Every now and then, you hear a story about a semi crashing because the brakes failed. The truck went out of control and slammed into other cars or nearby buildings. You're probably very wary of this possibility if you live in Colorado, where there are specific truck crash emergency lanes leading off of the highways in the mountains. They give truckers a way to stop an out-of-control vehicle while causing as little damage as possible.
However, some experts have said that media reports about these accidents do not tell the whole story. They take issue with the way that new reports say the brakes failed as if it was something random that happened all on its own.
Instead, they point out that another mistake often causes the brakes to go out.
For instance, maybe a driver should have planned ahead and slowed down sooner. By slamming on the brakes at the last second, he or she could have caused them to give out under a strain they should never have had to endure.
Or, maybe the driver and the maintenance crew adjusted the brakes incorrectly. It does happen. If the brakes were in perfect working order at the time of the crash, would they have stopped the vehicle? This is also an issue when brakes do not get serviced often enough, and they are in poor condition at the time that an emergency stop is needed.
The point is that accidents are rarely simple, and there are many different factors to consider. If you get hurt in a crash, you need to know how to seek compensation for medical bills and other costs.