Company pays big: Worker’s lax safety causes fatality
July 17, 2009 by Fred HosierPosted in: Fatality, Lawsuits, Special Report, Transportation safety, cost of safety
A Texas drilling company will pay $16 million to the family of a woman who was killed when equipment fell off its tractor trailer and onto the victim’s SUV.
Pioneer Drilling Co. of San Antonio, TX, agreed to the settlement after three days of trial in a Texas court.
On Sept. 11, 2008, Rhonda Henson was driving her Ford Explorer with her husband in the passenger seat. A large piece of oil field equipment fell off a passing tractor trailer, crushing the driver’s side of the SUV.
According to the Times-Review, jurors heard a 911 call in which an eyewitness tells an emergency center operator that she yelled to see if anyone was in the SUV. Thomas Henson, who was out of the truck, told the eyewitness his wife was dead in the vehicle.
The equipment, weighing more than 15 tons, was secured with two chains, not four as required by law.
A local police department report also said the driver, 21-year-old Daniel Armstrong, failed to control his speed.
The attorney for Henson’s family said sworn testimony showed at least one Pioneer employee was aware that Armstrong had several traffic tickets, a suspended license and wasn’t qualified to drive the tractor trailer.
The attorney said other company employees forged, backdated and fabricated Armstrong’s records after the accident. A company employee eventually came forward with that claim.
A statement from Pioneer said all but $1 million of the $16 million settlement will be covered by insurance.
Tags: big settlement, fatal truck crash, Pioneer Drilling Co.
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July 20th, 2009 at 11:33 am
The company got off lightly. They should now be uninsurable and should be prosecuted for fraud regarding the backdating of records.
July 20th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
In some states the company and/or insurance can sue the employee to recover costs since the employee was knowingly negligent. This kid could end up paying for the rest of his life.
July 20th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
B.S on this one. Lets see. Negligent Hiring, Negligent Retention, Negligent Supervision, Negeligent Training, and several employees that were aware of multiple violations that occured before and after the fact, and INSURANCE picks this up!!!. The company is out 1 million bucks, just over 6% liability for all these violations.
I work in Law Enforcement, and with similar violations, heads would roll at this department (and not just sacrifical small ones either), and insurance would have told us to “pound sand”.
The victims deserve to be compensated, but someone in that company should be held more accountable than 6% of the bill for gross incompetance like that.
July 20th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Production over safety will continue to cost this company now and in the future. I agree with prior comments of “being uninsurable” and “accountable” but for now, these companies will continue to receive a mere slap on the wrist for gross negligence.
July 20th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
There is no doubt the driver’s “lax safety” is a major contribution to this tragedy.
But I absolutely agee with Ray. There is everything here to suggest this would never have happened if Pioneer Drilling had taken very seriously their responsibility to put only qualified, responsible people behind the wheel of that truck.
So, this makes the headline a total misrepresentation. The company didn’t Pay Big; their insurance company did, and that means ultimately people like you and I pay. The company was lax, and with an intent, deliberation, and ongoing malfeasance more so than the driver.
You need to clean up the National Enquirer quality of your headlines.
July 20th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Here we go again! Everyone else pays except for the one responsible. Bottom line. The equipment was not tied down correctly and therefore casued this horible accident. Employees lack of concern for other lives. And had he had an accident and killed himself his family would have received the huge settlement because HE chose to be irresponsible.
These are the companies that OSHA needs to go after. SURPRISE! Not only are we going to check your facility and equipment but we’re going to check your employee records. I also thought OSHA could fine individuals?
July 20th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Looks like Pioneer needs to get a new safety dept, production is what keeps companies in business, but lack of safety and training puts them out of business, there is no excuse for the driver making sure that his load was not properly secured, non at all.
July 22nd, 2009 at 8:13 am
i think that the safety department does not go to the field and check on drivers or hand doing jobs they stay in the office and Bs with office employee. they need to be required to got location and check jobs. check loading and hauling practices ever day. they should be required to check on all jobs and do not tell where there are going to what location make it a suprise. there job is in the field not in office you can not see a accident are see something going in there office. safety should be first look at your job where is the safety man 3/4 the time
July 23rd, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Okay folks, 2 points Oil Company and in Texas.
I live in an area -in Texas - that the local economy depends mostly on oil and have known the practices (common practices) of the oil companies for a long time. If they can get by with it they will. Not all of them are like that but it seems like most of them are. Illegal dumping, illegal hiring practices it doesn’t matter to them. We were in a minor oil boom in the early 80’s and half my friends worked for oil compaines in some function or other. The ones that worked out in the field were constantly getting injured. Not just minor stuff, but broken bones, teeth knocked out, one guy should have died when a piece of equipment hit him on top of the head, shattered his non-compliant hardhat furnished by the company he worked for, but fortunately he made a 95% recovery. Many of the guys didn’t have the required licenses for the equipment they were supposed to be operating, but if they wanted the work they did what they were told. A lot of money passes hands under the table too to make sure things are supposed to happen whether it’s legal or not.