Two Texas Fracking Truck Lawsuits Settle for $11.7 Million

Two separate lawsuits against trucking companies that haul water to hydraulic fracturing sites have recently been settled in Texas. One lawsuit settled for $8.7 million and the other for $3 million, which was the maximum available under the trucking company’s insurance policy.

In June 2011, Mike Allen crashed into a heavy semitrailer owned by Pennsylvania-based Heckmann Water Resources that was blocking the right of way on a state highway near Carthage, Texas. The lawsuit alleged that the truck was stopped on the road without turn signals or flashing lights. Allen was seriously injured in the wreck and is no longer able to financially support his wife and young daughter. On June 20, a court approved a settlement in which Heckmann Water Resources agreed to pay Allen and his family $8.7 million.

In September 2011 near Weatherford, Texas, Arron Gomas suffered brain damage when his vehicle 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 settled on behalf of Gomas and his family in June 2013 for $3 million, the maximum payout available from the trucking firm’s insurance carrier.

Need help with a fracking truck accident?

While trucking company lawsuits serve many valuable purposes, they aren’t for the faint of heart. There are unique laws and regulations that are designed specifically to protect motorists from the negligent actions of truck drivers and trucking companies.

Trucking lawsuits can also be time-consuming and challenging. Many trucking companies and their insurers are well-funded and are willing to fight tooth and nail to avoid liability for their negligence. To even the playing field, victims need experienced, aggressive attorneys who will protect them in their time of need and force the trucking companies and their insurers to take responsibility for their actions.

HO&P has the resources and experiences to see your case through

Trucking lawsuits can be expensive. To properly prepare a case, an attorney may need to hire expert witnesses in the fields of trucking, trucking regulations, accident reconstruction and life care planning.

Given the complexities of this area of the law, the high costs associated with bringing such cases and the enormous damages often at stake, the last thing a victim of a trucking accident should do is entrust their 18-wheeler case to a lawyer with little or no experience with trucking accident litigation.

At Heygood, Orr & Pearson, our attorneys have tried dozens of cases involving accidents with 18-wheelers and other large commercial vehicles. Our attorneys have helped achieve a $36 million verdict for the family of a teenager injured in a bus crash in East Texas. They have negotiated a $15 million settlement of a case involving an 18-wheeler accident that killed several members of the same family. And they achieved verdicts or settlements of $7.25 million, $5.2 million, $5 million, and $1.8 million in other 18-wheeler cases, just to name a few.

If you or a loved one has been injured or if you have lost someone in an accident involving a commercial truck, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries, pain and suffering. Contact us today by calling toll-free at 1-877-446-9001 for a free consultation to discuss your legal rights and options.