Truck Brakes And New York Truck Accidents

Jed Dietrich, Esq. and His Top Rated and Elite Team of Aggressive, Tenacious and Hardworking Truck Accident Lawyers in Buffalo, New York Will Fight to Obtain the Best Result After Your Injury Accident.

When a 42-year-old man and a 36-year-old man were injured in a rear-end collision with a tractor-trailer on Interstate 290 in Buffalo, New York, they both required cervical fusion surgery to mend the painful injuries to their necks. Jed Dietrich, Esq., a recognized Best Lawyer of America, obtained $1,900,000.00 for the men for their lost wages, pain and suffering. Each of the plaintiffs received $950,000.00, and the settlement, over the course of its lifetime, is valued at $2,785,079.00.

Rear-end collisions are the most common type of tractor-trailer, big rig or semi truck accident in the United States. Often, rear-end collisions occur because of issues with the truck’s braking system. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration cites brake malfunction as the most prevalent contributing factor to truck accidents.

There are a variety of factors that can lead to a truck accident. Visit our website for more information.

For two decades, Jed Dietrich, Esq. has settled a vast number of truck accident injury cases in Buffalo, New York. His talented and top rated staff of trial lawyers and paralegals at the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. will zealously represent you in your personal injury case in Buffalo, New York. Call today for a free consultation at (716) 839-3939.

According to the Department of Transportation, 29% of tractor-trailer, big rig and semi truck crashes involve braking issues.

Properly functioning brakes are crucial to large trucks, because of the increased weight and stopping distance that these vehicles require. Fully loaded 80,000-pound trucks can take the length of two football fields to come to a complete stop.

The stopping distance of tractor-trailers, big rigs and semi trucks is 20-40% longer than an average car, depending on the weight of the vehicle and factors such as weather, tire traction and road conditions. In collisions between large trucks and passenger vehicles, 97% of the deaths in these crashes are to occupants of the smaller car.

If you have been hit by a tractor-trailer, big rig or semi truck, you do not want to fight the truck companies alone! You want a recognized Best Lawyer of America for your injury in Buffalo, New York. Jed Dietrich, Esq. has a proven track record of winning truck accident cases and obtaining large settlements for his clients in Buffalo, New York. The superior and top rated staff of lawyers and paralegals at The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. will fight for YOU! Let our aggressive, tenacious and hardworking Buffalo, New York truck accident lawyers handle your personal injury case. Call us today at (716) 839-3939 for a free consultation.

Truck brakes are essentially a system of pressurized air. Air is stored in reservoir tanks, and then piped through brake lines. When a driver engages the brake, the compressed air presses down on the pistons to apply pressure to the brake pads. This brings the vehicle to a stop. Air brakes are used in large vehicles like trucks, trains and busses.

In many cases, truck brakes fail, which can lead to extensive damages, injuries and even death for people sharing the road with these big rig vehicles. Reasons that truck brakes malfunction are:

1. Wear and Tear: Tractor-trailers, big rigs and semi trucks can travel over 100,000 miles over the course of a year. The heavy weight and friction of these vehicles wears down the braking systems rapidly. It is imperative that truck operators and companies maintain and repair their vehicle’s brakes properly.
2. Over-heating: Brakes can deteriorate from overuse, which could cause the system to over-heat. This leads to small cracks in the brake pads, which significantly increase stopping distances.
3. Decreased Air Supply: Truck brakes require compressed air to stop. If there is damage to the air tank system that causes air to leak, the brakes will not function effectively.
4. Improper Maintenance: Big rig operators, truck drivers and trucking companies are required to perform routine inspections and repairs of their vehicles under Section 396 of the regulations of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Failure to properly maintain trucks, tractor-trailers and semis can increase the risk of having trucks with braking issues on the road—which could lead to fatal accidents.

Research from the IIHS concludes that tractor-trailers, big rigs and semi trucks with brake violations or deficiencies are 50% more likely to crash.

Jed Dietrich, Esq. and his top rated and elite team of Buffalo, New York truck accident lawyers have settled $175,000,000.00 on behalf of their clients. If a truck hit you, there is a chance that the vehicle’s brakes could be the cause of the crash. In this scenario, both the operator and the trucking company could be at fault, and owe money to YOU for your personal injury, pain and suffering. You want a recognized Best Lawyer of America to handle your injury case. The superb staff of Buffalo, New York truck accident lawyers and paralegals at the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. are aggressive, tenacious and hardworking. We will fight to obtain the most for your injury case!

There are several parties that can be held responsible for your personal injury resulting from an accident with a big rig, semi or tractor-trailer:

1. The Manufacturer: Commercial trucking companies spend a tremendous amount of money on truck parts, including expensive brakes. If brakes have a deficiency that leads to an accident, the brake manufacturer can be held liable for the crash. The brakes could be deemed a defective product.
2. The Trucking Company: The company that owns the trucks has a duty to properly maintain, repair and inspect their vehicles. The company can be held responsible under a theory of negligent supervision. Negligent supervision defines that a commercial trucking company is responsible as a supervisory employer. If the company allows an operator to drive with defective brakes, and this results in a crash, the company is liable.
3. The Driver: Truck operators are required to inspect their vehicles after routes and report any necessary repairs to the trucking company. Additionally, tractor-trailer, big rig and semi truck drivers are responsible for following the rules of the road and safely operating their vehicles. Drivers must be aware of the increased stopping distance that large trucks require and the risk of rear-end accidents that can result from this.

In a truck accident case, monetary damages are available in two forms:

1. Compensatory Damages; and
2. Punitive Damages.

Compensatory Damages are the main form of damages in a civil case. They “compensate” the plaintiff for losses and expenses related to the accident such as:

1. Lost wages and medical bills;
2. Pain and suffering; and
3. Property damage.

With compensatory damages, the plaintiff must prove that the loss they suffered was a direct result of the truck accident.

Punitive damages can be awarded in addition to compensatory damages in order to punish a defendant for reckless or grossly negligent behavior. If a truck company was aware of a serious brake defect in one of its vehicles and neglected to fix it, punitive damages could be pursued if an accident ensued.

Jed Dietrich, Esq. and his superb staff at the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. understand the complex laws that regulate the trucking industry. If you, or a loved one, have been hit by a tractor-trailer, big rig or semi truck with a brake deficiency, you can collect a settlement for lost wages, damages, injuries and pain and suffering. Enlist the help of a recognized Best Lawyer of America, armed with a team of superior truck accident lawyers in Buffalo, New York. Call us today at (716) 839-3939.

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!