How Tractor-Trailer Brake Failures Cause Collisions

A Nashville semi-truck accident lawyer can fight for your rights

Many commercial truck accidents involving semi-trucks occur because the truck’s brakes fail. When this happens, tractor-trailers often crash at high speed into other vehicles, causing serious injuries or fatalities in some cases. This is why it’s important for injury victims and their family members to fully understand their legal rights. Otherwise, their 18-wheeler accident might not get the attention it rightfully deserves.

Different Types Of Tractor-Trailer Brakes

In order to understand why 18-wheeler accidents happen due to truck brakes, it’s important to first understand the most common types of braking systems used on these types of trucks. The most common types of semi-truck braking systems include:

Air brakes – Compressed air activated by applying the brake pedal passes through air lines and valves into a brake chamber, which pushes the brake pads against the wheel rotors, slowing down the truck. This is the most common type of tractor-trailer braking system.
Dual air brakes – This type of braking system is similar to air brakes, except there are two separate air brake systems. Often, one air brake system slows down the front wheels in a tractor-trailer. Meanwhile, the other air brake system applies force to the rear wheels in an 18-wheeler.
Hydraulic brakes – Instead of using air, hydraulic brakes use pressurized brake fluid to slow down each wheel on a semi-truck.
Disc brakes – Calipers, rotors, and brake pads apply direct pressure to each wheel individually, causing the truck to slow down.
Drum brakes – Air pressure and brake shoes work together in drum brake systems to slow down the truck. Many older tractor-trailers have drum brakes.

How Common Are Brake Failure Accidents Involving Tractor-Trailers?

The numbers are clear – many collisions caused by 18-wheelers occur because a truck’s brakes failed to function correctly. Specifically, roughly 30 percent of all tractor-trailer accidents occur due to brake failure, according to accident data collected by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

So, how many commercial truck accidents does that add up to each year? Roughly 48,000 accidents caused by brake failure involving vehicles that weigh more than 10,000 pounds. And most tractor-trailers easily weigh that much. When fully loaded, many semi-trucks weigh as much as 80,000 pounds, which is significantly more than most cars, which weigh 4,000 pounds on average.

What Types Of Accidents Do Truck Brake Failures Often Cause?

When a tractor-trailer’s brakes fail, these large trucks often cause certain types of collisions, including:

High-speed highway accidents, which can be very serious since many 18-wheelers travel at high speeds on highways like I-24, I-40 and I-65 near Nashville.
Rear-end truck accidents, which are especially common in cases involving truck brakes not working properly.
Side impact accidents or T-bone accidents, especially if a truck cannot stop at a red light or stop sign and crashes into the side of another vehicle at an intersection.
Rollover truck accidents, especially if a truck’s brakes fail while the truck is trying to maneuver around a corner or highway exit ramp.
Jackknife truck accidents, which can be especially serious if a tractor-trailer crashes into a smaller vehicle and traps the car between the truck’s trailer and its cab.

Why Do Tractor-Trailer Brake Failure Accidents Happen?

In many cases, poor truck maintenance is the primary cause of truck brake failure accidents. More specifically, tractor-trailer brakes that fail often occur for the following reasons:

Truck brake corrosion – Rust left on brakes or parts used to hold the brakes in place can cause the brakes to not work correctly, resulting in a crash.
Unbalanced brakes – If a truck’s brakes are not balanced correctly, the brakes do not apply the correct amount of pressure to each wheel, causing the truck to veer out of control into another vehicle.
Truck suspension problems – A tractor-trailer’s brakes and suspension system need to work in harmony with each other. When they don’t, a faulty suspension system can put extra wear and tear on the truck’s brakes, causing them to fail sooner.
Broken brake drums – Some tractor-trailer braking systems have drum brakes. If these truck parts are broken or damaged, the tractor-trailer often cannot safely stop or slow down, resulting in a collision.

Who’s Responsible for Paying for Semi-Truck Accidents Due to Brake Failures?

First, it’s important to understand how Tennessee’s compensation system works when it comes to motor vehicle accidents. Tennessee has an at-fault or “tort” system when it comes to compensation for motor vehicle accident victims. This means the at-fault party must pay for all accident expenses for anyone injured in a collision caused by them.

In terms of tractor-trailer accidents due to brake failure, the at-fault party responsible for paying for your accident may be one or more of the following:

The tractor-trailer driver behind the wheel at the time of the crash.
The trucking company that employs the driver.
A business responsible for maintaining the truck and its brakes.

So how do you know who’s the at-fault party responsible for paying for your accident? Often, the best way to know is to talk to an experienced attorney who understands how Tennessee’s truck accident compensation system works.

How Much Is My Tractor-Trailer Accident Worth?

There’s no set dollar amount when it comes to truck accident claims involving a brake failure. Each case is different and will often vary in dollar amounts from one case to another. The bottom line is you should be financially compensated for all your accident-related expenses, which often include:

All medical care, including emergency medical treatments and future, anticipated medical care, especially if you suffer from chronic pain months or years after your accident.
Vehicle repairs or the cost of buying a new car if your vehicle is a total loss due to your accident.
Replacement income if you need time off from work to rest and recover from your truck accident injury.

Add all these expenses up and your truck accident claim could easily be worth thousands of dollars or significantly more money.

Why Should I Hire a Tennessee Tractor-Trailer Accident Lawyer?

Tractor-trailer accident claims in Tennessee can be complicated legal cases. Sometimes, it’s because the at-fault driver denies doing anything wrong. Other times, it’s the other driver’s insurance company that’s the problem. They might try to claim that your injury isn’t that serious or that you somehow caused the collision.

This is why it’s critical that you have an experienced lawyer on your side, helping you every step of the way. A Nashville semi-truck accident attorney at The Law Office of Eric Beasley knows what to do and can guide you through this complex legal process.

We have more than 20 years of experience representing injured motorists throughout Tennessee. Many times, our work has resulted in significant settlements and verdicts, including $800,000 obtained for a family that sustained serious injuries in a tractor-trailer accident.

Learn more about how our legal team can help you. Contact us or call our Nashville law office today for a free consultation. Attorney Eric Beasley can answer your questions and help you understand your legal options.

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