Due to the brute force that is involved in truck accidents, these collisions can lead to life-changing injuries and even fatalities. Truck accidents can have many causes, such as driver error, trucking company negligence and a malfunction of truck parts.
Common Truck Part Problems
Brake systems and tires are the most common defective truck parts. These defects can result in a loss of control of the tractor and/or trailer. As you can imagine, an out of control tractor trailer is not a safe scenario for the truck driver or other drivers on the road.
Problems with semi-truck brakes are often caused by poor maintenance or defective components. Commercial truck drivers should monitor their brakes and watch for signs of faulty brakes on a regular basis so they can avoid serious damage and potential truck accidents.
Defective truck tires may be improperly built, worn out, or inflated incorrectly. These problems cause issues with the overall stability and handling of the truck, leading to accidents on the road. To prevent tire problems, truck drivers and manufacturers should undergo routine tire inspections to ensure their truck is reviewed and cleared for driving.
If a part defect causes a truck accident, who is at fault?
The manufacturer is often responsible when a trucking accident occurs due to a defective part. But, it is possible that a portion of negligence could be placed on the truck driver and/or the trucking company if the defect is something they could have discovered or prevented through proper maintenance.
One example would be improperly maintained brakes or brake pads that resulted in a rear-end accident. The liability for defectively maintained brakes would fall on the trucking company.
A defectively manufactured or designed part can cause a truck accident as well. An example of this would be if an improperly guarded gas tank allowing an object, such as a guardrail or car bumper, to puncture the truck’s gas tank, resulting in an explosion. The responsibility for this truck accident would fall on the truck body designer.
How can a truck accident lawyer help in receiving compensation?
The compensation available to those injured in a truck accident could potentially include:
- Past and future medical bills
- Past and future lost wages
- Past and future pain, suffering and disability/disfigurement
- Future costs of life care
Not all attorneys are experienced in investigating and gathering information to determine whether there is a valid product defect case. There is often only a short window of time to investigate, as once truck repairs are done you lose valuable evidence.
Getting fair compensation is unlikely without the knowledge, experience and funding from a successful firm like ours. The truck accident attorneys at Habush Habush and Rottier has handled hundreds of similar cases throughout the past few decades. Let us help you fight for what’s right. Contact us today.