Pittsburgh Improper Truck Maintenance Lawyers
Skilled Truck Accident Attorneys Help Injured Clients Hold Trucking Companies Accountable When Improper Truck Maintenance Causes Accidents in Pittsburgh, PA
Commercial trucks are large, complex pieces of machinery. Trucks already require a truck driver’s skill and experience to properly operate; this means trucks should be kept in good working condition with regular, properly-performed maintenance. But like with all other kinds of vehicles, when a truck is not properly maintained, it increases the chances of something on the truck failing and causing the truck to get into an accident. Experienced Pittsburgh improper truck maintenance lawyers can help you recover compensation after an accident.
When the trucking company fails to perform regular maintenance or repair or replace broken or worn parts on their trucks, either out of sheer carelessness or as a cost-cutting measure, the trucking company should be held responsible if improper maintenance leads to an accident that causes injury or damages. Similarly, if the mechanic responsible for maintaining a truck does a negligent job, the mechanic should be held liable if an accident results from some failure in the truck.
With more than 50 years of collective experience, the Pittsburgh truck accident attorneys of Goodrich & Geist, P.C. have a proven track record of success holding the trucking companies responsible to compensate our injuries clients when their negligence leads to an accident. We have the knowledge and resources necessary to thoroughly investigate and pursue even the most complex truck accident cases.
If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident in Pittsburgh that may have been the result of improper truck maintenance, contact Goodrich & Geist today for a free case evaluation to speak with one of our attorneys about your accident and learn more about your legal rights and options for pursuing financial recovery for your injuries and damages.
Types of Accidents Caused by Improper Truck Maintenance in Pittsburgh
When a trucking company fails to undertake proper maintenance of its vehicles, it puts other motorists on the road at risk of a serious accident, even if the truck driver exercises all due care and skill. Examples of accidents that might be caused by improper truck maintenance include:
- Unsafe lane changes, which can happen if a truck’s turn signals or blind spot monitoring devices are not properly functioning
- Unsafe turns, which can also be caused by malfunctioning turn signals
- Rear-end accidents, which can be caused by worn or malfunctioning brakes; or a truck may be rear-ended by another vehicle if the truck’s brake lights are broken
- Jackknife accidents, which can also be caused by malfunctioning brakes (which can cause a driver to overcorrect in an emergency) or by a tire failure that causes the driver to lose control
- Sideswipe accidents, which can also be caused by tire failures or by suspension failures
Other types of improper truck maintenance that can cause a truck accident include failures to properly maintain the engine, transmission, or headlights
How Goodrich & Geist, P.C. Works to Get You Maximum Compensation After You’ve Been Injured as a Result of Improper Truck Repairs
When you choose Goodrich & Geist to represent you after you’ve been injured in a truck accident, you can expect that our firm will quickly get to work in your case. If your accident may have been caused by improper maintenance of the truck that hit you, our attorneys will thoroughly investigate all the available evidence, including damage and repair reports, vehicle recorder data, and maintenance logs. Where we identify improper truck maintenance, we will fight to hold the trucking company responsible for deferred or neglected maintenance, or the mechanic company responsible for negligently-performed maintenance, depending on the type of improper truck maintenance involved.
Our attorneys will aggressively negotiate with the trucking and insurance companies to get you a settlement as efficiently as possible that provides you with full and fair compensation for your injuries and damages. Of course, our legal team will always be preparing your case to go to court and to trial, if it becomes necessary, working with experts to develop a strong, persuasive legal argument to prove that your accident was caused by improper truck maintenance and that the trucking companies should be held accountable for your injuries and damages.
Contact Goodrich & Geist Today to Schedule a Consultation with a Knowledgeable Truck Accident Attorney
Truck accident claims are already a complex matter. Determining that your accident was due to improper truck maintenance requires even more thorough examination of detailed evidence and facts. If you have a truck accident claim in Pittsburgh, don’t go it alone. Schedule a free, no-obligation initial case evaluation with the Pittsburgh improper truck maintenance lawyers of Goodrich & Geist today to discuss your case and to learn more about your rights and options for pursuing compensation.
Frequently Asked Questions about Improper Truck Maintenance
Following a truck accident caused by improper truck maintenance, there may be one or more parties that bear responsibility, depending on the circumstances of your case. These include: the truck driver, if the driver owns his or her rig or is responsible for reporting maintenance issues to be repaired; the trucking company, if it owns the truck; the truck’s owner, if different from the truck driver or trucking company; and the mechanics responsible for the truck’s maintenance, if they failed to properly perform maintenance or identify the need for certain maintenance.
In Pennsylvania, you generally have two years from the date of a truck accident to file a lawsuit to recover compensation for injuries you suffered in the accident. This period can be lengthened, or “tolled”, if at the time of your accident you did not know and could not reasonably discover that the accident was caused by improper truck maintenance — for example, if the truck company conceals evidence of improper maintenance. If you do not timely file your lawsuit within two years or the tolled period, the court can permanently dismiss your case and you will lose your right to seek compensation from those responsible for your accident.
