Trucking Equipment Maintenance

Each year, many motorists are injured in accidents involving trucking equipment maintenance. In 2004, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that one out of eight traffic fatalities resulted from a collision involving a large truck. Before you trust an insurance company to determine your compensation, call Georgia trucking equipment maintenance catastrophic injury attorneys Goldstein & Hayes, P.C. at 404-920-4094.

Trucking Equipment Maintenance Georgia

Truck accidents can often be traced to faulty or overlooked maintenance. The hauler is responsible for documenting maintenance, and the driver is responsible for daily pre-trip safety inspection of a tractor-trailer. For example, a study by Jones and Stein showed that brake defects were found in 56% of tractor-trailers involved in crashes. A recent DOT Large Truck Crash Causation Study found that 29.4% of all large truck crashes involved “brake failure, brakes out of adjustment, or other brake related issues.”

Even if trucks have regular maintenance, defective equipment can cause accidents. Aside from brake issues, a truck’s steering system can fail, gears may be faulty, a trailer can be overweight or improperly loaded, and cargo may not be balanced. Also, trucks such as oil tankers that carry hazardous materials can suffer containment failures, oftentimes traceable to faulty maintenance.

Atlanta Trucking Equipment Maintenance

Haulers have no excuse to skip maintenance. Today, trucking equipment maintenance in Georgia can be aided by software programs that create and schedule maintenance jobs, as well as handle unplanned maintenance because of equipment breakdowns. Software can also keep track of parts used and inventory availability. With or without software, haulers must perform maintenance and keep records as required by federal law and by Georgia state law. If you’re injured in a semi-truck accident because maintenance wasn’t done, you have rights.

Contact Atlanta Trucking Accident Attorney

Injury in a truck accident can be devastating, emotionally and financially, including high costs for medical treatment and rehab. Because a record of poor maintenance can mean higher compensation for an injured party, a hauler may try to shift the blame in truck accidents. You need to make sure that the maintenance records of both the hauler and the truck driver are thoroughly investigated. Atlanta catastrophic injury attorneys Goldstein & Hayes, P.C. have the expertise to protect you.