Florida Truck Equipment Failure Attorneys

Every day, thousands of 10-ton trucks travel our nation's roads, bringing us the goods we need to keep our economy on track. Unfortunately, a minority of those trucks carry defective equipment or hazardous cargo that poses a significant danger to the drivers around them. Because trucks are so much larger than passenger cars, they almost always kill or seriously injure smaller vehicles in an accident; a full 85 percent of truck accident fatalities in 2005 were the deaths of other motorists, passengers or pedestrians. When trucking companies knowingly or negligently allow drivers to hit the roads with substandard equipment, poor maintenance or improperly secured cargo, they could be signing the death warrants not only of their own drivers, but of every person those drivers may pass.

Defective trucks and truck parts are a serious threat to American truckers and the drivers around them -- and they may be more common than you think. Common problems with truck equipment include missing or defective safety equipment, like lights, "blind spot" mirrors and reflective tape; improperly inflated tires, which can cause a rollover or loss of driver control; and brake problems. The National Transportation Safety Board in 2005 reported that investigations of many big truck accidents "uncovered systemic deficiencies with heavy truck braking systems." The same report cited a study in which an alarming 46 percent of randomly inspected trucks had to be taken off the road because their brakes were improperly adjusted. Another study found that defective brakes cause 76 large truck crashes per year; defective tires or wheels cause 80 crashes annually.

Poorly secured or dangerous cargo is another major concern for truckers and those who share the roads with truckers. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a government agency that regulates the trucking industry, reports that trucks carrying hazardous materials are significantly more likely to roll over or catch fire in an accident. A cargo spill from any truck is dangerous, the report said, it's but especially dangerous when the truck is carrying a hazardous material that could cause a fire, explosion or a release of poisonous fumes. And a cargo spill is a staggering 50 percent more likely for trucks with hazardous materials, according to the report. And it doesn't take a chemist to recognize the dangers posed when a truck spills non-hazardous but heavy cargo, such as logs, into speeding traffic. If truckers or the companies that employ them cause an accident by failing to provide and maintain safe equipment and secure cargo, accident victims can and should hold them responsible in court.

Large trucks that aren't properly manufactured or maintained are an invisible but extremely serious hazard on our highways. When trucking companies intent on cutting costs don't provide safe, defect-free equipment or don't secure their cargo adequately, they put their own employees and everyone around them at a significant risk of death or serious, life-changing brain and spinal injuries. But because accidents are a fact of life for trucking companies, they're skilled at limiting and avoiding their liability for the accidents they cause. If you or someone you love is a victim of a trucking accident in Florida caused by someone else's carelessness, don't be taken in. The experienced Jacksonville truck accident attorneys at Farah and Farah can help you hold a negligent trucking company liable for your injuries, wrongful death, lost wages, funeral costs, permanent disability and pain and suffering. For a free consultation, contact our Jacksonville office as soon as possible.