Aggressive New York Injury Attorney for Truck Accidents Caused by Bad Brakes
You may not realize quite how much that tractor-trailer driving in the lane next to you weighs, but depending upon it’s cargo it weighs somewhere between 10,000 and 80,000 lbs—vastly more than the average passenger vehicle, which weighs somewhere between 3,000 and 6,000 lbs.
Bringing that large of a vehicle to a complete stop requires a massive amount of braking power, applied early enough to bring the truck to a stop in time. Even mild wear to the braking systems in these trucks can cause the brakes to fail to slow the vehicle as quickly as necessary, which can result in serious collisions. The law office of Leandros A. Vrionedes, P.C. helps victims of New York City truck accidents caused by bad brakes recover compensation for their injuries resulting from the negligence of the truck driver or trucking company.
Federal law mandates brake inspections
Each day before commercial truck drivers get behind the wheel, they are required under federal law to conduct a thorough inspection of their vehicle, including its brakes. Information on a truck’s braking system is then supposed to be recorded in a brake report. However, many drivers or carrier companies simply assume that a given truck is in good condition without ensuring that this is the case, and they fail to update or review the truck’s brake report. While a truck can’t operate if its engine is in disrepair, brake failures can be overlooked while still getting the load delivered—that is, until tragedy results from brake neglect.
Despite the rules mandating attention to braking systems, along with other mechanical features of a truck, brakes are attributed as the cause of a startling number of serious truck accidents. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance holds an annual Brake Safety Week aimed at the brake health of large trucks. Brake Safety Week provides an opportunity for law enforcement to inspect the brakes of a large number of heavy trucks traveling the nation’s highways, and regularly turns up thousands of violations of federal and state rules regarding brake health. In fact, in 2015, law enforcement took more than 2,300 commercial vehicles off the road when these vehicles failed to pass their brake inspections. If you’ve been hurt in a crash caused by a truck’s defective brakes, consult with a lawyer who not only understands the nuances of personal injury law, but who also has intimate knowledge of the regulations governing commercial long-haul trucking both in New York and across the country. Contact the law offices of Leandros A. Vrionedes for a no-cost consultation on your truck accident claim.
Design and repair failings can also be the cause of truck brake accidents
Aside from a failure to properly maintain the brakes in a large commercial vehicle, other factors can cause a semi-truck or tractor-trailer’s brakes to fail. These causes include:
Defective maintenance performed by repair shops
- Faulty installation of brake pads or airbrake system
- Failure to adequately train driver on use of air brake systems
- Defective design, manufacture, or sale of brake systems or their components
We understand how to look for and investigate these causes, as well as the types of evidence we’ll need to prove your claims in court.
Dedicated and Experienced Legal Representation in New York Truck Accident Claims
If you have been hurt in a truck accident in New York, seek legal help from the determined, knowledgeable, and effective New York personal injury lawyer Leandros A. Vrionedes for a consultation on your case, at 212-889-9362, or in Queens at 718-777-5895.
