Maine Injury Lawyer Blog
Given Maine’s reputation as a beautiful place to live and vacation, the state experiences a significant amount of car and truck travel every year. However, all this traffic creates busy highways filled with cars and large commercial vehicles, increasing the chances of a serious Maine truck accident. Although some accidents are unavoidable, many trucking accidents are preventable. A significant number of these accidents result from a driver’s negligence or a defective car or truck component.
Trucks with defective parts, as well as those with inherently dangerous features, kill and injure thousands of people every year. A seemingly small defect can change the mechanical workings of these intricate vehicles. Even one defective part in a commercial truck can result in a total system failure, causing the truck to become a serious hazard. This is why federal and state lawmakers require commercial truck drivers to obtain special education, training, and licensing to operate them. Even simple tasks such as shifting and braking require several systems to work together. If even one of these systems contains a defect, the risk of a system failure or accident significantly increases.
The most common defects involve brakes, hydraulics, engines, steering systems, hitches, tires, and restraints. For example, recently, a state court issued an opinion in an accident lawsuit stemming from a truck’s un-commanded activation of a dump gate.
The case arose when a truck driver experienced a spontaneous activation of his trailer’s dump gates. As the driver traveled on the highway, the dump gate on his trailer activated, dumping a load of gravel on the highway. The release of gravel resulted in a series of accidents, causing several injuries. In this case, the trucking company discovered the issue was caused by a valve system design defect that resulted in un-commanded activation. Both the trucking company and part manufacturer faced lawsuits from the plaintiffs involved in the accident. Issues arose between the cross-claims involving the trucking company and component part manufacturer. The manufacturer claimed that the trucking company willfully discarded and replaced evidence. While this case involved a dispute between the two defendants, these issues can certainly affect a plaintiff’s ability to recover from one or both parties.
As the above case illustrates, Maine trucking accident lawsuits often involve several liable parties, depending on whether the case stems from a design defect, manufacturing defect, or lack of warning. Injury victims should contact an attorney to determine their rights and remedies after a trucking accident.
Have You Suffered Injuries in a Maine Trucking Accident?
If you or someone you know has suffered injuries because of a negligent truck driver, contact the Maine truck accident attorneys at Peter Thompson & Associates. The attorneys at our firm have extensive experience successfully resolving trucking accident lawsuits in favor of our clients. We have handled accidents stemming from negligent drivers, negligent trucking companies, and defective part manufacturers. Additionally, our law firm handles cases arising out of other types of car accidents, product defects, medical malpractice, and premises liability. Contact our office at 1-800-804-2004, to schedule a free initial consultation with an attorney at our law firm.