Defective or Poorly Maintained Brakes Cause Truck Collisions
Due to the massive size of commercial trucks, brakes are a crucial safety feature. When a collision occurs due to brake failure, it may be the result of a defective product, poor maintenance, or both.
Defective Brakes
Truck brake manufacturers are heavily regulated to ensure that their products are reliable and safe. Brakes are required to provide a minimum braking force, decelerate a truck to a stop at a specific minimum rate, and meet other performance standards. Brakes failing to meet these standards are considered to be a defective product. This failure could be due to problems with the brake design or mistakes that occurred during the manufacturing process.
Poor Brake Maintenance
Improper maintenance is the primary cause of most brake failures. Commercial truck braking systems are extremely complex, with brake assemblies that contain numerous components. These systems must be regularly serviced by an experienced commercial truck mechanic, but too many truck owners overlook proper brake maintenance. Federal law mandates that truck owners properly maintain their brakes, requiring them to keep a log of all maintenance and inspections. If this log is incomplete or contains discrepancies, the truck owner or the company responsible for truck maintenance may be liable in the event of an accident.
Some of the most common brake problems stemming from a lack of proper maintenance include:
- Poorly adjusted brakes.
- Overheated brakes.
- Worn brake components.
- Incorrect air pressure.
Brake Failure Accidents
Air brakes must have sealed lines, and a leak may result in brake failure. Furthermore, defective or poorly maintained truck brakes can significantly increase stopping distances, preventing the driver from stopping in time to avoid an accident. If a truck’s brakes are uneven, the vehicle can overturn or jackknife when one side of the truck stops more suddenly than the other.
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident caused by defective or poorly maintained brakes, you may be entitled to compensation from multiple parties. To learn more, contact the law offices of Steve M. Lee, P.C., by using the form on this page.