Two Texas Truck Wreck Lawsuits Settled for $11.7 Million
Two lawsuits against trucking companies that haul water to hydraulic fracturing sites have been settled in Texas costing more than $11 and a half million combined.
Two lawsuits against trucking companies that haul water to hydraulic fracturing sites have been settled in Texas costing more than $11 and a half million combined.
The first accident occurred on June 22, 2011, when a semitrailer blocked the right of way on a state highway near Carthage, Texas. Mike Allen crashed into a heavy truck owned by Coraopolis, Penn.-based Heckmann Water Resources. The truck was stopped on the road without turn signals or flashing lights.
The attorney for Allen says his client was no longer able to financially support his wife and young daughter because of injuries sustained in the wreck. On June 20, a court approved a settlement in which Heckmann agreed to pay Allen and his family $8.7 million, which is believed to be the largest lawsuit settlement in Panola County history.
The second settlement stemmed from a Sept. 11, 2011, truck crash near Weatherford, Texas, that resulted in 32 year-old Arron Gomas suffering brain damage, according to his attorney. Gomas broadsided a tractor-trailer owned by Weatherford-based Bob Phillips Trucking, also called Phillips Water Hauling, as the truck's driver attempted to make an illegal U-turn shortly before midnight.
The case was on behalf of Gomas and his family for $3 million on June 13. The $3 million award was the maximum payout available from the trucking firm's insurance carrier.
More Safety & Compliance
FDA Eases Path for Oral-Fluid Testing
Federal actions could advance oral-fluid drug testing for truck drivers, but lab certification delays and marijuana rescheduling questions remain.
Read More →
Kodiak Lines Up Fleets for Driverless Trucking
An agreement for 75 trucks, a new Texas freight lane, and progress on safety validation move Kodiak closer to its planned driverless highway launch.
Read More →
More Trailer Data Through the Same Seven-Way [Video]
Can trucking’s standard seven-way connector handle more cameras and trailer data? Grote’s Adam Slade shows HDT how the company is using new technology with its 4See trailer system, not only to add a new backup camera but also to expand other capabilities — without adding another connection.
Read More →
PrePass Intelligence Mines Fleet Bypass, Toll and Safety Data
PrePass Intelligence helps fleets measure bypass savings, flag potential toll overcharges, and spot suspicious transactions by combining data from separate systems.
Read More →
Fatal Crash Exposes Toll Plaza Risks
An NTSB investigation found that last-minute lane changes and large speed differences at an Ohio toll plaza created a hazard the truck driver couldn't avoid in time.
Read More →
When Language Stops the Truck: The Return of ELP Out-of-Service Orders
English language proficiency rules for commercial drivers aren’t new, but renewed out-of-service enforcement has raised the stakes. Here’s what carriers need to know before a driver reaches a roadside inspection.
Read More →
A Camera Isn't a Safety Program. Here's What Brokers Are Screening for Now
Footage alone may not be enough to pass broker vetting processes. Here's what counts as a defensible safety program now.
Read More →
Marijuana and Trucking’s Drug-Testing Dilemma
Marijuana is getting stronger, laws are changing, and drug tests still can’t reliably establish impairment. What does that mean for truck drivers and the fleets that employ them?
Read More →
PrePass, Kodiak Connect Driverless Trucks to Roadside Enforcement
The system will allow enforcement agencies to verify Enhanced Inspection information and decide whether Kodiak’s autonomous trucks can bypass roadside screening sites.
Read More →
From One Generation to the Next: How Mentorship Builds Safer Truck Drivers
After three decades in trucking, Harold Perry shares what he's learned about driver safety, mentorship, and helping the next generation build confidence behind the wheel.
Read More →