers are often put under pressure to meet their companies’ expectations. This can cause them to exceed the posted speed limit in order to make their deliveries. Reckless driving is also common and includes weaving in and out of lanes, tailgating, abrupt braking, and ignoring traffic signals.
• Driver inexperience: This type of industry has a high turnover rate. In order to keep the product moving, trucking companies often hire drivers with little or no experience. In some cases, oil and gas truck drivers lack the proper licensure to operate a large commercial vehicle.
• Drowsy driving: Working as an oil and gas truck driver can be exhausting and require many hours on the road. The federal hours-of-service rule only allows truck drivers to be on the road for up to 11 hours. However, drivers can still fall asleep at the wheel during that legal time period, especially if they didn’t’ get an adequate amount of rest on their off-time.
• Distracted driving: There is a lot of paperwork involved in hauling oil and gas. In order to save time, some truck drivers may handle their paperwork while driving. Additionally, drivers may become distracted by handheld devices and built-in vehicle features.
• Drunk or drug-impaired driving: Impaired driving isn’t just confined to car drivers. When oil and gas truck drivers operate their vehicles while intoxicated or impaired by drugs, they put other road users’ lives at risk.
• Vehicular factors: Defects involving oil and gas trucks can often result in an explosion. This can be attributed to fuel tanks that are filled beyond capacity or other faulty mechanical defects that can spark or ignite an explosion.

You need a competitive edge in your truck accident claim

Attorney Andras Szantho understands that dealing with oil and gas trucking companies is complex. These companies often have a lot of money to hire the best attorneys they can find. Their highly skilled team of insurance adjustors and investigators will go to great lengths to reduce or deny your claim. If you attempt to handle your claim alone, you may find yourself paying for your losses out of your own pocket. That’s not right.

If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, you need an attorney who understands how the system works and how to uncover the fullest extent of your compensation. Attorney Szantho has the extensive legal knowledge and competitive edge to hold trucking companies, and their drivers, accountable. Contact the Szantho Law Firm today to schedule a free case evaluation with a gas truck accident lawyer, or simply call toll free at 866-853-2462.