Mechanical Problems Can Cause Truck Accidents

Our Indianapolis Truck Accident Lawyers Can Find the Evidence

Commercial trucks such as semi trucks, tractor-trailers, dump trucks and delivery trucks, are complex machines with many different systems that must work together. If any system fails, the truck could stop working properly, which can lead to an accident. Because they are large vehicles with heavy and sometimes dangerous loads, any truck accident could have serious and even fatal consequences.

The Indianapolis truck accident attorneys at Doehrman Chamberlain have considerable experience litigating truck accidents and understand how mechanical problems can lead to serious accidents.

Mechanical issues leading to truck accidents might include:

• Brake failure
• Tire blowouts
• Truck defects (steering, safety systems, lights, etc.)
• Defective steering
• Improper trailer attachment
• Transmission failure

While some of these failures are caused by manufacturing mistakes, the majority of these are caused by a failure to properly maintain the equipment, particularly in the case of brake failure and tire blowouts.

Brake Failure

Brake failure is among the most common mechanical problems that cause truck accidents. Malfunctioning brakes can have a number of causes:

• Design Defects: The government has strict rules regulating truck braking systems. Brakes in large tractor-trailers and semi trucks must meet very strict standards and if they fail to do so, you may have a claim against the manufacturer.
• Trucking Company or Driver Modification: Sometimes drivers or trucking companies modify or fail to maintain brakes, causing them to fail. Trucking companies may remove or unhook the front brakes on the truck and force drivers to rely on the trailer brakes in order to minimize brake wear. Unfortunately, this can lead a truck to jackknife or roll over.
• Failure to Maintain: Federal regulations require trucking companies keep maintenance records to prove that they maintained the trucks accordingly. The rules also require that drivers perform certain pre-trip inspections and log them to ensure their brakes are working properly.
• Improper Loading: When loading a tractor-trailer, it is important to ensure that a load is evenly distributed or the brakes could overheat and malfunction. If a truck driver fails to do this, he may be negligent.

Tire Blowouts

There are a number of reasons for tire failure in semi trucks and tractor-trailers:

• Improperly Sized Tires: Regulations require that trucks have tires that meet certain tread and size requirements. Failure to do this can lead to blow outs.
• Using Defective Tires: Recalled tires cannot be used on tractor-trailer or semi truck. If you are the victim of a truck accident and the tires were later found to be recalled or defective in some way, the carrier may be found negligent.
• Failure to Maintain: Federally mandated pre-trip inspections require certain checks (tire pressure, etc) involving the tires. If a truck driver causes an accident as the result of something he should have caught in a pre trip inspection, he could be negligent.

The Logbook

Federal regulations require truckers to take rest breaks and keep track of them in a logbook. This logbook serves as a record of events, including how long they spent driving and any mechanical issues they occurred. Unfortunately, these records are not always reliable because truck drivers often base their log on incomplete or falsified records. In some instances, trucking companies will go out of their way to destroy the logs in an effort to limit liability. Fortunately, our experienced Indianapolis trucking lawyers are familiar with logbooks and know where to find Federal violations that may have led to a mechanical or driver fatigue issue.

We Can Help You

Because companies and drivers that fail to maintain or inspect certain parts of a vehicle may have missed other things, it is of crucial importance to have an Indiana truck accident attorney review your case. In every truck accident, there are a number of potential defendants and we know where to look. We have the experience and network of experts and inspectors that will thoroughly explore all possible causes of the truck accident.

If you have suffered a serious truck accident injury, do not wait; contact the Indianapolis truck accident lawyers at Doehrman Chamberlain today. Because of the number of parties involved, it is important we start pursuing your case as soon as possible before potential evidence that can help you recover is lost or destroyed.