Driving along the quiet, tree-lined stretches near the Old Schoolhouse in Lutz or making your way through the rolling hills of Brooksville should be a routine and peaceful part of your day.
If a massive commercial truck suffers a total system failure and careens into your path, that sense of safety vanishes. The routine of daily life becomes unrecognizable. You’re left wondering if anyone is responsible for the broken brakes or shredded tires that caused such a violent collision.
Determining the path forward for Can You Sue for a Truck Accident Caused by Mechanical Failure? requires looking past the surface of the crash to find the companies or mechanics who allowed a dangerous vehicle onto our Florida roads.
We know the weight of the medical bills and the stress of a long recovery can feel like a heavy burden on your shoulders right now. Our team focuses on uncovering the truth behind the wreckage to ensure the businesses that ignored their maintenance duties are held accountable for the pain they caused in your life.
Vital Facts About Truck Mechanical Failures
- Trucking companies are required by law to perform regular inspections and fix any broken parts before the vehicle hits the road.
- Liability for a crash might belong to the truck owner, the mechanic who did the repairs, or the factory that made a faulty part.
- Federal safety regulations set strict standards for how brakes, tires, and steering systems must be maintained.
- Proving a case often requires getting data from the truck's internal computer, which records how the vehicle was behaving before the impact.
Commercial trucks are complex machines that travel thousands of miles every week, putting immense pressure on every bolt and wire. When these systems are ignored, the people sharing the road in Hernando County and North Tampa are the ones who pay the price—often needing help from a truck accident lawyer to hold the responsible parties accountable.
Who Is Responsible for a Broken Truck Part?
Determining who is at fault involves assessing who was responsible for the truck's safety at the time of the failure. In the legal world, we use the word liability to describe who is legally responsible for the harm caused.
In a truck crash, liability is not always limited to the driver behind the wheel. If a brake system fails because a trucking company wanted to save money by skipping a scheduled service, that company is negligent.
Negligence is a legal term that means someone failed to use reasonable care, and that failure caused an injury to someone else.
The responsibility for a mechanical failure might lie with:
- The trucking company that owns the vehicle and manages the maintenance schedule.
- A third-party repair shop that performed a sloppy fix on the engine or tires.
- The manufacturer of a specific part, such as a steering column or a transmission, if the part was designed or built incorrectly.
- The cargo loading team if they packed the truck in a way that put too much stress on the axles or tires.
According to Florida Statute 316.302, commercial vehicles must comply with specific safety regulations to ensure they are fit for the road. When these rules are ignored, the victims of a crash have the right to seek compensation for their losses. Compensation is the money paid to help an injured person cover their costs and move forward with their life.
Common Mechanical Issues That Lead to Crashes
Tire blowouts are a frequent cause of truck accidents on high-speed roads like the Suncoast Parkway. When a tire shreds at seventy miles per hour, the driver often loses control, leading to a rollover or a multi-car collision.
Another common problem is brake failure. Large trucks require a much longer distance to stop than cars, and if the air brakes are not adjusted correctly, the driver may be unable to avoid hitting vehicles stopped at a light near the Shoppes at Wiregrass.
Other dangerous mechanical failures include:
- Broken headlights or turn signals that make the truck invisible or unpredictable at night.
- Faulty trailer hitches that allow a trailer to detach and swing into other lanes of traffic.
- Steering system collapses that prevent the driver from moving the vehicle away from hazards.
- Transmission failures that cause the truck to stall suddenly in the middle of a highway.
Statistics from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration show that brake problems are a factor in a significant number of commercial vehicle crashes. These failures are rarely true accidents; they are usually the result of someone failing to do their job correctly. Holding these parties accountable helps prevent similar tragedies from happening to other families in our community.
Steps for Your Recovery After You Are Home
Once you have received medical treatment and are resting at home in Lutz or Brooksville, your focus should be on your physical health and your future stability. The days after a truck crash are often filled with phone calls from insurance adjusters and letters from the trucking company’s lawyers.
You can protect your rights by staying organized and being careful about what you say to anyone representing the other side.
Helpful actions to take from your home include:
- Save every medical bill, discharge paper, and prescription receipt in a safe place.
- Take photos of your injuries as they heal to show the physical reality of the crash.
- Keep a simple journal describing your daily pain levels and how the injury has changed your ability to enjoy your life.
- Avoid posting any details about the crash or your recovery on social media sites.
These records act as proof for your damages, which is the legal term for the money you are seeking to cover your losses. Damages can include paychecks you missed because you could not work, as well as the physical and mental pain you have suffered.
Having this information ready allows your legal team to build a strong case for the maximum amount of compensation.
Using Evidence to Prove a Mechanical Failure
Unlike a regular car, a big rig has a black box or an Electronic Logging Device (ELD). This device records how fast the truck was going, when the driver hit the brakes, and if there were any engine warnings before the crash.
This data is essential for showing that a mechanical part failed and caused the collision. We also look for evidence such as:
- Maintenance logs that show when the truck was last inspected and what repairs were made.
- The driver’s daily inspection reports, where they are supposed to note any issues with the vehicle.
- Photos of the broken parts taken by investigators at the scene of the crash.
- Expert testimony from mechanics who can explain why a specific part failed and how it could have been prevented.
Trucking companies often try to fix or dispose of a truck quickly after a crash to hide evidence of poor maintenance. A legal team can send a spoliation letter, which is a formal notice that tells the company they must preserve the truck and all its records for the investigation. This ensures that the truth about the mechanical failure is not lost.
Seeking Justice Within the Legal Time Limit
Florida law places a strict deadline on how long you have to file a lawsuit after a truck accident. This deadline is called the statute of limitations. For most personal injury cases in Florida, you must take legal action within two years of the date of the crash.
If you wait until after this window closes, you will likely lose your right to hold the trucking company accountable and get the money you need for your bills.
Acting quickly provides several advantages:
- It is easier to find witnesses while their memory of the event is still fresh.
- Physical evidence on the road, such as skid marks or gouges in the pavement, can still be measured.
- The truck involved is more likely to still be in its post-crash condition for inspection.
Starting the process soon after you are back home helps ensure that no deadlines are missed. It allows your advocates to begin the difficult work of gathering evidence and talking to insurance companies while you focus on your physical therapy and your family.
FAQs
What if the truck driver did not know the part was broken?
Even if the driver was unaware of the problem, the trucking company can still be held responsible. They have a legal duty to inspect their vehicles and find these issues before they cause a crash. Failure to discover a problem that should have been found during a standard inspection is a form of negligence.
Can I sue the manufacturer of the truck if a part was defective?
Yes, if a part was designed poorly or made with weak materials, you may have a "product liability" claim against the manufacturer. These cases are often handled alongside a truck accident claim against the trucking company to ensure all responsible parties pay for the damages they caused.
How do I prove the brakes failed if the truck was destroyed in the crash?
Even in a severe crash, investigators can often find clues about mechanical failure. They can look at the "black box" data or examine the pieces of the brake system for signs of overheating or long-term wear that existed before the impact. Expert mechanics are very skilled at finding these details in the wreckage.
What if the mechanical failure was caused by bad road conditions?
If a pothole or a lack of road maintenance caused a truck part to break, it may be possible to hold a government agency or a construction company responsible. These cases have different rules and shorter timelines, so it is important to investigate the scene of the crash quickly to determine the true cause.
Is it possible to get money for my future medical care?
Yes, a fair settlement should include money for the doctors and therapy you will need in the months and years to come. We work with medical experts to estimate the total cost of your long-term recovery so that you are not left with bills later on.
Will the trucking company's insurance try to blame me for the accident?
Insurance companies for large trucking firms often try to shift the blame to the other drivers to avoid paying a large settlement.
They might claim you were speeding or that you cut the truck off. We use the evidence from the crash scene and the truck’s data to show the true cause was the mechanical failure.
Contact Holliday Karatinos Law Firm, PLLC for Assistance
When a trucking company’s failure to maintain its vehicles leads to a crash, you deserve a legal team that will fight for the justice you need. Holliday Karatinos Law Firm, PLLC provides the strong advocacy and deep investigation required to handle these complex cases.
We serve the people of Lutz, Brooksville, and the surrounding Florida areas with a focus on holding negligent companies accountable for the harm they cause. Your journey toward physical and financial stability is our priority.
If you have been hurt because of a broken truck part, contact our office today to schedule a consultation. We offer honest guidance and the financial resources to take on the largest trucking and insurance companies.
Let us handle the legal heavy lifting while you focus on your health and your family. Reach out to us now to start the process of securing the compensation you deserve.
James Wayne Holliday
James Wayne Holliday has been practicing law since 1995. He has been named as a “Best Attorney” Lifetime Charter Member in Florida, an honor awarded to less than one percent of the nation’s lawyers.
Mr. Holliday has earned a reputation as a relentless trial lawyer because of his outstanding work ethic and thorough preparation of his cases for trial.
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