Undefeated Texas Oilfield Truck Accident Lawyer
Two people were critically injured on Sunday morning when their SUV collided with an 18-wheeler hauling crude oil just east of Giddings in Lee County, Texas.
Truck Trailer Exploded, Igniting SUV
The horrific crash occurred shortly before 11:00 a.m., as the tractor-trailer was attempting to enter the eastbound lane of US 290. According to media reports, the victims were in an SUV heading east that subsequently struck the 18-wheeler.
The collision caused the truck’s trailer to explode, engulfing the passenger vehicle in flames. The intensity of the fire scorched the roadway and could be felt inside passing vehicles.
“We went through everything and rolled up all the windows, and you could still feel the heat through the glass and the doors,” one witness told KXAN.
Giddings Oilfield Truck Accident Victims Transferred to Austin
Multiple agencies responded to the Giddings oilfield truck accident, including the Giddings fire and police departments, the South Lee County and Lincoln fire departments, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Fayette County EMS, and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
Both occupants of the SUV were transferred to hospitals in Austin. So far, authorities in Lee County have not identified the victims or commented on the nature of their injuries other than to describe them as critical.
As of 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, the eastbound and westbound lanes of U.S. 290 were closed at FM 180 due to the crash. According to KXAN, Texas DPS continues to investigate the accident.
Eagle Ford Shale Truck Accidents
Lee County is one of more than 30 counties that make up the Eagle Ford Shale, a hub of oil and gas production located in south Texas. As a result, 18-wheelers hauling crude oil and other oilfield trucks are a constant presence along the area’s rural roads and highways.
Such trucks are a primary reason the Eagle Ford Shale and Texas’s four other major energy-producing regions together accounted for a 25-percent share of all traffic accidents that occurred across the Lone Star State in 2022.
Counties within the Eagle Ford reported a total of 13,711 road and highway crashes that year alone, including 186 deaths and 590 serious injuries. The state’s remaining four oil and gas regions also saw more than their fair share of accidents:
- Permian Basin: 26,031 crashes, 394 deaths, and 889 serious injuries.
- Barnett Shale: 20,776 crashes, 280 deaths, and 1,036 serious injuries.
- Anadarko Basin: 635 crashes, 4 deaths, and 32 serious injuries.
- Haynesville/Bossier Shale: 17,594 crashes, 208 deaths, and 948 serious injuries.
As is the case in Lee County, most of the counties that sit within these regions are largely rural, and much of their highway infrastructure remains ill-suited to the needs of the oil and gas sector. The majority of oilfield truck drivers in the Eagle Ford Shale and elsewhere are also subject to demanding schedules, frequently working long, irregular shifts that leave them overworked, suffering from severe fatigue, and at risk of falling asleep behind the wheel.
To make matters even worse, a chronic shortage of experienced commercial drivers has forced many oil and gas companies to hire younger, less experienced drivers to keep their trucks and 18-wheelers moving to and from production sites. As a result, many of the oilfield truck drivers operating in Texas’s energy-producing regions lack the necessary training to maneuver their big rigs safely, especially if they’re exhausted or when road conditions are less than optimal.
Contact our Undefeated Texas Oilfield Truck Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation at 1-888-603-3636
Our Texas Oilfield Truck Accident Lawyers are monitoring developments related to the Giddings oilfield truck accident and will post an update if new information becomes available.
In addition to being undefeated, our Texas truck and 18-wheeler accident lawyers have won Billions for our clients and consistently recovered record-breaking verdicts and settlements for thousands of crash victims in Texas, New Mexico and across the United States, including a recent $32 million settlement for a West Texas family injured by a fatigued oilfield truck driver in the Permian Basin.
If you or someone you love were hurt in an Eagle Ford Shale 18-wheeler accident or other oilfield truck crash, please call 1-888-603-3636 or use our contact form to send us a confidential email.
All consultations are free, and because we only represent clients for a contingency fee, you’ll owe nothing unless we win your case.