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Pot
Hole Truck Accident
A tractor trailer was traveling
through a construction zone when it hit a very
large, 12 inches wide by 14 feet long, pot hole in
temporary asphalt patch in a roadway diversion within the construction zone. The right
front steering axle wheel hit the pot hole in the construction zone. The driver claimed
he
lost control of the steering and ended up trapped
when the tractor flipped onto its side and crushed
the driver compartment. The right side of the
tractor and steering axle which struck the pot hole
is shown in Photograph A.
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Photograph A:
Overall view of right (passenger)
side of subject accident tractor.
The left, or driver side, of the
tractor trailer after the accident is shown in
Photograph B.

Photograph B:
Overall view of driver's side of
subject tractor accident.
The allegation was that lack of
or improper maintenance of the vehicle steering and
spring system resulted in a loose connection in the
right front leaf spring assembly. Upon impact with
the pot hole, the right front wheel and steering
axle moved rearward, causing a loss of steering control
resulting in loss of vehicle control and flipping of
the tractor and trailer onto its side. A view of the
end of the right side fuel tank confirmed that the
right front steering axle tire had moved rearward
and had carried and trapped the "mud flap" into the front of the
fuel tank. Photograph C shows the tire tread
"witness mark" or "contact evidence finger print" to that
event.

Photograph C:
Close-up view of mud flap imprint
on front of fuel tank.
Examination of the right front
leaf spring assembly confirmed that the "U"
bolts
were deformed and that the leaf spring assembly had
moved rearward and displayed some rearward
displacement post accident. The bent "U" bolt and
rearward displaced leaf spring assembly are shown in
Photograph D.

Photograph D:
Bent front spring U-bolt on right
side of subject tractor.
A view looking up at the
displaced right leaf spring assembly is shown in
Photograph E.

Photograph E:
Close-up view showing rearward
movement of right front tractor leaf spring.
An arrow marks the sheared leaf
spring to pillow block "keeper pin." The sheared keeper pin is
displaced about 3 1/2 inches rearward, post
accident.
A close-up view of the sheared
"keeper pin" is shown in Photograph F. A white arrow
denotes the sheared "keeper pin."

Photograph F:
Close-up view of sheared right
front spring keeper pin.
One or more attending experts
wanted to measure the nut "breakaway torque." As can be
seen, the rear "U" bolt is highly deformed (see
arrow) as shown in Photograph G.

Photograph G:
Close-up view of left front
spring U-bolt.
A close-up view of the nut and
threaded end connection of the deformed "U" bolt
shown in Photograph G is shown in Photograph H.

Photograph H:
Close-up view showing
deformation of U-bolt.
An uneven gap between the "U"
bolt nut and washer, resulting from the
deformation of the "U" bolt, is easily discernable.
The gap between the nut and the washer is denoted
with a white arrow. Such a gap would make
"breakaway" torque measurements meaningless.
Following review of the evidence,
the plaintiff changed direction in the litigation and
this investigation was terminated.
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