The vast majority of motor vehicle collisions occur because of preventable driver mistakes. Someone exceeds the speed limit or runs a red light and ends up injuring other people. A snap decision or a bad habit of not complying fully with traffic laws can have damaging and expensive consequences.
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That is as true for crashes involving commercial vehicles as it is for collisions between two passenger vehicles. Semi-truck drivers are human and can make mistakes regarding how they behave in traffic. However, when looking at a report from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) exploring the causes of major crashes, driver error is not the only issue.
There is little question that driver mistakes do account for the majority of crashes. The FMCSA reports that 87% of the crashes caused by semi-trucks involve an issue with the driver’s performance. Still, there are times when crashes occur due to factors outside of the driver’s control. Issues with the vehicle cause most of the other crashes involving semi-trucks.
Vehicle issues can quickly lead to a wreck
Semi-trucks have more complex systems than standard passenger vehicles and therefore have more opportunities for maintenance issues to cause a crash. According to the FMCSA reports analyzing collision causes, roughly 10% of the wrecks that semi-trucks cause occur because of an issue with the vehicle. The remaining 3% of crashes relate to environmental factors, like a sinkhole suddenly developing in the street.
Tire blowouts and brake failures are some of the more common reasons that semi-trucks cause collisions due to vehicle issues. Loading issues can also be a concern. If there is an uneven distribution of the weight inside the semi-truck or if there are objects that can move during transit, ranging from loose merchandise to fluids, the driver could potentially lose control of the vehicle due to no fault of their own when turning or going around a corner.
Vehicle issues with a semi-truck are often the responsibility of a commercial transportation company. The people affected by a crash may have grounds for an insurance claim or possibly even a lawsuit against the transportation company. Understanding who may technically be at fault for a truck crash is an important first step in the pursuit of compensation.
Product Liability: When Truck Equipment Defects Make the Manufacturer Responsible
Vehicle defects that cause or contribute to a truck crash create a product liability claim independent of driver or carrier negligence. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations require commercial carriers to perform pre-trip and post-trip inspections and maintain repair records — but inspections cannot catch a defect that was not detectable at the time, such as a manufacturing flaw in a brake drum or a latent crack in a steering component. When the defect is in the equipment itself rather than in its maintenance, the manufacturer, the component supplier, and the distributor may each bear liability under Oklahoma’s strict products liability doctrine.
Strict products liability means you do not need to prove the manufacturer was negligent — only that the product was unreasonably dangerous when it left the manufacturer’s control and that the defect caused the crash. This is a significant advantage in cases where maintenance records appear adequate on their face but the equipment failed at a rate suggesting a design or manufacturing defect. Class-action recalls and NHTSA complaints about the same component in other vehicles are powerful evidence of a systemic defect.
What to Do After a Vehicle-Defect Truck Crash in Oklahoma
Preserve the vehicle and its components if at all possible. In standard car crashes, damaged vehicles are often repaired or totaled quickly. In a truck crash involving suspected equipment failure, the physical vehicle — particularly the failed brake, tire, or steering component — is critical evidence. An attorney can seek a court order to preserve the truck’s condition before the carrier’s insurer has it repaired or scrapped.
Seek same-day medical evaluation regardless of how you feel at the scene. Photograph the crash, any visible equipment failures (blown tire on the truck, brake dust or fluid on the road, displaced cargo), and the truck’s DOT and carrier markings. Call 911 and ensure a police report is taken. Do not sign any release or settlement offer before the cause of the crash is fully investigated — a pre-litigation investigation often takes several months and includes examination of the vehicle by a mechanical engineer.
Oklahoma Legal Deadlines and Compensation
Oklahoma’s personal injury statute of limitations is two years from the crash date; product liability claims carry the same two-year period. When a vehicle defect contributed to the crash, claims against the manufacturer may be filed in addition to claims against the driver and carrier. Oklahoma crash victims may recover medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, permanent disability, and — when the manufacturer knew of the defect and concealed it — punitive damages. Act early to preserve both the vehicle evidence and the legal rights.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if vehicle failure versus driver error caused the crash? Often both contribute. A mechanical engineer or accident reconstructionist can analyze the physical evidence — tire condition, brake performance data, steering component failure — alongside the ECM data to determine the relative role of each factor.
What if the truck was repaired before it could be examined? Early legal action and a preservation letter can prevent this. If the truck was repaired before the defect was documented, spoliation sanctions against the carrier may be available — a court may instruct the jury that the carrier destroyed evidence to hide a defect.
Does Warhawk Legal handle equipment-defect truck crash cases? Yes — including product liability claims against manufacturers alongside carrier negligence claims. Call (405) 397-1717. No fee unless we win.
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If you or a loved one has been injured, contact our experienced Oklahoma City truck accident attorney at Warhawk Legal. We offer free consultations and only get paid when you win.