Truck and Car Defect Cases

I’m Katelyn Holub, an attorney focusing on personal injury law in northwest Indiana.

Welcome to Personal Injury Primer, where we break down the law into simple terms, provide legal tips, and discuss personal injury law topics.

Today’s podcast was inspired after watching one of the many online videos that people have made of repairing old cars and trucks.

Judging by the number of such videos, many people like to watch mechanics work on vehicles. Maybe they do mechanic work on their own as a hobby and want to see how others approach the work.

One car model that is the subject of many video clips is the old Ford Model A. Amazingly, you can still get parts for these old cars.

Many of the videos focus on making the brakes work on the Model A. Or, how to retrofit an old Model A with seatbelts.

It makes you realize that we have come a long way in making motor vehicles safe. But even modern safety equipment, like airbags and shoulder harnesses, can malfunction. If they are poorly designed, they can lead to injuries.

Many car and truck drivers are placed in harm’s way through no fault of their own when a mechanical part breaks or when a defectively designed truck, trailer, tires, or other component part, leads to an injury.

Heavy trucks, from dump trucks to semi-tractor trailer combinations, can cause driver injuries due to a cab crush incident, such as when the cab structure collapses during a rollover.

Cars are governed by safety laws, but other vehicles may not be covered by laws requiring airbags or requiring crash-worthy occupant structures.

Currently, the United States Department of Transportation does not require commercial medium and heavy-duty trucks to have airbags, a standard safety item needed on all other passenger vehicles.

Moreover, many truck wrecks can be blamed on negligent maintenance and repair issues.

Our firm recently helped a young man who suffered a catastrophic injury after a street cleaner vacuum truck rolled over when the brakes locked up during a turn and the truck tipped on its side.

Negligent maintenance and repair issues were to blame. Records showed that brakes needed to be replaced months earlier before the crash, but to save money, the repairs were declined. This young man suffered severe burns and other injuries, which will impact him for the rest of his life.

We have come a long way since the Model A. But, safety remains an important issue in truck wreck cases as well as car wreck cases. Most trucks have little to no safety equipment beyond basic safety belts.

People injured in truck crashes, like those injured in car crashes, may nonetheless have a valid legal claim due to a defective design, product defect, or maintenance issues, despite the absence of laws requiring specific safety equipment.

So it is always wise to consult an attorney in such cases.

I hope you found this information helpful. If you are a victim of someone’s carelessness, substandard medical care, a product defect, work injury, or another personal injury, please call (219) 736-9700 with your questions. You can also learn more about us by visiting our website at DavidHolubLaw.com – while there, make sure you request a copy of our book “Fighting for Truth.”