Oil field trucker and Louisiana resident safety concerns from environmental pollutants.
Louisiana – March 7, 2023
Oil field trucking is dangerous due to many factors including chemical hazards and combustibility of the cargo but more simply because of human error and product demand. Transport continues on oil fields all day and night with an influx of driver accidents based on delivery needs, poorly trained drivers, questionable transport truck maintenance and other factors including weather. The federal trucking regulations pertaining to oil field truckers are not as stringent as those for commercial carriers in other industries, specifically with regard to hours of service regulations causing fatigued driving to impair a driver’s ability to make life-saving quick decisions when loading and unloading volatile fluids and equipment that may result in spills and groundwater contamination. Oil field trucker accidents are dangerous to the environment and may cause ill affects to surrounding residents through water supplies. Victims of environmental pollutants caused by oil field trucker accidents should contact an environmental pollution lawyer at Stag Liuzza Law Firm in Louisiana.
Oil field trucker danger.
Two easily addressable dangers to drivers and oil field workers include:
- Poor driving training may be a factor in accidents as companies save on limited safety training and the hiring of inexperienced drivers.
- Maintenance to trucks may be subpar because the vehicles are always in motion, or a company is trying to cut costs by not addressing mechanical issues unless they cause vehicle breakdown. Since these trucks must carry heavy and hazardous materials across dangerous terrain, accounting for severe weather, it is important for tires, brakes, and signals to be in proper working order at the very least.
Safety.
Oil field truckers should take steps to protect themselves from injury and others from the harms of an accident involving an oil field truck. They must stay alert, get adequate sleep, plan if a route is changed or weather is dangerous, drive cautiously, be familiar with a delivery site, and adhere to all safety regulations. Oil field truckers have a dangerous job and while the pay may be high, the dangers are too. When accidents occur causing property damage, injury or death, victims should contact an experienced oil field attorney in Louisiana for guidance.
Workers’ compensation/civil action.
A skilled oil industry attorney can initiate a claim supported by proof of employer negligence to seek monetary compensation through either a workers’ compensation action, or a civil action. Many truckers are independent contractors so there may be variations to the way litigation may be initiated. The recovery of damages will address losses to victims who have suffered injury, or toxic illness, and families who may have suffered harm from secondary exposure to a toxic substance through a family member’s occupational hazards, or the loss after a work-related death occurs after an oil field truck accident.
Hire a lawyer.
Legal counsel can answer questions regarding the choice between seeking the recovery of damages through workers’ compensation claims, or through civil litigation when accident victims have been harmed in a workplace setting, or to Louisiana residents who suffer from toxic exposure as a secondary danger of oil field pollution. Experienced attorneys at Stag Liuzza understand how important it is to seek comprehensive financial awards of damages due to oil field trucker accidents.
STAG LIUZZA, LLC
One Canal Place
365 Canal Street
Suite 2850
New Orleans, LA 70130
Ph: 504-593-9600
Fax: 504-593-9601
Sources.
- http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=814789
- eCFR :: 49 CFR Chapter I — Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
- https://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=110567
- http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=109387
- http://www.laworks.net/WorkersComp/
- http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=109371
