Truck accidents can be much more devastating than car accidents due to the size of an average truck. The impact of a truck can easily cause severe injuries and death. While many accidents are caused by distracted driving, another major cause of truck accidents is that the truck itself experiences a mechanical failure. Knowing what happened may help your personal injury case. 

Brakes

A common mechanical failure that a truck might face is a brake failure. This can lead to the truck driver being unable to stop the vehicle, leading to a collision with your vehicle. The truck driver and his or her employer are responsible for making sure that the brakes are in good condition and may be held liable. Also, the company that serviced the brakes might not have performed a proper inspection.

Transmission

Truck transmissions carry a lot of weight. If the transmission experiences a failure, the truck might experience an accident. One reason why a transmission might fail is that it has been overloaded. The transmission is designed to carry certain weights. If too much weight is placed on a transmission, the individual responsible for the excess weight may be held responsible.

Steering

If the truck driver notices any problems with the steering of the truck, he or she needs to have the problem corrected as soon as possible. When steering fails with a truck, the driver will be unable to maneuver the vehicle well enough to avoid a collision. This is a common problem when the driver must make a turn and collides with your vehicle rather than performing the turn successfully. If a mechanical problem was discovered with the steering mechanism, the manufacturer or a truck mechanic might be responsible.

Tires

The tires on a truck must be maintained properly so that the truck can be operated safely. For example, the tires need to be properly inflated. Also, if the truck driver notices any problems with the tires, he or she is responsible for having them serviced promptly. If they were serviced, the tire repair shop might be to blame.

Regardless of the cause of the accident, you'll want to turn to a personal injury lawyer like those at The Harris Law Firm for help. There might be multiple parties who are responsible for your injuries when they are caused by a truck that isn't properly maintained. If the vehicle hasn't undergone maintenance recently, the manufacturer might even be responsible. For this reason, it's important to gather all the facts of the gas before moving forward.