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Maryland Defective Truck Equipment Lawyers
Truck Equipment Failure
There are many circumstances under which a truck crash may occur, including truck defects, truck driver error or negligence, dangerous roadways, and truck equipment failure. Equipment failure is not always the result of a defective truck part, although it can occur as the result of a defect. Big rig equipment failure also occurs as the result of untimely or improper inspection, maintenance, and/or repair. Making sure that the truck is in the best possible condition takes time and money. If a truck is out of service for repairs or scheduled maintenance, it cannot be on the road making deliveries and profits. For this reason, truck drivers and trucking companies may avoid inspections, skip maintenance, and ignore repairs. Unfortunately, this makes an already large and dangerous vehicle even more deadly. If equipment failure causes a tractor trailer injury crash as the result of negligent inspection, maintenance, or repair, then the trucking company and/or the truck driver may be held liable for the losses suffered by injured victims.
Types of Equipment Failure
Tractor trailer equipment failure comes in many forms, any of which may cause serious truck accident injuries or even death. Some types of equipment failure include:
- Brake failure;
- Tire failure;
- Engine over-heating;
- Trailer hitch failure;
- Inoperative turn indicator lights;
- Inoperative trailer lights;
- Inoperative brake lights;
- Trailer door malfunction; and
- Transmission failure.
These failures can cause many different types of truck crashes, including runaway trailer accidents, rollover accidents, jackknife accidents, and underride collisions. The size and weight of a big rig can easily cause serious injuries, such as broken bones, brain injury, head injury, internal bleeding, and spinal cord injury.
FMCSA Regulations
Under Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulation § 396.3, “Every motor carrier and intermodal equipment provider must systematically inspect, repair, and maintain, or cause to be systematically inspected, repaired, and maintained, all motor vehicles and intermodal equipment subject to its control.” If, during any inspection by authorized personnel, the inspector determines that the vehicle is in too poor a condition to be operational, the vehicle would be declared “Out of Service” (OOS).
Roadside Inspection and OOS Statistics
According to the FMCSA, there were 3,455,542 large truck driver inspections in 2010, an increase from both 2008 and 2009. The out-of-service rate for these drivers was 5.2 percent in 2010, a decrease from the 5.6 percent in 2009 and the 6.4 percent in 2008. Also in 2010, there were 2,349,100 commercial motor vehicle (CMV) inspections. Of these, 20.3 percent were declared out-of-service. Though this percentage is less than in previous years, 20 percent is a large number of vehicles that aren’t fit to be operated.
How an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help
Suffering a truck crash injury can create undue financial burdens for the victim and his or her family. He or she may have to deal with medical treatments, rehabilitation, prescription medication, and even home care. If the injury causes permanent disability, the victim will likely never be able to work again, as well as have life-long medical costs. At Alpert Schreyer, LLC, our Maryland injury lawyers are committed to holding negligent truck drivers and trucking companies liable for the injuries they cause. If you have been injured in a tractor trailer accident, the last thing you should worry about is financial security. We can help you obtain the compensation you deserve. Call us today to find out more about your legal options at 1 (844)-MDCRASH or 1 (844) 632-7274.
