Myrtle Beach Brake Failure Truck Accident Lawyers

Any automobile accident has the capacity to lead to serious injury and damage to property. However, when an accident involves a large commercial truck, the consequences can be catastrophic. These vehicles can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, so an impact with one of them can cause life-altering disabilities or even death.

Like any other vehicle, trucks are susceptible to mechanical problems, such as brake failure. The braking systems in trucks are designed with several safeguards in place. When the safeguards fail, and brake failure occurs, it’s possible that someone could be held liable for any injuries that may occur from a truck accident that is caused by that failure.

If you have been injured in a truck accident that was caused by faulty brakes, or if you have a loved one who lost their life in a brake failure-related truck accident, you may be eligible for compensation for your injuries and losses. The Myrtle Beach truck accident attorneys of the Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers are here to help. Our team is committed to helping our clients recover the full and fair compensation they deserve. Call us today or fill out our online form for a confidential case evaluation.

What Causes Truck Brake Failure?

When a truck’s brakes fail, there is an immediate danger to other motorists, passengers, and pedestrians on the road. The truck’s driver might lose control of the vehicle and its cargo, which may come loose if it was improperly loaded. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), nearly 30 percent of large truck collisions occurred due to brake-related problems. Furthermore, in a recent year, the FMCSA found almost 450,000 brake violations during federally mandated inspections of commercial trucks.

Some of the most common causes of truck brake failure include:

• Improper maintenance – A truck’s braking system can fail due to leaks, mismatched components, imbalanced brakes, and other flaws that occur when the system is not maintained regularly or properly. Brakes that are out of adjustment are one of the most common causes of jackknife accidents.
• Drivers with insufficient training – Part of a commercial vehicle driver’s training is to learn proper braking techniques. Operating a truck’s braking system improperly can cause the brakes to overheat or catch fire.
• Overloaded trucks – If a truck’s cargo exceeds the safe amount of weight, the driver will need to apply the brakes for more time than usual before the truck can come to a complete stop. Over time, the brakes can wear down more quickly, which may lead to failure.
• Design defects – Manufacturers of truck parts have a duty of care to make and sell products that meet safety standards. If a braking system has even a slight design flaw, the results can be catastrophic.

Understanding the reason for the brake failure will help your Myrtle Beach truck accident lawyer determine who should be held liable for the injuries you received in the accident.

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Brake Failure Truck Accident?

Depending on the circumstances of the accident, one or more of the following parties may be held liable for your injuries:

• The owner of the truck – Truck owners sometimes fail to maintain their rigs in order to cut costs. If poor maintenance leads to an accident in which a person is hurt or killed, the owner could be held accountable.
• The trucking company – If the brake failure was caused by an untrained driver who did not know how to operate the brakes, the trucking company could be held liable for the accident and your injuries due to its negligent hiring practices.
• The brake system manufacturer – If there are design defects or mechanical flaws in the braking system, and these defects were present when they left the manufacturer’s control, the manufacturer might be liable for your injuries.
• Repair shops and mechanics – If a truck has been maintained regularly but the mechanics failed to diagnose and fix problems that were present in the braking system, these technicians might bear some of the liability for the accident that caused your injuries.
• Cargo loaders – If the people who loaded cargo into the vehicle did so improperly or loaded too much weight, causing excess stress on the braking systems, they could be held liable for the crash.
• The truck driver – In addition to abiding by road rules such as speed limits and safe following distances, truck drivers are also responsible for inspecting their vehicles before and during a trip. If they failed to perform these inspections or didn’t report issues that needed repair and this behavior led to the accident that caused your injuries, they might be held liable for your injuries.

Our Myrtle Beach truck accident lawyers will conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances and causes of the accident so that we can determine which party or parties should be required to compensate you for your losses.

What Compensation Can I Claim?

Truck accident injuries can not only be painful, but they can also take months or even years to recover from. Some injuries lead to temporary or permanent disabilities that prevent the injured person from working and enjoying the things they love to do. All this places an immense amount of financial and emotional stress on those who have been harmed in accidents.

At the Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers, we can help you claim compensation for:

• Medical expenses (current and future)
• Lost wages (current and future)
• Disability
• Physical and psychological pain and suffering
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Disfigurement
• Wrongful death
• Punitive damages (in cases of particularly reckless conduct)

Contact Us Today for a Consultation

If you have been injured in a truck accident that was caused by brake failure, the experienced legal team at the Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers is here to help. We are passionate about recovering compensation for those whose lives have been turned upside down by another party’s wrongdoing, and we will fight to secure full and fair compensation for you. What’s more, we will only take a fee if we achieve a financial recovery on your behalf.

Call us today at (843) 839-4795 or fill out our online form for a confidential consultation.