Truck Accidents Caused by Faulty Equipment
Although Long Island is not as notorious for aggressive driving and congested streets as Manhattan, as a resident, you do encounter significant dangers from vehicles on the road. One of the biggest risks you face in Long Island stems from truck accidents and faulty equipment. Our streets are filled with trucks, from construction vehicles to moving vans, fire engines to delivery trucks. However, truck accidents can be caused by more than poor driving. Whether or not a driver acted recklessly, faulty equipment can be a cause or major contributing factor in an accident. If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, a personal injury attorney at Lavine & Slavit, PLLC can investigate your accident and help you get the money you deserve.
Types of Defective Equipment
By nature, trucks are more prone to faulty equipment than cars. There are simply more parts and functions that can go awry, and because they often carry heavy loads and drive longer distances, they typically require more vigilant maintenance. Examples of faulty equipment include:
- Bad brakes
- Faulty tires that lead to blowouts and tread separation
- Defective steering
- Transmission failure
- Defective under-ride guards, the devices that prevent cars from sliding underneath a truck in the event of an accident
Who May Be at Fault
If faulty equipment caused your truck accident, you may assume that the manufacturers are to blame. After all, in a defective products lawsuit, the manufacturers are typically the primary defendant. However, in the case of a truck accident, it is a bit more complicated. There are a number of parties who may be held partially or fully liable for your injuries. Defendants may include:
- The truck driver: Usually, truck drivers are responsible for maintaining their own trucks and reporting any problems to their company. If they failed to maintain their truck properly or to report any problems to their company, they could be held liable for the accident.
- The trucking company: Truck companies are typically responsible for their employees. Therefore, if the driver or company did not follow maintenance regulations, the company will usually be held responsible.
- The manufacturer: In some cases, the driver of the trucking company may not have been aware of the faulty equipment, and it is not something the driver could have corrected through routine maintenance. For example, if the steering in a properly maintained truck suddenly goes out, this is likely the responsibility of the truck manufacturer.
- The equipment manufacturer: Often truck manufacturers and equipment manufacturers may share liability. For instance, if an accident was caused by defective brake pads, both the party that made the brake pads and the party that manufactured the vehicle should have noticed and rectified the problem. In other cases, only the equipment manufacturer may be held responsible. If a driver unwittingly replaced his old tires with new, defective ones, the tire manufacturer could shoulder all or most of the liability for the accident.
- Wholesalers and retailers: If someone knowingly or recklessly sold defective trucks or trucking equipment, that company could also share in the blame.
Recover Your Damages
It can be quite difficult to determine who is at fault in a car accident caused by defective equipment. Fortunately, the truck accident attorneys at Lavine & Slavit, PLLC have more than 50 years’ experience investigating personal injury cases and representing injured clients. Call us today to obtain your free case review and take the first steps toward collecting the compensation you deserve.
