Defective Truck Equipment

Whether or not a big rig or semi-truck is safe on the road depends largely on the integrity and precision of its thousands of parts. But if one of those parts is manufactured incorrectly, it can cause serious and fatal trucking accidents. If you believe you were injured in a trucking accident that was caused by defective truck equipment, you may be able to file a claim against the product manufacturer.

Defective product claims can be difficult to establish, especially in commercial trucking accidents. Each component of the truck must be examined closely for defects, including the cab, truck bed, and coupling. This can take considerable time and resources. As such, you need an experienced San Jose trucking accident attorney on your side from the moment you’re injured.

Trucking equipment can be defective in many ways, including:

• Tire defects
• Brake failure
• Defective straps or tie-downs
• Broken mirrors
• Broken hydraulic hoses
• Defective couplings
• Bad seals or belts
• Defective wheels
• Faulty windshield wipers
• Steering component defects
• Steering mechanism failure
• Broken defrosters
• Malfunctioning lights
• Defective antilock braking system modules

Just because a truck part is responsible for an accident does not mean that the manufacturer can be held liable. In many cases, the trucking company is responsible for maintaining their vehicles. So, if the tires blew or hoses broke because of negligent maintenance, then the trucking company would be to blame.

For example:
A large semi-truck jackknifed on a freeway outside of San Jose. An investigation revealed that the tires blew out and caused the deadly accident. If the trucker failed to perform his required maintenance check and failed to notice the bald tires, then he could be found liable. If the trucking company knew of the bald tires and chose not to replace them to cut costs, then they would be held liable, which is why we were able to secure a $3.75 million settlement in a Highway 33 truck accident case. If the tire itself was manufactured incorrectly and this defect led to the deadly blowout, then the tire manufacturer would be held liable.

It isn't always easy to determine who is truly to blame immediately following a trucking accident. Compounding the problem is that trucking companies and their lawyers will be busy trying to limit their liability by shifting blame to the driver, the manufacturer, or even the victim. When this happens, you need an experienced San Jose law firm on your side that will properly investigate your accident and determine who is ultimately to blame for your accident—and subsequently, your injuries.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a commercial trucking accident due to faulty parts or equipment, contact the trucking accident lawyers at Cerri, Boskovich & Allard at (408) 289-1417.

The trucking accident lawyers at Cerri, Boskovich & Allard have successfully handled truck accident cases throughout Northern California, including accidents on highways 1, 5, 17, 33, 101, 152, 580 and 680.