Getting Your Trucks' Brakes Repaired Can Protect Your Trucking Company From Liability Lawsuits
Posted on: 6 October 2017
As a trucking company owner, you want to cut down on costs as much as possible and expand your possible profits. However, you shouldn't cut back on your commercial truck repairs and brake maintenance. Ignoring these problems is likely to cause you serious financial problems if the brakes go out and cause a severe accident.
Brakes Are The Most Common Cause Of Truck Accidents
In a study of mechanical failures of commercial trucks, the University of Michigan found that 30 percent of all trucking accidents were caused by brake issues. This problem was part of an industry-wide concern that left trucks with potential mechanical failures on the road for long past their repair date.
These statistics indicate that a growing number of trucking companies need to take steps to ensure that the brakes of their trucks are in proper working order. Failure to do so may cause dangerous accidents that lead to injury or even death.
It Could Cost The Truck Company In A Lawsuit
If the brakes go out on one of your trucks and causes an accident, you are looking at a serious lawsuit. During this lawsuit, the plaintiff will try to prove that you either knew about the brake malfunctions or neglected to repair them. Liability is often a tricky problem in these cases because the high incident of brake failure makes it more likely that you were liable, whether on accident or on purpose.
As a result, it is important to ensure that these kinds of cases never happen. The best way to avoid them is to make sure the brakes of your trucks never fail. Regular maintenance and repair procedures can capture these problems and fix them before they turn serious.
Repairing The Brakes Is A Wise Choice
Any commercial truck company that is concerned about the problems caused by these lawsuits should look into getting maintenance and repairs performed on all of their vehicles' brakes. This process is not going to be inexpensive. Expect a cost of about $130 to $900 per axle on your trucks. As your trucks are quite large and have multiple axles, expect a price more towards the higher end.
This can boost the cost up to a few thousand dollars per vehicle. However, that protection is a major boon. It will not only protect your firm from million dollar lawsuits after an injury but keep you from paying excessive workers' compensation if your driver gets injured.
So make the wise decision of investing in regular commercial truck brake maintenance and repairs. Most brakes shouldn't need to be repaired for several years. However, it is a great step in protecting your firm from serious financial woes.
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