Improper Maintenance Of Trucks In Buffalo, New York

Recognized Best Lawyer of America, Jed Dietrich, Esq., and His Top Rated and Elite Team of Trial Lawyers and Paralegals are Aggressive, Tenacious and Hardworking and Will Battle to Obtain the Best Result After Your Accident.

Call a superior Buffalo, New York truck accident lawyer if you have been injured in a crash with a tractor-trailer, big rig or semi truck. Jed Dietrich, Esq. has settled over $175,000,000.00 on behalf of his clients, and has extensive experience winning truck accident cases in Buffalo, New York. The Dietrich Law Firm P.C.'s superb team of lawyers will fight to obtain the best possible result for YOU! Call us today at (716) 839-3939.

Trucks Need to be Maintained

Tractor-trailers, big rigs and semi trucks can travel over 100,000 miles annually, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Over the course of a year, these 80,000-pound machines suffer wear and tear from the long distances that they travel and the heavy freight that they transport.

Commercial trucks are expensive to own and operate, costing trucking companies up to $180,000 per year when accounting for fuel, repairs, insurance and other expenses.

Due to the fact that these vehicles are so expensive to operate, commercial trucking companies sometimes cut corners on repairs and maintenance, which costs nearly $15,000 per year, per truck.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration mandates that tractor-trailers, big rigs and semi trucks be inspected annually under Section 396. This regulation also requires truck drivers to complete post-trip inspections of their vehicle, and motor carriers to repair any deficiencies that the driver reports. With routine maintenance, these parts of the truck are inspected:

1. Braking system;
2. Tires;
3. Lighting system and reflectors;
4. Fuel/Exhaust system;
5. Frame and wheels;
6. Steering system; and
7. Suspension system.

It is critical that tractor-trailers, big rigs and semi trucks be inspected, maintained and repaired regularly in order to ensure that the vehicles are functioning properly.

If a truck is traveling at 65 miles per-hour down an interstate highway and blows a tire, the 80,000-pound vehicle can cause catastrophic damage, injuries or even death to anything or anyone in its path. In 2017, there were over 4,200 reported fatal accidents involving large trucks, tractor-trailers, big rigs and semis.

Commercial trucking companies and truck operators are responsible for ensuring that their vehicles are properly maintained so that the lives of people sharing the roads are not endangered.

In an analysis of large truck crashes, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concluded that 41,000 crashes were due to brake malfunction, 8,000 due to tire issues and 6,000 due to cargo shifts.

If a tractor-trailer, big rig or semi truck has hit you, the crash may have been a result of improper maintenance. In this scenario, you want to hire a recognized Best Lawyer of America for your personal injury in Buffalo, New York. Jed Dietrich, Esq. and his superior staff of truck accident lawyers in Buffalo, New York at the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. have a vast knowledge of the trucking industry and the laws that govern it. We will battle to obtain the best result for your personal injury case in Buffalo, New York. Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. today for a free consultation at (716) 839-3939.

Improper Maintenance Can Lead To Serious Injury

If a tractor-trailer, big rig or semi truck is not maintained properly, the following dangerous situations could arise:

1. Brake Failure: The most common cause of truck accidents, especially rear-end collisions, is brake malfunction. The brakes of a tractor-trailer can succumb to wear and tear from the long distances that these vehicles travel and their weight. It is vital that the brakes of a big rig, semi truck or tractor-trailer are consistently inspected and repaired.
2. Trailer Disconnect: A 53-foot trailer can weigh upwards of 40,000 pounds. If not inspected, the mechanism that holds the trailer in place can fail and cause the trailer to disconnect from the cab. This can lead to serious damage to people and property.
3. Tire Blowout: If the tires of a tractor-trailer, big rig or semi truck are not repaired or replaced, the tire can become worn and a tire could blow while the truck is on the road. This could cause the vehicle to lose control and lead to a SERIOUS accident.

A fully loaded 80,000-pound big rig truck crashing into a 5,000 pound passenger vehicle is a terrifying scenario, yet can become reality when trucking companies neglect to properly maintain their vehicles.

If you, or a loved one, have been injured by a tractor-trailer, big rig or semi truck that had mechanical deficiencies, you want a recognized Best Lawyer of America and a top rated Buffalo, New York truck accident attorney to battle for you. Jed Dietrich, Esq. has handled a vast number of truck accident cases in Buffalo, New York. The elite and talented team of trial lawyers and paralegals at the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. is aggressive, tenacious and hardworking. Call our Buffalo, New York injury lawyers today at (716) 839-3939.

Winning An Improper Maintenance Case

While the driver of a tractor-trailer, big rig or semi truck is typically liable for an accident, in an improper maintenance case, it is more often the trucking company that is liable for damages.

The theory of negligent supervision states that supervisors, like the trucking company, are responsible for their employees. Therefore, if a big rig’s brakes fail and this causes a rear-end accident, both the operator and the company are at fault.

Vicarious liability holds that truck companies are responsible for the actions of drivers after an accident, if it was foreseeable that a truck accident could occur. If an operator of a tractor-trailer, big rig or semi truck is sent out on a route without a proper inspection and the braking or steering system fails, leading to an accident, the company is at fault.

The elite team of injury lawyers at the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. understands the nuances of liability theory related to truck accidents. The experienced team of lawyers and paralegals will hold the correct parties responsible to attempt to obtain the best result possible for your personal injury in Buffalo, New York; Rochester, New York; and Niagara Falls, New York.

Jed Dietrich, Esq. will fight for your compensation by:

1. Reviewing evidence from the scene, such as pictures of skid marks on the road and the vehicles involved in the accident.
2. Reviewing the records that truck companies are required to keep regarding routine maintenance, inspections and repairs.
3. Consulting with experts such as engineers and accident reconstructionists to examine parts of the tractor-trailer, big rig or semi truck to check for improper maintenance.
4. Proving that the truck company breached their duty to maintain their vehicles and that this was the proximate cause of the accident.

You want a recognized Best Lawyer of America for your injury claim in Buffalo, New York; Rochester, New York; and Niagara Falls, New York. The superb and top rated staff of Buffalo, New York tractor-trailer, big rig and semi truck lawyers at the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. will battle to obtain the best result for your truck accident in Buffalo, New York.

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Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at (716) 839-3939 so that our aggressive, tenacious and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Buffalo, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!

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