Our Houston dump truck accident attorneys have remarked before upon the ubiquity of dump trucks in our metropolitan area. We’ve also mentioned how these massive vehicles have the potential to cause catastrophic or even fatal injuries in an accident. Rollovers, collisions, and underride crashes all have the potential to take the lives of occupants of smaller, more fragile vehicles.
This huge potential for costly injury is one of the reasons the law requires dump truck drivers to carry the higher dollar commercial insurance policies. These policies can have up to 50 times the cash value of the average car insurance policy. But dump truck drivers themselves are otherwise fairly lightly regulated. They aren’t subject to many of the more stringent safety regulations that affect the drivers of the 18-wheeler tractor-trailer rigs you see.
Indeed, many dump truck companies consist of just a guy and his truck. The lighter regulation on dump truck drivers facilitates their much-needed work in busy modern societies. But as a recent news item points out, it can also lead to multiple accidents. One dump truck driver just drove his Kenworth into a building, only 9 days after having a previous accident.
The U.S. NHTSA and FMCSA data show that poor truck brake maintenance is the number one mechanical cause of heavy truck wrecks. Over 29% of the accidents the agencies studied included poor truck brake maintenance as a component.
Our Houston dump truck accident attorneys emphasize that the brake systems on commercial trucks, whether hydraulic systems, air brake systems, or some other type, comprise a complex assembly of large and heavy components. These truck brake systems require the regular attention of highly trained, skilled mechanics to continue functioning smoothly. Poorly maintained truck brake systems can actually fall apart. When they come apart on the road and a component weighing hundreds of pounds comes flying off the truck at 75 miles pre hour, the impact can tear a car in half. And the truck itself could crush surrounding vehicles as its brakes fail and it rear ends smaller passenger cars.
The air brake systems on many heavy trucks are particularly prone to pressure imbalances if they aren’t carefully maintained. These pressure imbalances are to blame for many of the accidents you hear of where the driver loses control of the vehicle and wrecks.
But as long as a truck still drives, owners might be tempted to skimp on brake maintenance to save money. Minor braking problems just don’t seem that urgent compared to some other types of mechanical failure. At least not until a catastrophic dump truck accident occurs.
If a dump truck wreck has injured you and you have questions about the accident, contact our Houston dump truck accident attorneys for your free consultation. Our more than 12 years of focused truck wreck injury experience could help you discover if slipshod brake maintenance was one of the causes.
An investigation of the wreck and the dump truck itself could examine the caliper adjustments, brake linings, hydraulic fluid levels, and more to discover whether poor brake maintenance played a role in causing your injuries. You can contact us toll free at 877-307-9500 or through our convenient online contact form to schedule your free and confidential legal consultation with our Houston dump truck accident attorneys.