Truck Accidents Archives

Failure to maintain brakes a common cause of truck accidents

Texans who routinely pay attention to truck safety news know that the issue has been increasing in importance not only over the last several months but over the last several years as the number of fatal crashes involving large trucks across the state has increased.

Truck accidents, of course, can happen for all kinds of reasons. Driver fatigue, which has been a major concern for years, does contribute to a certain percentage of truck accidents. Another factor, perhaps just as important in many cases, has to do with the capability of truck brakes to stop a heavy vehicle before causing a serious accident. Even in the best of conditions, loaded down semitrailers take significantly longer to stop than smaller vehicles, and that amount of time is longer yet when roads are slick or if the trucker is speeding.

Failure to maintain brakes in optimal working condition can also make stop times longer for loaded semitrailers. Under federal law, trucking companies and their employees are supposed to take appropriate action to maintain their vehicle in working condition. Failure to maintain trucks in good condition puts other motorists at risk. It also puts trucking companies at risk of facing losses in personal injury litigation.

Those who have been harmed by a trucker whose vehicle was not maintained in proper working condition may be able to seek legal repercussions in personal injury litigation. In doing so, it can be helpful to work with an experienced personal injury attorney.

Source: Beaumontenterprise.com, “Truck Wreck deaths spike, and SE Texas sees its share,” October 14, 2014.