How Can Negligent Truck Maintenance Contribute to Accidents?
When we examine information available from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), we can see that “Every motor carrier shall systematically inspect, repair, and maintain, or cause to be systematically inspected, repaired, and maintained, all motor vehicles subject to its control.”
This can seem like a confusing definition, perhaps even repetitive. But what this means is that the motor carrier must themselves maintain each vehicle or rely on a trusted third party to do the inspection and maintenance on their behalf.
In the event trucking carriers fail to regularly inspect and maintain their vehicles, they could be held responsible for a crash if the failure to maintain the vehicle is what caused the incident. The FMCSA is very clear that commercial motor vehicles are not to be operated in a condition that is likely to cause an accident or breakdown of the vehicle.
There may be various parties who could be held liable for it a truck crash caused by negligent maintenance. This could include the truck carrier (or truck owner operator if that is how the vehicle is operated) as well as any third-party maintenance company responsible for the vehicle. There will need to be an extensive investigation into which party or parties played a role in the inspection and maintenance of a particular truck involved in a collision. A skilled Houston truck accident lawyer will understand the steps needed to take to figure out which parties to investigate and how to obtain the evidence needed to prove what happened.