Has your truck's axle ever broken?

Hi All - I am hoping you can help me with something. I am building a case for a lawsuit against Budget rent-a-truck, and need to know your experiences and input on a specific piece of a truck.

Here's the short story - my friend and her mother rented a GMC truck with a 10-ft trailer space from Budget in Tyson's Corner, VA. The plan was to move all the Mother's belongings out to Santa Fe, NM. While driving down a straight, flat road in Tennessee at 65 mph, an eyewitness from behind the truck noticed the left front tire "move away from the truck." The mother lost control of both steering and brakes, and wound up flipping a few times into the median. One of the parties in the truck was severed in half during the accident and died in the mother's arms.

I am helping to investigate this lawsuit for them because they are too emotionally wrecked to carry on with it. I am hoping that you can help me figure this thing out. Any input you can give would be IMMENSELY appreciated!

What I need to do is prove in court that Budget was negligent in maintaining their truck. Key questions to answer are...

1. How is it possible that the front left axle rod separated from the vehicle?
2. Is this a freak occurence, or does this happen frequently with trucks?
3. Is this somtehing that can be prevented with ongoing maintenance? If so, what is that maintenance?
4. How would you suggest I go about proving this case? I have an eyewitness, as well as pictures of the separated axle rod. I need to prove that the axle separated while the mother was driving, and not as a result of the accident (i.e. the mother didn't crash the car and then break the axle rod). In order to do this, I need to know exactly how an axle rod might become separated in the first place.

I realize that this truck is probably much smaller than the ones you are used to driving... but I'm hoping the fundamental parts are similar and that you may be able to provide me some insight.

Thank you for your time.

 

Thank you all very much for the fast responses, and for bearing with my lack of mechanical knowledge.

I've done my research and now know the following facts...

1. It was definitely the left front "spindle rod" as the impound owner called it. From what it sounds like, this is something that can break if not properly maintained. Is this correct? How many times has it happened to you, and under what circumstances? Is this still a freak occurence, or does it now seem more common? What are ALL the possible things that could cause a spindle to go? In this case, which do YOU think it was?
2. The truck is a 2006 GMC with 52,000 miles on it. The driver noted that "it looked more beat up than the other trucks on the lot" when she rented it. That said, it is still relatively new and low mileage. In your expert opinion, how possible is it that this spindle would have broken due to Budget's negligence, versus some external factor? What would that external factor be?
3. The truck is impounded in Tennessee, but Budget is eager to pick it up ASAP. They are planning to go get their truck tomorrow afternoon. Aside from pictures, I'm trying to see if the impound guy is willing to perhaps hold on to the broken spindle. Would this be worthwile? Can he hold it and have an expert examine at a later time? What exact title of expert should I look for tomorrow if the impound guy can't hold the truck? Any other advice?
4. I will try to get a copy of the maintenance record for this vehicle from Budget, but so far they have literally told us to #### off. Any idea if I can get this from a public record agency other than Budget?
5. Also, if/when I get the maintenance records, what should I be looking for? What are the tests and proper procedures to follow to ensure your spindle doesn't break? Does it have anything to do with tangential factors like having low oil, improper storage of the truck, etc?

What else am I missing here?

Thanks to everyone for your input... you are truly great people and I wish you all the very best!