It is completely normal to think about driver error when discussing truck accidents since most accidents involve things like falling asleep, aggressive driving, and being under the influence. As driver negligence is definitely a common thing to consider, there are also other parties that could be responsible in the case of an accident. This includes maintenance companies, trucking companies, and manufacturers.
Let’s take a closer look at truck failure, which can happen because of a negligence from various parties.
Not Inspecting The Rig
There are federal regulations in place that force truck drivers to constantly inspect vehicles during the haul. If the driver is diligent with this, it is not as possible to have parts failing. If the truck driver does not regularly inspect these parts, the trucking company or the driver can be liable. For instance, accidents involving unsecured cargo and semi-trucks are often the responsibility of all parties that did not inspect how the cargo was secured. If the inspection is not properly carried out, the truck and the cargo become road hazards.
Negligent Maintenance
All trucks are dangerous because of their huge size, with a weight when fully loaded that can easily reach 80,000 pounds. The trucking industry is not highly regulated due to this size factor. One of the important regulations in place states that trucks have to go through a very strict maintenance routine. This includes things like inspecting parts to find worn out ones or broken parts. If anything is detected, prompt fixing is necessary.
Even with the strict regulations in place, trucking and maintenance companies can fail to respect federal regulations. Repairs might be put off or just completely neglected. If this happens, it is easy to miss so many possible problems.
Defective Parts
A semi-truck is made up of countless parts coming from various manufacturers. Every single manufacturer is considered to be liable because of the responsibility of building quality products meeting industry standards when it comes to safety and durability.
If a semi-truck part breaks and this is why the accident happens, the manufacturer might be considered liable.
Defective Semi-Truck Design
In some cases, the semi-truck is not safe regardless of maintenance and manufacture. Defective designs can so easily lead to catastrophic accidents. The truck or parts of the truck are designed in inappropriate ways, which create hazards.
Some examples of defective designs include fuel systems, tires, and practically any single vehicle part. Even the material that was chosen to create one of the parts can become a hazard.
While semi-truck design is very hard to prove, an experienced and highly capable trucking accident attorney can get it done.