One of the most important components of any commercial truck has to be its brakes. A truck without working brakes immediately puts everyone on the road in danger, especially when said trucks are carrying large cargo. The biggest threat in these cases is rear-ended collisions. These collisions are especially dangerous when a big truck is involved as they are often the biggest vehicles on the road. Once the accident has happened in Fairview Heights, IL, who can be held accountable for the damages? Here we will be going into accountability for failed brakes on a truck.
Negligence of The Truck Driver
The driver of the truck is almost always the first defendant from an accident like this in Fairview Heights, IL. They have more responsibility considering they were the person who was operating the vehicle with faulty brakes. Experienced truck drivers know how to tell their brakes are not working how they should. When these issues are realized, a truck driver will pull over where it is safe and assess the situation. From there they might call for a tow truck. Responsible truck drivers never drive their trucks when they suspect problems when they can lead to accidents on the road.
The Mechanic Duty of Safe Repairs
The truck’s mechanic can also be seen as responsible as they must make sure that the vehicle is up to safety standards before getting out onto the road. A reputable attorney will often look into the truck’s maintenance records to find out how often it was serviced and if there were any signs the issues with the brakes were ignored or botched. It is difficult to establish complete liability against the mechanics for providing inadequate care of the truck which leads to its brakes failing.
Load Crew Responsibility
Most truck drivers are instructed to not assist in loading or unloading any cargo out of the truck. There are load crews who load and unload any freight from the truck. The load crews have to properly distribute the weight in the truck. When a truck exceeds its weight limit, it can cause damage to the braking system, which can cause it to fail. This would put the load crew at fault.
The best way to have your truck accident claim handled is to hire an attorney who can help you recover damages from the parties truly liable for your injuries and damages. If you are looking for a professional attorney to help you with your truck accident claim in Fairview Heights, IL, give our team over at the Law Office Don Cary Collins a call today!
