Every year, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) organizes Brake Safety Week with the goal of preventing crashes caused by faulty brake systems on commercial trucks. During the week, the CVSA inspects the brakes of trucks in the United States and Canada. It pulls trucks out of service if they do not have proper brakes.
In 2019, 13.5 percent of the trucks that were inspected were pulled out of service. Although it is shocking that so many large trucks were on the road with brake problems, it is also good to know that Brake Safety Week flagged these vehicles before they could cause a major crash.
Causes of Truck Accidents Due to Improper Maintenance and Inspections
There are many different parts of a truck that can cause an accident when they are not properly maintained or inspected. The most common of these include:
- Brakes: It is not difficult to see how faulty brakes on a truck could cause a crash. When brakes do not work, trucks cannot stop. This could lead them to rear-end a vehicle in front of them or even run into an object. Cars behind the truck could also end up crashing into it, leading to a pile-up.
- Tires: There are a number of ways faulty tires can cause a crash. When a driver loses a tire on a truck, it can cause the driver to lose control of the massive vehicle, leading to a crash. A tire blowout on a highway can cause debris to fly up and hit other vehicles nearby. This can also cause an accident.
- Lights: Lights help truck drivers see other motorists around them. However, the lights on a truck also make those motorists aware of the truck’s presence. If lights are faulty and not properly maintained, a truck driver may run into other vehicles or be hit by other drivers who do not see the truck.
- Steering systems: The steering system is an extremely important part of any truck. It helps control the truck and keep it heading in a certain direction. When part of the steering system is faulty, a driver can easily lose control, which could send the truck crashing into other vehicles.
When a truck accident is caused by faulty parts or poorly maintained systems, a thorough investigation is needed. Determining who should be held responsible for a truck accident can be difficult. It could be the driver in many cases, but it could also be the trucking company or the manufacturer of a defective part.
An attorney from the Cain Law Office can help determine who is responsible for a truck accident and demand maximum compensation for injured victims.
Need Legal Advice? Contact an Experienced Truck Accident Attorney
If you have been seriously hurt in a crash, our Oklahoma truck accident attorneys know how overwhelmed you are feeling. At the Cain Law Office, we want to help ease your burdens and pursue the compensation you need to make a full recovery.
Contact us for your free consultation so we can discuss your case and advise on how we can help you move forward.
