Poor Truck Maintenance or Brake Failure Accidents
Federal trucking regulations include guidelines for maintenance and inspection of trucks that travel our streets and highways. Every day, a North American truck driver is supposed to do an inspection of brakes, lights and other safety features of his or her truck. Faulty truck maintenance is often a factor in crashes resulting in injury or death.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, an arm of the U.S. Department of Transportation, provides truckers and their employers with detailed lists of truck components which must be in working order before a commercial motor vehicle is supposed to be allowed onto public highways.
Safety inspections are supposed to cover brakes and other parts such as the following:
- Lights
- Hazard warning signals
- Reflectors
- Wiring systems
- Batteries
- Window construction
- Emergency exits (for buses)
- Fuel systems
- Coupling devices and towing mechanisms
- Tires (Was the tire blowout a result of use of cheaper retread tires?)
- Sleeper berths
- Heaters
- Windshield wipers
- Horn
- Speedometer
- Floors
- Cargo tiedowns
- Frame
- Cab
- Wheels
- Suspension systems
If you were seriously injured or a family member was killed in a truck accident, it is important to conduct a thorough investigation into any and all factors which may have contributed to the accident. Your ability to collect sufficient compensation may be on the line if truck maintenance problems are not pinpointed. A prompt investigation will help recover the driver's log and begin a detailed inspection of the truck that was involved in your or your loved one's accident.
Experienced Missouri truck accident lawyers at the law offices of Devereaux, Stokes, Nolan, Fernandez & Leonard, P.C., welcome your inquiry if you have suffered injury or loss in a crash involving a commercial motor carrier — or any kind of truck or bus.
Contact Us Today
A trial attorney at the St. Louis law firm of Devereaux, Stokes, Nolan, Fernandez & Leonard will find out if the 18 wheeler or other commercial truck involved in your car-truck crash had not been properly maintained. Contact us today.
