Semi Truck Defects That Can Cause Accidents

Semi Truck Defects

Written by Jeremy D. Earle, JD

February 15, 2023

Top Rated Denver Truck Accident Attorneys

Accidents involving semi-trucks might be caused by equipment problems

Commercial tractor trailers, sometimes known as semi-trucks, are the biggest cars that a motorist may likely see on the road. These massive cars may weigh up to 80,000 pounds and span several cars’ lengths. As a result, semi-trucks use specialized equipment and specifically designed equipment to aid in the management of such a massive car. A semi-truck accident might occur if specific components of this car fail due to a malfunction or lack of maintenance.

Accident Claims involving Semi-Trucks

People who are engaged in truck accidents may get serious injuries that need them to stay in the hospital for an extended amount of time. These truck accident victims must deal with astronomical medical bills for treatment and recuperation, which forces them to miss work and perhaps lose pay.

Furthermore, these injuries are often excruciatingly painful ordeals that may result in long-term damage that produces symptoms and serious complications. Fortunately, victims of semi-truck accidents may file a truck accident claim to obtain compensation for their injuries.

Those injured in semi-truck accidents caused by careless drivers or other equally culpable parties may file a semi-truck accident claim to hold those responsible for their injuries accountable.

When it comes to submitting a semi-truck accident claim, consider Warrior Truck Accident Lawyers, led by Jeremy D. Earle, JD, will fight for your right to compensation. Your case will get large law firm outcomes with personal attention from a small legal company.

Semi-truck Accidents Caused by Dangerous Truck Malfunctions

It is the obligation of trucking businesses and their drivers to ensure that their trucks are operated safely to the best of their ability. While they fail to behave responsibly when driving risky cars like commercial tractor trailers, they put themselves at risk of being sued in a truck accident.

Other parties, such as parts makers and maintenance providers, have a duty to guarantee that the cars for which they offer service and parts are as safe as feasible. Defective components and inadequate maintenance, unfortunately, sneak through the gaps and result in devastating semi-truck accidents.

Semi-truck accidents are caused by brake failures.

When it comes to semi-trucks, the ability to halt and slow down the sometimes 80,000 pounds carried by the car is a rather significant characteristic. A semi-brakes truck’s might fail to engage, partly engage, or even engage too much, causing the car to lose control and cause an accident. Due to their much increased weight and dimensions, semi-trucks must brake differently than conventional cars.

If a truck’s brakes fail, it will continue to move until it hits something or runs out of momentum, which a truck has much more than a car owing to its large weight. Because of this momentum, semi-trucks must stop considerably sooner and harder than a conventional car to compensate for the extra weight.

If a truck’s brakes lock up, a variety of problems might emerge. These challenges are mostly related to the fact that a truck’s trailer will be carrying a significant amount of weight, making it harder to steer. A trailer might flip, roll over, or jackknife if a car stops improperly.

Tire Failures Lead to Semi-Truck Accidents

Many laws governing the quality and condition of commercial tractor-trailer tires are enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, or FMCSA. This rule is based on the significant risk presented by semi-trucks on the road with worn-out or blown tires.

Semi-truck tires, particularly the two front steering tires, must fulfil specifications that need deep quality treads to give adequate grip and that the tires have a specified degree of wear before being rotated.

If a front steering tire blows out due to a flaw in the tire, the car may swerve and lose control. Naturally, if a car is in the wrong place at the wrong moment close to a blown tire, this might result in a major collision.

Cargo Shifting as a Result of Equipment Failure

Commercial tractor-trailers transport a lot of stuff, from crates of vegetables to hundreds of gallons of combustible chemicals. To prevent an occurrence when the contents of a trailer leak out and become debris or move within the trailer, the cargo a car hauls is meticulously secured. If the contents of a trailer become loose and move as a result of improper cargo loading or faulty equipment, the trailer becomes extremely unstable and difficult to manage.

When the inside contents of a trailer change about, a lot of weight is shifted in ways that might cause the trailer to tip over. The velocity of the free cargo might cause a trailer to tumble and roll if a semi-truck driver takes a curve when the cargo is loose.

In certain circumstances, unsecured goods might fall out of the trailer and onto the road. Typically, the truck will not be transporting pillows and marshmallows, but rather something that might do significant harm to following cars as debris.

What is the definition of a design flaw?

Large trucks are complicated cars with many mechanical components, equipment systems, and safety features. A design defect is a mistake or error in the way a car is intended to be constructed that makes it inherently unsafe, even if it is correctly manufactured.

What is the definition of a manufacturing flaw?

A manufacturing fault is caused by mistakes made during the manufacturing process, such as the use of inferior materials in braking systems. This kind of flaw is frequently caused by a divergence in design standards, and it causes the product to be unsafe when utilized as intended.

Brake Failure on a Semi-Truck

Because of their sheer size, speed, and potential for destruction in a collision, commercial and semi-truck braking systems are possibly the most important safety element on any car. According to the Department of Transportation, brake failure, improper alignment, or other braking system faults account for roughly 30% of all big shipping accidents.

While truck drivers, owners, and firms that maintain these huge cars are normally responsible for the safe and efficient use of the brakes, braking system manufacturers may also be held accountable if their design or manufacturing processes fail and a truck accident happens.

There are tight laws governing the manufacture of these critical safety systems, and if carelessness caused a semi-truck braking failure and you were seriously injured in an accident, it is critical to identify and hold those responsible accountable.

Other Types of Common Truck Defects

Other types of manufacturing and design flaws are unfortunately not rare. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is in charge of defining safety standards for all sorts of cars and issuing recalls when equipment fails to meet federal requirements or has a safety issue. Every year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issues hundreds of warnings and recalls for hazardous cars.

A flaw is defined as “any deficiency in the performance, construction, a component, or material of a motor car or motor car equipment” by the United States Code for Motor Car Safety. The following components are typically involved in design or manufacturing faults in commercial trucks:

Tires

Steering

Suspension systems

Wheels

Lighting (headlights, taillights, and brake lights), signaling, and monitoring systems

Federal Safety Regulations

When a truck’s design or production fails to fulfil minimal safety requirements, catastrophic accidents and terrible casualties may occur. When it comes to the safe functioning of a car, the brakes and tires are the most important components, but this is especially true for semi-trucks, 18-wheelers, and tractor-trailers. According to the IIHS, brake and tire faults are two of the most prevalent car-related variables in heavy truck collisions.

For big commercial vehicles, the federal government has created comprehensive safety rules. Heavy truck tractors, for example, must have air brake systems that fulfil stringent stopping distance performance specifications.

Large truck tractors have a maximum stopping distance of 250 feet as of 2013, which is anticipated to save 227 lives and avoid 300 severe injuries per year. Semi-trucks may have a flaw if they are built or produced in such a manner that they fail to fulfil safety regulations.

Obtain the services of a knowledgeable Colorado truck accident lawyer.

If you or a loved one sustained physical injuries as a consequence of a truck collision in bad weather, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Take advantage of your risk-free, no-obligation consultation with Warrior Truck Accident Lawyers your leading personal injury and truck accident attorneys in the Tampa Bay region.

They are here to fight for your right to drive your car safely, and they can tell you whether you have a personal injury claim under Colorado law. For more information, visit their website or call 719-300-1100.

Warrior Car Accident Lawyers

1902 W. Colorado Ave., Suite 100

Colorado Springs, CO 80904

719-300-1100

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