Common Accidents When Moving-Truck Brakes Fail on Highways

By Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys | October 22, 2021

The day has finally arrived: you and your family are moving into your first house. The days of living in an apartment are long gone, and you’re throwing things into boxes hand over fist, ready to start living in suburbia. Your kids can have their own rooms, ride their bikes on the small neighborhood streets, and do all the things they were never able to do in the dangerous inner city.

But before you get to Overland Park, you should take extra care with your belongings—and your family—as the journey may be more dangerous than you realize.

Why Do Moving-Truck Brakes Fail?

Bad brakes are a major cause of moving-truck crashes every year. Despite safety regulations and numerous lawsuits, moving companies continue to ignore dangers to the renter, including:

  • Poor maintenance. Many companies require that all of their trucks, trailers, and moving equipment undergo safety certifications at least once every 30 days. Vehicles should be fully inspected, including a check of the brakes, brake pads, brake line fluid, and tires. Unfortunately, accident investigators in the past have found that trailers involved in crashes routinely have significant violations, including missing brake pads, empty brake fluid, and corroded parts.
  • Failure to respond to known issues. Even when problems with rental equipment are reported, companies may not be in a hurry to respond to them. In one case, a customer in Missouri reported to a U-Haul agent that the truck she had rented “had no brakes.” The unit was not serviced and sent back out on the road, where it was involved in a serious collision that paralyzed the driver.
  • Lack of brakes in trailers. Many moving companies offer tow-behind trailers for smaller objects. While this may seem like a safer option, most of these trailers are not equipped with brakes at all—sometimes even in violation of state law.
  • Ineffective brakes on larger vehicles. Even when large trailers are equipped with brakes, past lawsuits indicate that the brakes are not particularly effective. While trailer brakes help the combination of the trailer and tow vehicle to come to a stop, they do not prevent the trailer from swaying—a major cause of rollover accidents in moving trucks.

Will You Be Able to Prove That a Moving Company Is Responsible for Your Accident?

Many truck accident cases fall through because victims are unable to gather enough evidence on their own behalf. Read through our client testimonials to find out how we have helped victims like you get justice by collecting evidence, building your case, and speaking to the trucking company’s insurance adjusters to get you a fair settlement.

Have You Been Injured In A Truck Accident?

If you’ve been injured in a tractor trailer accident you need to speak with an experienced truck accident attorney as soon as possible. Please contact us online or call our Kansas City office directly at 816.471.5111 to schedule your free consultation.

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