Houston Truck Accident Attorney: Defective Equipment

Product Liability and Houston Truck Accidents

After you were injured in a truck accident, it could be assumed that driver negligence was responsible for the accident. While this is true in many cases, often the reason a truck gets involved in a collision is due to defective or faulty equipment. When this occurs, you can take legal action against the manufacturer in a product liability lawsuit to recover monetary damages. You deserve compensation for every aspect of the accident, from your medical bills and expenses for rehabilitative treatment to lost wages, pain and suffering. A knowledgeable Houston truck accident attorney who has experience with this type of case can help you. If necessary an independent investigation of the accident can be initiated to determine if defective equipment is a factor.

Commercial trucks have a large number of components, and every one of them must perform perfectly in order to avoid accidents. Design flaws can cause equipment such as brakes, brake lines, couplings and hydraulics to either wear down prematurely or suffer a catastrophic breakdown. The result is often a rear end truck-auto collision, jackknife accidents or truck rollovers. Anyone in the vicinity of an 18-wheeler accident is at risk of major injury. The family of the victim of a fatal semi accident can file a wrongful death claim against the manufacturer of a defective component that caused the tragedy.

Unlike passenger vehicles, commercial trucks are not required to comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. No similar set of safety standards exists to require manufacturers of these trucks to design, test, and manufacture their products to ensure the safety of everyone on the road. As a result, safety devices which have long been standard on passenger cars and pickup trucks are still not federally mandated on commercial trucks. For example, manufacturers of passenger cars have long been required to mount the fuel tanks inside the vehicle's frame. No such requirement exists for the manufacturers of commercial trucks. The fuel tanks are often mounted in a "saddle bag" configuration near the step under the door to the truck's cab.

Truck Accident Lawyer in Houston

At Sloan, Bagley, Hatcher & Perry, we believe in protecting the rights of those who have been injured in preventable accidents. Manufacturers have a responsibility to ensure that their products are free from dangerous defects, and they should be held accountable for falling short in their duty to protect others from harm. There are many possible causes of truck accidents, but we will help you isolate the exact factors which are responsible for your pain and suffering in order to help you recover damages. Our team is AV Rated and we are Multi Million Dollar Advocates, indicating we have the skill and experience to effectively pursue your claim.

Contact a Houston truck accident attorney who can investigate your case to find any evidence that defective equipment was at fault for the injuries, pain and suffering you have experienced.