Improper Maintenance & Inspection
Questions about vehicle condition and inspections often arise after an accident involving an 18 wheeler or commercial vehicle.
Trucks and commercial vehicles involved in accidents are often found to have out-of-service violations. This is sometimes because the required pre-use inspection was done by someone without proper training. In other cases, it is because the inspection was rushed, or–even worse–it was not done at all.
There is a reason the law requires trucking companies and commercial vehicle operators to undergo rigorous maintenance and inspections. These vehicles are heavy and difficult to control. Their sheer size means that when an accident occurs, the likelihood of serious injuries or death is much higher than for ordinary vehicles.
Despite these dangers, a thorough investigation will often reveal that the company responsible for the truck or commercial vehicle involved in your accident not only failed to conduct a required inspection, but also has a history of accidents and poorly maintained vehicles. We may find that the reason for the lack of inspections and history of accident is that the company cut corners on safety to save money. Of course, all of these things cause or contribute to accidents, the very thing inspection laws are intended to protect against.
Our Houston truck injury lawyers will help you evaluate whether the failure to follow inspection requirements led to your 18-wheeler truck or commercial vehicle accident.
In most cases, we will pull the crash report, investigate the accident, and request records from the trucking company and any repair and maintenance companies that worked on the vehicle that caused your accident. We may also take testimony from the truck driver, and seek to interview other witnesses or company employees with knowledge of the relevant facts. For many reasons, it is important that you start this process sooner rather than later.
Please contact us now for a free, confidential consultation to discuss your options. Your consultation will be kept secret, and it does not obligate you to hire our law firm or file a claim. Taking action when this occurs not only provides compensation for your accident, but it can help prevent future accidents.