A commercial truck has to be maintained meticulously — its brakes, tires, and systems endure enormous stress. When a trucking company cuts corners on maintenance, the result can be a brake failure or tire blowout at highway speed. These crashes are often preventable, which is exactly why the law holds the responsible parties accountable. Here’s how mechanical-failure truck crashes happen in Michigan and who can be liable.
How mechanical failures cause crashes
- Brake failure — worn, poorly adjusted, or neglected brakes can fail to stop a heavy truck, especially on grades or in emergencies.
- Tire blowouts — underinflated, worn, or defective tires can blow out, causing loss of control and dangerous road debris.
- Steering and suspension problems — failures here can make a truck impossible to control.
- Lighting and signal failures — burned-out lights make a truck hard to see, contributing to crashes.
- Coupling failures — a poorly maintained connection between the tractor and trailer can be catastrophic.
The maintenance rules
Federal FMCSA regulations require trucking companies to systematically inspect, maintain, and repair their vehicles — and to keep records proving they did. Drivers are also required to perform inspections and report defects. When a company skips required maintenance or ignores a known problem, that failure can be strong evidence of negligence.
Who can be held liable
- The trucking company — responsible for maintaining its fleet and keeping records.
- A third-party maintenance or repair provider — if it did the work negligently.
- The parts manufacturer — if a defective component (brakes, tires, coupling) failed.
- The driver — for operating a truck with a known defect or skipping required inspections.
Because a maintenance failure can involve several parties — each with its own insurance — identifying all of them is essential. See who can be held liable.
Air brakes and why they matter
Large trucks use air-brake systems that require careful maintenance and adjustment. Neglected air brakes — out of adjustment, leaking, or overheated from overuse on a long grade — are a recurring factor in serious truck crashes, and inspection records often tell the story.
How maintenance failures are proven
The evidence lives in the records: maintenance and repair logs, inspection reports, the driver’s daily inspection reports, and the failed part itself, which experts can examine. Some of this can disappear if a truck is repaired or scrapped after a crash, so it’s important to preserve the evidence quickly — another reason to involve a lawyer early.
How Michigan No-Fault applies
As always, your PIP benefits pay medical bills and wage loss regardless of fault, while the maintenance evidence supports your separate liability claim against the at-fault parties for pain and suffering and losses beyond PIP.
Frequently asked questions
How do we prove the brakes or tires were neglected? Through maintenance and inspection records and expert examination of the failed part.
Can a repair shop be liable? Yes, if negligent repair or maintenance caused the failure.
What if a defective part failed? The parts manufacturer may be liable under product-liability principles.
Talk to a Michigan truck accident lawyer
The call is free, the consultation is confidential, and you pay nothing unless we win. Call 1-800-TRUCK-CRASH or request a free case review.
This article is general information about Michigan and federal law, not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a licensed Michigan attorney about your case.