If you or a loved one were involved in a truck accident in or around Roanoke, VA, we recommend calling Lugar Injury Law as soon as possible. By retaining an experienced truck accident lawyer early on, you can benefit from a thorough investigation and identifying if defective truck equipment was a factor. We may recommend filing a truck accident lawsuit as soon as possible to take advantage of the discovery process.

During discovery, we will demand information about the truck and its maintenance history. We will look into the trucking company?s history of inadequate maintenance and truck accidents. We also may hire one or more industry experts to inspect the truck and potentially identify a defective part. If we determine your truck accident was due to an equipment malfunction or failure, we will demand full and fair compensation from the responsible manufacturer, distributor, trucking company, or other party.

To talk with us about your trucking accident, use our online form or call (540) 384-0348 to schedule a free initial consultation.

Common Truck Equipment Malfunctions

Our truck accident attorneys have handled many kinds of collisions caused by truck equipment malfunctioning or failing.

The pieces of equipment that most commonly break down include:

  • Brakes: Truck brake failure is all too common and lead to runaway truck accidents, rollover accidents, and significant collisions.
  • Tires: Blown tired can make it difficult for truck drivers to control the vehicle.
  • Steering Equipment: If one piece of the steering equipment fails, the trucker is unable to control the vehicle.
  • Engine: Old, over-used, and poorly maintained engines can suddenly fail.
  • Electrical Systems: Electrical system malfunctions can be significant, particularly if truck drivers do not receive the information, they need regarding how the truck is operating.
  • Turn Signals: Working turn signals are significant. Without turn signals, truckers cannot communicate with other drivers and avoid collisions.
  • Lights: Without fully functioning lights, truckers cannot operate their vehicles at night.
  • Axles: A broken axle makes a truck inoperable.
  • Coupling System: If this component fails, a trailer can become unhitched from a tractor.
  • Cargo Restraints: If any type of netting, straps, or other restraints used to secure cargo fail, the cargo may come loose during a haul.

Why Does Truck Equipment Malfunction?

Defective truck equipment accidents frequently occur because the truck driver and trucking company failed to take care of the truck properly. Over time, normal wear and tear becomes a factor. But, when the truck is not properly cleaned, inspected, and repaired, something is bound to give.

If the resulting mechanical failure occurs when the truck is on the road, it can result in significant or fatal collisions.

Common reasons for truck equipment malfunctions include:

  • Design Defect: A specific component of the truck may be poorly designed. The part may not function as well or as safely as it should.
  • Manufacturing Defect: A component of the truck may have been improperly manufactured. The difference between the part and its intended design may decrease the utility and safety of that part.
  • Inadequate Inspections: Truck drivers and companies are required to perform routine inspections of the truck. When drivers and vehicle owners fail to properly and thoroughly inspect a truck, they are likely to miss possible hazards.
  • Poor Maintenance: Trucking companies may fail to maintain their trucks properly. They also may make shoddy repairs that are likely to fail.
  • Overloading: Trucks that are consistently overloaded and forced to carry too much weight will experience a greater amount of wear and tear. Certain parts, like the tires, are more likely to fail.

How Do You Know a Mechanical Failure Caused a Truck Accident?

When you are injured or lose a loved one in a trucking accident, you may not know what happened. This is one of the toughest aspects of a trucking claim. You need to find out what went wrong and who is responsible for it. To do this, you need to retain an experienced truck accident lawyer.

Lugar Injury Law is highly experienced in investigating truck accidents and identifying defective equipment and mechanical failures. You may now know how to investigate a truck wreck and what to do to look for defects and malfunctions. We know where and how to look.

During the discovery phase of litigation, we will demand copies of the inspection and maintenance records for that truck. We will thoroughly review whether the truck driver or company failed to inspect the truck when it should. We will look into whether it appears necessary repairs were ignored. If the company uses a third-party for maintenance and repairs, we will investigate the quality of that businesses? work.

We also take steps to preserve evidence throughout the case, including the physical truck. We will demand that the truck not be repaired or scrapped until our own investigators and experts can analyze the damaged vehicle.

Additionally, we will demand a copy of the data stored in the electronic data recorder, the ?black box.? This may provide us information regarding a system or equipment failure.

Who Is Liable for Defective Truck Equipment?

The party responsible for a defective truck part or an equipment malfunction or failure depends on the facts of your case. Each truck accident claim is unique.

In some circumstances, we will seek to hold an auto manufacturer or distributor liable for defective equipment. If a truck part was defectively designed or manufactured, we would identify the party responsible for allowing that defective part to make it into a truck and onto the road.

If we find a system or piece of equipment in the truck malfunctioned or failed, we will thoroughly investigate why that equipment malfunction occurred. If it is due to negligent inspections and maintenance, we may hold the trucking company responsible. Or, we may find a third-party maintenance provider is responsible for shoddy repairs.

Another benefit of working with an experienced truck accident lawyer is that you have someone with the knowledge necessary to identify the liable party. When it comes to defective truck equipment accidents, the party liable for your injuries may be a business that is not readily apparent, or you have never heard of.

Compensation for a Crash Caused by Defective Truck Equipment

If you were injured in a truck wreck, and an equipment defect or malfunction was the underlying cause, you may be entitled to pursue compensation. The liable party may be a manufacturer, assembler, distributor, trucking company, truck driver, maintenance provider, or another business.

At Lugar Injury Law, we will demand you receive compensation for your:

  • Medical Bills
  • Lost Wages
  • Physical Pain and Suffering
  • Mental Anguish
  • Scarring and Disfigurement
  • Disability
  • Reduced Quality of Life
  • Reduced Earning Capacity
  • Property Damage

Let a Truck Accident Lawyer Help

After being injured or losing a relative in a truck accident, you are not going to know about defective truck equipment right away. It takes a thorough and in-depth investigation to uncover defective equipment or an equipment malfunction. Once you find out what went wrong, then you must identify the liable party. Instead of struggling to investigate a truck accident on your own, let Lugar Injury Law get to work for you.

Call us at (540) 384-0348 or use our online form to schedule a free initial consultation.