Truck Accidents Caused by Equipment Design and Failure

Before truckers ever get behind the wheel, federal regulations require them to have their trucks thoroughly inspected. Some drivers try to cut corners and skip this step. Even if they do not, they may still cause serious injuries when defective equipment design leads to truck wrecks.

Skilled Representation With A Wide Range Of Defect Cases

At Carter Law Offices, located in Kansas City, our truck defect lawyers hold drivers, equipment manufacturers and distributors accountable for the harm caused. As experienced lawyers, we know that there are many different types of truck defects that cause serious accidents on Missouri and Kansas roads:

• Defective tires: Defective tires can suddenly blow out, causing a truck to swerve uncontrollably all over the road. This is often caused by tread separation or by underinflation or overinflation of tires.
• Mechanical defects: Air lines and coupling devices link the cab to the trailer. When these break down, mechanical defects may be to blame. It may be possible to take legal action against the truck part manufacturer as well as the trucking company and driver.
• Failure to conduct routine maintenance: Trucks should be checked every time the driver gets behind the wheel. When these routine maintenance checks do not occur, other drivers on the road are put at risk.

Brake Failure

Complete brake failures are rare but serious events. More often, poor brake maintenance prevents a truck’s brakes from working as well as they could, leading to the truck’s failure to stop in time. Our attorneys and support staff obtain maintenance logs to see if regular maintenance was performed on the truck’s brake system before the accident. We also interview mechanics who worked on the vehicles, as well as drivers who may have noticed brake problems but failed to report them or have them fixed.

We look for both catastrophic failures and small brake deficiencies, and often partner with highly regarded experts who can check the trucks’ full air brake systems, including the operation of all valves, gauges, warning devices and pressure supply systems that may be involved in brake failure. Our experts may also look for brake imbalance, a condition in which mismatched brake system parts can affect a truck’s ability to brake in time. This may lead to instability during braking, a condition known as “brake fade.”

Defects Leading To Trailer Decoupling

When a semitrailer becomes unhooked, the damage done can be serious. Semitrailer decoupling leads to numerous catastrophic personal injuries and wrongful deaths each year.

Often, there is more going on than accident victims originally believe. For example, defective equipment or poor maintenance can lead to damaged linkages between the cab and the trailer. Driver negligence can also be a factor: all too often, intoxicated or exhausted drivers fail to properly inspect their vehicle before departing, putting other motorists at risk.

Good Communication: It’s Important to Us

Clients sometimes don’t hear enough from their lawyers. They worry that nothing is being done, and they struggle while thinking they are not getting the support they need.

At Carter Law Offices, our priority — first and foremost — is staying in communication with our clients. Our entire staff works to keep in touch with you from the moment we take your case until matters are favorably resolved. If you have questions about your truck accident case, you may call us at any time. And we will call you too, keeping you updated on all important developments with your case.

Act Quickly If Mechanical Failure May Be To Blame

It is important to talk with a lawyer as soon as possible after a truck accident so that the physical evidence can be preserved. When we take your case, we send out a letter to the commercial vehicle operator, telling him or her to preserve all related evidence. If this is not done, important evidence could be destroyed.

If you or a loved one has been hurt due to equipment failure, we urge you to contact our law office. Give us a call at 816-283-3500 or send an email to schedule a free initial consultation with one of our personal injury attorneys.