If you or someone you love has been involved in a collision with a semi-truck or large commercial vehicle, you probably have a number of questions and concerns. Just about any Naples truck accident lawyer will tell you that your health and healing should be your primary focus after an accident; but understandably, accident victims need and want to know who can be held legally and financially responsible for their injuries and damages.
Common Causes of Truck Collisions
The Department of Transportation, in a report to Congress, noted that truck crashes are commonly caused by mechanical failures — particularly failures involving brakes and tires. In fact, statistics show that almost 30 percent of all truck collisions involve issues with brake failure. When brake malfunctions or failures occur in trucks, accidents resulting in serious injuries and sometimes death can happen.
Most people may not realize that truck brake assemblies consist of numerous parts that must be maintained on a routine basis by mechanics who are well-versed in caring for and maintaining commercial vehicles. The problems associated with brakes can range from poor air pressure to overheated brakes and worn brake parts. Still, the primary cause of most brake failures is improper or poor maintenance.
Under federal law, truckers are required and expected to know the condition of the truck’s brake system at all times and truck owners must make sure that their truck’s brakes undergo proper inspection and maintenance. Nevertheless, some truck owners and operators choose to skip certain pre-trip steps in an effort to make their delivery deadlines and keep their profits as high as possible.
So, who can be held legally responsible for truck brake failures? Several individuals and/or entities may be deemed responsible for truck brake failures, including, but not limited to the truck owner, truck driver, mechanic and/or the brake manufacturer. Determining liability is not an easy task; however, a skilled truck accident lawyer can review the facts of the case and work to ensure that all potential parties are held responsible for your damages.
A major cause of truck accidents also stems from tire failures as well. Typically, tire failures on large commercial vehicles are simply the result of a trucker’s failure to inspect the tires prior to putting the truck on the road. Regardless of whether a trucker is a local or a long distance driver, the tires are a crucial part of the vehicle’s equipment. Tire failure can occur due to tire blowouts, tread separation or burn, under-inflated tires and overheated tires, among other things.
Surely, anyone who has traveled on area highways and roadways throughout Florida has noticed the bits and pieces of tire along the roadway. Tire detachment is a significant problem that often leads to collisions because the driver loses control of the truck. And for those vehicles traveling behind a truck that has lost its tire tread, the results can be equally as damaging, as colliding with a large piece of tread at a high rate of speed can lead to substantial damages and injuries.
As mentioned above, truckers are required to perform an inspection of the truck prior to putting it on the road, and that inspection should include a close look at each of the truck’s tires. If you or a family member has been injured in a truck crash, contact Attorney Ryan Kuhl today to discuss your legal options.