If the design of a truck or any of its components is flawed, the vehicle could malfunction. At this point, the driver of the truck could get into an accident, and anyone liable for the defect could be held responsible for some or most of the losses of those involved in the incident.
Meet with a Galveston truck accident lawyer if you are injured in a trucking collision that may have occurred due to a design defect. Your attorney can review the specifics of your case. Based on these, they may advise you to seek compensation from any at-fault parties through a claim or lawsuit.
Defective Truck Parts That Can Contribute to Truck Crashes
Outside of a truck itself, vehicle components sometimes have flawed designs. Below are some of the truck parts that could have a faulty design that ultimately leads to crashes:
- Braking systems: Defective anti-lock braking systems (ABS) or improperly designed air valves could make it difficult to bring a truck to a complete stop or cause the vehicle to jackknife.
- Steering mechanisms: Weak steering gears can snap or lock up. If this happens, a truck driver could lose control of the vehicle.
- Tires: Poorly engineered tire treads or materials can increase the risk of blowouts that result in rollovers or lane-drift collisions.
A truck accident attorney can perform an investigation to find out if a defective design may have played a role in your trucking collision.
Who Is Liable for a Truck Accident Caused by a Defective Design or Part?
The party responsible for your truck accident depends on the type of defect. If your accident may have been the result of a defective design, the designer may be at fault. Alternatively, if a truck part was not manufactured correctly and may have led to your accident, the manufacturer could be liable.
In addition to these parties, there are times when a retailer that sold a defective truck or truck parts, a trucker who did not inspect their vehicle properly, or others can be responsible for trucking collisions related to design flaws.
Regardless of who may be liable for your truck collision, your lawyer may help you recover economic and non-economic damages from them or their insurance company.
How to Prove That a Defective Design Played a Role in Your Truck Crash
Partner with our experienced Texas truck accident attorney, as they can help you build a case centered on negligence. If your lawyer presents your case to a judge or jury, they may highlight how the following elements of negligence were present when your accident occurred:
- Duty of care: A party had a legal obligation to comply with a standard of care.
- Breach of duty of care: This party was careless or reckless and, because of this, may have contributed to a design defect involving a truck or any of its components.
- Causation: Since the party violated their duty, you were involved in a truck accident.
- Damages: You’ve suffered losses because of the party’s breach of duty.
Your lawyer may use the defective part or vehicle, a truck’s black box or electronic logging device (ELD) data, design blueprints and testing reports, and other evidence in their argument. This may help your attorney prove to a judge or jury that your case is warranted and that you should be compensated for your losses.