The Eagle Ford Shale has brought thousands of jobs to points across south Texas in recent years. Unfortunately for those living in the valley, the amount of traffic has more than doubled on most roads south of San Antonio, which means Eagle Ford accidents continue to increase as well. Due to the remoteness of the locations where such accidents occur, not every incident is publicized, making the problem seem less widespread than it in fact is. However, the attorneys at Carabin Shaw know how to keep a close watch on these types of accidents as Eagle Ford accidents continue to increase.
For instance, here are some relatively recent statistics about traffic, general auto accidents, and semi truck accidents/18 wheeler accidents in several counties south of San Antonio. In McMullen County, the number of accidents rose from 22 accidents in 2008 to 87 in 2011—a 295.5 percent increase, the largest such increase in the state. La Salle County was close behind with a 211.7 percent increase in accidents, from 60 in 2008 to 187 in 2011.
Some suggest that most of the problem is that many roads south of San Antonio were not built to handle the kind of increased traffic now passing through. But as attorneys in Live Oak County report, even a county which has more highways that are better equipped for heavy truck traffic nevertheless saw an 11.1 percent increase, from 253 accidents in 2008 to 281 in 2011.
Our lawyers noted that other counties saw significant increases in accidents during this same time frame. Karnes County saw a 78.5 percent increase, from 172 to 307 accidents. Goliad County saw a 15.1 percent increase, from 93 to 107 accidents. Duvall County saw a 42.5 percent increase, from 80 to 114 accidents. Even Jim Wells County saw a 10.4 percent increase.
Of the 87 accidents in McMullen County in 2011, 37 caused serious injuries, and four led to driver or passenger fatalities. 46 of the accidents involved commercial vehicles, with 16 of those leading to 19 serious injuries and one death. Of the 281 accidents in Live Oak County, 93 left people seriously injured, and nine people died. As our San Antonio accident attorney eventually learned, commercial vehicles were involved in 54 of those accidents, and caused 12 serious injuries and one death.
In spite of these horrendous statistics, oil and gas drilling and trucking companies continue to spend less than 15 percent of revenues on employee health and safety, which means less training before a new hire starts working. There are also an increasing number of contract workers and service industries being called to these sites, which means more people driving heavy machinery than are familiar with the local roadways. These factors put everyone at a variety of work sites and the roads that lead to them at greater risk for catastrophe. Fortunately, our lawyers are adept at identifying fault in these situations, which is often the first step of our winning legal strategy.
Just because Eagle Ford accidents continue to increase does not mean you have to suffer from the consequences of an accident without any assistance. We put our headquarters in San Antonio so our attorneys could keep an eye on both these dangerous work sites, intersections where auto accidents are more likely to occur, and the corporate interests that operate in the Shale.
We offer free consultations to all prospective clients, so do not hesitate to contact us today. You can reach the law firm of Carabin Shaw day or night at 800-862-1260.