Safety inspections are set in place to prevent injury or death. It’s an inspectors ethical and even moral duty to disclose any imminent hazards they discover in the course of an inspection. Through quality assurance and regulation compliance, often in the form of tests and measurement of hazards, these individuals help prevent harm to workers, drivers, property, and the environment.
Vehicle inspections are mandatory each year to ensure that cars operating on the road conform to regulations regarding safety, as well as emissions. When a driver takes their car in to be inspected and fails the inspection, that driver is essentially being told that they should no longer operate their car. If the inspection discovered that the driver’s car was no longer safe to operate on the road, but the driver got on the road regardless, this does show negligence on their part.
Brad says, “If the safety risk is significantly high and the result of the accident is death or serious injury, this negligence borders into recklessness. It would then be considered an aggravating factor in terms of determining liability, fault, as well as damages.”
Trucks and other commercial vehicles are required to follow certain laws and regulations relating to safety inspections and truck maintenance repairs as well. The failure to properly inspect or repair the truck could mean the vehicle is being driven in an unsafe condition, which can contribute to causing an accident. The U.S. Department of Transportation requires every truck driver to thoroughly examine their rig before hitting the road. This inspection should always include an inspection of the truck’s tires.
Brad says, “One of the best ways to prevent a tire blowout is for truck drivers to put some good tires on their truck. Many truck drivers today retread their tires as opposed to replacing them because it’s cheaper. It’s just so much more likely that they will have some sort of tire malfunction.”
When truck drivers and trucking companies fail to inspect tires routinely, inflate them properly, replace them when they get too old, or maintain the truck properly, they can be found liable for your crash and damages.
What Car Inspectors Should Check
- Headlights, stop lights, indicator lights, and hazard lights
- Braking system: foot and parking brakes
- Wheel components including tire tread depth
- All mirrors (side and rearview)
- Window tint and coating
- Horn
- Seatbelts and airbag system
- Exhaust system
- Gas caps (for vehicles 2-24 model years old)
- Steering system and components
At Parker Law Firm, our experienced personal injury lawyers believe people matter. We are committed to our clients, not case numbers, and we believe in the power of the civil justice system. With years spent both representing accident victims and participating in the state legislative process, our founder, Brad Parker, has developed a deep understanding of the law and gained unique experience that helps him get results for his clients.
