Can Poor Truck Maintenance Cause an 18-Wheeler Accident?
Posted in Car Accidents,Driving Safety,Semi-Truck Accidents on June 29, 2016
Every commercial vehicle is required to meet certain standards to ensure a safer road for everyone. 18-wheelers can weigh up to 80,000 pounds with a fully loaded trailer, and pose a severe threat to all drivers on the road if maintenance is not done regularly. Unfortunately, sometimes safety standards are not kept up with, creating a risk for everyone on the road.
Worn out tires cause semi truck accidents
Semi trucks can have a tire blowout if they are not replaced often enough. They can become worn out, bald or deflated, and worn out tires can lead to dangerous roll over accidents. While trucking companies have an obligation to keep their trucks in good working condition, they have been known to mount mismatched tire sizes or mix radial and bias tries on the same axle, leading to accidents.
Bad breaks lead to semi truck accidents
It is crucial for semi trucks to maintain sound and working breaks because when an 18-wheeler’s breaks malfunction, it can cause a serious, life-threatening accident. It takes a truck of that size going 60 mph approximately 330 feet to come to a complete stop, over the length of a football field. It takes a truck with faulty breaks even longer to come to a complete stop.
Injuries resulting from poorly maintained 18-wheelers
Victims of poor maintenance big rig truck accidents can suffer from numerous injuries including:
- Broken bones
- Concussion
- Coma
- Head trauma
- Severed limbs
- Respiratory problems
If you have been injured in an 18-wheeler accident and you believe it was caused by poor truck maintenance, contact one of our lawyers.
