Importance of a Mechanic in Semi Truck Wreck Cases

One of the first people we turn to for help investigating a semi-truck accident case is a truck mechanic. Our legal team works with trained professionals who can conduct the type of forensic truck accident investigation that is necessary to determine whether a mechanical problem led to the accident.

In many commercial truck accidents, a part or system critical to the truck’s operation has failed and caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle. If this is what happened, people injured in the crash may pursue a claim against the truck owner, who is responsible for the safety of trucks the company puts on the road.

At Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC, our truck accident lawyers have extensive experience conducting truck accident investigations and representing people harmed in large truck crashes. Indiana truck accident attorney David W. Craig has handled hundreds of commercial vehicle accidents, representing clients in Indianapolis, Batesville, Richmond, Fort Wayne, and throughout Indiana. Much of the success we have with truck accident cases is based on working with professional mechanics who know what makes semi-trucks and other commercial motor vehicles run safely.

If you have been injured in a truck accident in Indiana that was not your fault, we urge you to contact Craig, Kelley & Faultless as soon as possible. It is best to get access to a truck quickly after a crash before it can be hauled off to a scrap yard and the potential evidence lost.

Why Are Truck Accident Claims Complex?

Getting into a collision with a tractor-trailer or another large commercial truck is much different than an accident that involves two passenger cars. Besides the size and weight of a commercial truck, which makes the impact of a collision worse, a tractor-trailer has more complex systems that ensure its operability and safety. The failure of any critical component – brakes, tires, steering, coupling – can cause immediate 3danger.

Commercial trucks in the U.S. are regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The FMCSA’s mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries, by strong enforcement of safety regulations.

The FMCSA requires trucking companies to have their vehicles inspected annually, ensure they are maintained, and keep records of all maintenance and repairs. Carriers are responsible for ensuring that third parties hired for maintenance work and other services perform according to regulations.

There are multiple parties who may be potentially liable for a truck accident caused by a mechanical failure or systems failure on the truck:

• The truck owner
• The trailer owner
• Service vendors
• Parts suppliers
• Vehicle manufacturers.

Determining liability requires gathering and reviewing a lot of records and forensic evidence.

The first complication is getting access to the semi. Sometimes, we can just contact the truck owner and notify them that the truck is evidence in a claim and that it must be preserved. In other cases, we have to obtain a court order requiring the carrier to leave the truck untouched and grant us access to it. Sometimes we have to track down the wrecked truck, which may have been relocated several states away from where the crash occurred.

Once we locate the semi and get access to it, our truck accident investigation mechanic can get to work.

What Does a Mechanic Do in a Truck Accident Case?

A qualified large-truck mechanic who has access to a crashed truck can usually determine whether a problem with the truck contributed to the accident. One of the first things our truck accident investigations team does is download the truck’s “black box” Event Data Recorder (EDR). A truck’s EDR records a wealth of information from just before a collision, including:

• Date and time of the accident
• Vehicle speed
• Engine speed
• Gas pedal position
• Cruise control status
• Brake status
• Clutch status
• Steering angle
• Forward collision warnings
• Lane-departure warnings
• Last stop
• Incident event reports such as sudden deceleration/acceleration, or hard braking
• Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) snapshots of truck system sensors reporting data outside normal values.

The EDR data may indicate what needs to be examined. But a truck accident investigation mechanic will typically examine such systems as:

• Brakes (service brakes, parking brake system, brake drum or rotors, brake hose, brake tubing, low-pressure warning device, tractor protection valve, air compressor, electric brakes, hydraulic brakes, vacuum systems)
• Cargo securing systems
• Coupling devices (fifth wheels, pintle hooks, drawbar/towbar eye, drawbar/towbar tongue, safety devices, saddle mounts)
• Lighting
• Steering system
• The suspension (U-bolts; spring assembly; torque, radius, or tracking components)
• Frame
• Tires and tread depth, especially if wet or icy weather conditions may have contributed to the crash
• Wheels and rims
• Welds
• Windshield glazing
• Windshield wipers.

Mechanics involved in a truck accident investigation seek to determine whether the truck or its parts failed and whether that failure contributed to the accident. In essence, they work to eliminate possibilities. Mechanics often uncover problems on a truck that police who responded to the accident did not find. In other cases, mechanics confirm the findings of the police.

When their inspection is complete, the mechanic will brief the attorneys on the case, prepare a written report of their findings and preserve any parts with defects or deficiencies that may be used as evidence.

If a claim goes to trial, the truck accident mechanics we hire can testify as expert witnesses in court.

Contact a Knowledgeable Truck Accident Attorney with an Investigations Team

Craig, Kelley & Faultless has put together an emergency response team to investigate truck accidents. The team includes a private investigator, a mechanical expert, an expert qualified to download the commercial truck’s black box, and an accident reconstructionist. Our dedicated legal team has the experience and resources needed to identify and secure evidence after a truck accident.

We pursue truck accident cases on a contingency fee basis. We only receive a legal fee when we obtain an insurance settlement or court award for the client. We investigate accidents thoroughly and prepare each case as if it will go to trial. Contact us by telephone or online for a free consultation about your potential claim. If you cannot come to us, we will come to you.