Wheel Security Persists as a Major Issue
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Truck Accident Lawyer. When people think about auto accidents involving trucks, people immediately think about the size of the vehicles involved. While the weight of the truck can cause serious and traumatic injuries in accidents, trucks present another major issue. The wheel security of trucks has been highlighted as a tremendous safety concern. What is wheel security and why does this matter?
Wheel Security Poses a Danger to the Driver
Sometimes, the driver of the truck may not realize that their wheels are at risk. If the wheels on their vehicles come off or are even installed incorrectly, it makes it impossible for drivers to predict the next move of their vehicle. Failure of even one wheel can throw off the balance and alignment of the truck, wrestling control of the tractor trailer from the driver. The truck could go off the road, colliding with trees, flipping down a hill, and possibly result in a catastrophic personal injury or even a wrongful death. This is not fair to the driver of the vehicle who is being placed at risk unnecessarily.
Other Drivers are at Risk
Of course, it is not only the driver of the truck who is placed at risk. Other drivers and passengers on the road are placed in harm’s way as well. As a truck loses control, it can be difficult for the driver to bring the truck to a complete stop. Smaller vehicles, motorcycles in particular, can be completely obliterated by a tractor trailer. This could lead to polytrauma for many of the other drivers and the passengers in their vehicles. Improper wheel security puts other people on the road at risk. Even pedestrian accidents can occur if the truck loses control in the middle of a city.
Who is at Fault?
If there is a serious problem involving wheel security, it needs to be fixed. Whose responsibility it is to fix this issue? The technicians who check the wheel security on the trucks themselves should make sure that they are performing at their best, consistently. Every wheel on the vehicle should be secured properly, down to every bolt involved. Even one wheel that comes off can place countless people at risk, possibly representing a product liability issue. Furthermore, the supervisors who script the wheel security safety checks should make sure that nothing is being overlooked in the process. If there is a common theme among the various wheel failures, they should change the safety procedure to address the theme. Only by initiating change from the top down can systemic improvements be made in the wheel security issue.
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Sacramento Wrongful Death Lawyer & Trucking Injury Attorneys
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Truck Accident Lawyer. While everyone knows that large tractor trailers can cause serious accidents, their wheel security is also a major issue. Anyone who has been involved in a truck accident should contact me at (916) 921-6400 for friendly, free advice. Those who are reaching out from outside of Sacramento can use my toll-free line, available at (800) 404-5400.
I have been inducted as a part of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum of California. This is a collection of personal injury attorneys who have been listed as top trial lawyers across the nation. The attorneys in this group have had million dollar or more settlements or case verdicts.
The Past Settlements and Verdicts of my office’s injury lawyers can be seen here.
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Source: http://www.truckinginfo.com/channel/maintenance/article/story/2017/06/commentary-complacency-is-a-killer.aspx
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
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