Truck Accidents Archives

Fracking boom in Texas has increase highway fatalities

Texas readers are aware of the increase in oil drilling in Texas, specifically with respect to hydraulic fracturing.

Better known as “fracking,” the process involves the breaking apart of underground rock formations by hydraulically pressurized liquid in order to access oil deposits. As the industry has boomed in recent years, many Texans have seen an increased amount of oil and gas worker trucks on the roadway. This, in turn, has lead to an increase in truck accidents.
In particular, accidents involves the death of three or more people—sometimes called triple tragedies—have become increasingly common, increasing from 72 in 2010 to 101 in 2012. In 201, the number increased to 148, and a total of 81 had died as of this July. Some roadways, naturally, have been more affected than others in term of these accidents, such as I-20 in the Permian Basin.

The increase in highway accidents in Texas has increased since the oil boom began in 2008 despite the overall decrease in highway accidents nationwide in recent decades. Though it isn’t clear how much of the recent increase is directly due to the oil industry, the timing seems to indicate a connection.

The important thing for readers to understand is that those who are harmed by a truck driver who has acted negligent have the right to seek compensation in personal injury litigation. Working with an experienced personal injury attorney is important in order to build up a strong case and ensure adequate compensation at the end of the process.

Source: Expressnews.com, “As fracking has grown, so have fatalities on roads,” Lise Olsen, September 23, 2014.