Auto Accidents Increase Sharply In Eagle Ford Shale Region Of South Texas
Auto accidents in the Eagle Ford Shale region of Texas increased by 98 percent during a recent two-year period, raising concerns about road safety and the increased risk of serious Texas car accidents due to oil and natural gas development in the region.
Our San Antonio car accident lawyers were alarmed by the statistics released by Texas Department of Public Safety. According to the report published by MySanAntonio.com, the total number of motor vehicle crashes in Karnes, LaSalle and Dimmit counties increased by 98 percent between 2009 and 2011. And during that same time period in the same three Texas counties, the number of crashes involving commercial vehicles increased by 470 percent.
The report also cautions that other counties could be at risk of more auto accidents due to additional pending drilling permits. The other Texas counties at risk of more motor vehicle accidents include Dewitt, McMullen, Webb and Zavala.
The Eagle Ford Shale play in South Texas contains one of the world’s largest oil and natural gas reserves. The oil and gas industry there has produced numerous jobs. But our Eagle Ford Shale accident lawyers know that work-related injuries have been common, often due to exploratory drilling rig accidents and hydraulic fracking accidents.
Reports about disputes over wages and hours involving oil and gas workers are also common in the Eagle Ford Shale region.
But it’s the sharp rise in motor vehicle accidents in the region that has people extremely concerned. One recent accident in Karnes County involved a pickup driver who fell asleep and hit both an 18-wheeler and a school bus, according to MySanAntonio.com.
And the number of safety violations for commercial vehicles operating in the Eagle Ford Shale region has also skyrocketed in recent years. MySanAntonio.com reported:
…During a safety check last summer, many commercial trucks driving in the Eagle Ford region didn’t meet safety standards.
Last June during a 72-hour commercial-trucking safety event called “Roadcheck,” state troopers pulled over thousands of commercial vehicles across the state to look for driver and truck violations.
Counties in the Eagle Ford Shale region had particularly high rates of violations that took either the driver or the vehicle out of service, according to data requested by the San Antonio Express-News under the Texas Public Information Act.
If you or a loved one was injured in an Eagle Ford Shale accident or you are coping with a wage and hour case or other Eagle Ford Shale legal dispute, call The Herrera Law Firm, Inc. at 800-455-1054 to schedule a free case evaluation.
