How Defects and Poor Maintenance Can Cause Truck Accidents

If you have recently been involved in a truck accident, you may suspect that a defect with a truck or poor maintenance caused the accident. If you have been injured in a truck accident, you must speak to an experienced attorney who can investigate the circumstances of your case. Trucking companies and their drivers have substantial resources and may begin sending attorneys to investigate the accident quickly. They will start working to deny you compensation or minimize the settlement amount.

Working with an attorney can help you level the playing field and protect your rights. If the trucking company fails to maintain their trucks well, they might be liable for the injuries you have suffered because of the truck accident. Alternatively, if the truck accident was caused by a defect with the vehicle itself, the manufacturer, distributor, and/or retail may be liable for your injuries. Working with an attorney can help determine which party or parties are at fault.

Trucking companies and drivers are responsible for regularly and properly inspecting and maintaining tires. When tires are not properly inflated or are too warm for the road, the tread can begin to separate, and tires can blow out. Tire blowouts are always dangerous, but they are especially dangerous when massive commercial trucks are involved. Drivers have difficulty maintaining control of the truck when one or more tires blow out. Dangerous tire blowouts can be the result of one or more of the following:

• Defective tires
• Worn tread
• Failure to follow federal regulations
• Failure to conduct a pre-trip inspection
• Air leak
• Overinflation
• Misuse of tires of different sizes
• A mixture of bias and radial tires on the same axle
• Failure to meet minimum tread depth requirements

Commercial truck drivers in companies must regularly inspect their trucks and perform all necessary maintenance. They must keep detailed maintenance records showing that they comply with all requirements related to the car. Any problem with a truck's couplings or trailer can cause a serious accident that results in injuries or death.

Brake malfunctions can be especially dangerous and cause deadly truck accidents. Brakes need to develop a specific amount of braking force based on the deceleration at a rate specific to the size of the truck and on a percentage of the truck's weight. When breaks do not meet these specifications, the truck driver may not be able to bring the truck to a stop quickly enough to avoid a collision in emergencies.

When trucks are not maintained properly, dangerous situations can result. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration sets standards to ensure trucks are safe enough to operate on open roadways. Many different parties may be responsible for accidents caused by truck defects or maintenance problems. An attorney can help you determine whether one or more of the following parties are at fault for your injuries and responsible for paying your damages:

• Negligent truck drivers who do not conduct pre-inspections
• Negligent truck drivers who do not notify the trucking company of mechanical problems they notice with their truck
• Trucking companies that do not follow maintenance safety requirements and skip inspections to cut costs
• Manufacturers of defective auto parts
• Maintenance contractors that fail to make necessary repairs

Trucking accidents can be some of the most complex personal injury cases, especially when they involve multiple negligent parties. A truck accident can be caused by a wide range of factors, poor maintenance and defective parts, or just two of them. Determining who is responsible for your injuries can be difficult if you have been involved in a truck accident. The attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC, have extensive experience investigating truck accident cases and holding negligent parties accountable for the harm they have caused while prioritizing their profit over the safety of others on the road.

The skilled personal injury attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC, will aggressively pursue the financial compensation you deserve from all of the parties who are responsible for your injuries. You may be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, property damage, loss of earning capacity, pain and suffering, and other damages. Contact Arnold & Smith, PLLC, as soon as possible to schedule a free case evaluation as soon as possible.