Brake Failure Crashes
In August of 2022, Ferrari recalled just about every single car that it’s made since 2005 due to possible break failure. While you may look at that story and think, “Okay, I don’t drive a Ferrari,” the reality is that brake recalls happen more often than people realize. Earlier this year, Mercedes-Benz recalled 300,000 vehicles that they manufactured between 2006 and 2012 over a brake defect.
Brake failure crashes can lead to significant injuries and property damage for drivers and passengers on the roadways of Georgia. It is important to understand who could be held liable if an accident is caused by brake failure.
Brake Failure is Detrimental – Why Does This Happen
There are certainly a few parts on a vehicle that must always work, and brakes are one of those parts. Without brakes, individuals cannot operate their vehicles safely.
But why do brakes fail?
Properly functioning brakes depend on several things working correctly nearly simultaneously. When a driver presses down on the brake pedal, this pressure goes to the brake lines that contain brake fluid. Brake fluid then transmits this pressure onto the brakes. There are two main types of brakes: disc brakes and drum brakes.
In both of these systems, pressure from the brake lines pushes against the drum or the disk, which in turn pushes against the wheel to slow it down with friction.
One of the reasons that brakes fail includes leaky brake lines. This means that the brake fluid is leaking somewhere, so there will not be enough pressure transmitted through the brake line onto the drums or discs.
Brakes can also fail if the drums or discs are worn out, leading to them not being able to function because they are unable to use enough friction on the wheels to come to a stop.
There are no exact studies related to how many crashes are caused by brake failure. There is an indication that approximately 5% of all crashes each year are the result of brake failure, which puts this on the lower end of causes of accidents but still amounts to a significant number of collisions.
Who Can be Held Liable?
There may be various parties who could be held liable in the event break failure causes a crash. First and foremost, it is important to understand that drivers are responsible for maintaining their vehicles. If a driver notices that their brakes are going bad and fails to replace them, they could be held responsible if they continue to operate the vehicle.
However, if the brake failure was the result of faulty brakes, brake lines, or any other part of the brake system, the manufacturer of the vehicle or the breaking system could be held responsible for the incident. This is one of the main reasons that companies like Ferrari and BMW recall vehicles for possible brake failure. They know that they could be held liable if they know about potential dangers and fail to take steps to remedy the situation.
If you or somebody you care about has been injured as a result of brake failure in another vehicle, reach out to an attorney who can help us soon as possible. Your Atlanta car accident lawyer will explore all available for recovering compensation, including examining the origin of the brake failure and going from there.