More often than you may realize, truck accidents are due to maintenance issues that are out of the truck driver’s threshold of control. And the sheer size and weight of a truck can make these accidents catastrophic. Continue reading to learn in what ways a maintenance issue may cause a truck accident and how an experienced Pasco County, Florida truck accident lawyer at Wendy Doyle-Palumbo, Esq. can help you out of this devastating situation.

In what ways might a maintenance issue cause a truck accident?

It falls on the responsibility of trucking companies to carry out routine inspections and maintenance on all their trucks. And if they fail to uphold this duty, a maintenance issue may cause a truck accident in any of the following ways:

  • Failed brakes:
    • Brakes are not inspected and repaired in a routine manner which causes a crash.
    • A truck enters the road even after brakes fail inspection which causes a crash.
    • A truck enters the road even with failed brake lights which causes a rear-end collision.
  • Tire problems:
    • Tires are underinflated or overinflated which causes a tire blowout.
    • Tires are mismatched to each other or to the truck which causes a tire blowout.
    • Tires have inadequate tread which causes a tire blowout.
  • Improperly loaded trailers:
    • A trailer is overloaded which causes a tire blowout.
    • A trailer is unevenly loaded which causes a rollover.
    • A trailer door is not properly locked which causes contents to fall onto the road.

What other circumstances might cause a truck accident?

In addition to truck maintenance issues, there are other ways in which a trucking company may be identified as negligent. In a similar sense, a truck driver’s negligence may be the ultimate catalyst of an accident. Examples of both are as follows:

  • Trucking company negligence:
    • Failure to conduct background checks on all truck drivers before hiring.
    • Failure to train all truck drivers before sending them on the road.
    • Failure to give all truck drivers ample break times (i.e., working over 16 hours within 24 hours or 60 hours within seven days).
  • Truck driver negligence:
    • Failure to hit the brakes at an ample time and distance.
    • Failure to check large blind spots before merging or changing lanes.
    • Failure to drive below the enforced speed limit.

And regardless of who the at-fault party of your truck accident is, you must hold them accountable for your injuries and damages by filing a personal injury claim. As you may likely conclude yourself, you may have an important case on your hands that requires prompt action. That is, “prompt action” translates to a two-year statute of limitations. So you must not hesitate in reaching out to a skilled Hudson truck accident lawyer at Wendy Doyle-Palumbo, Esq.