Tire Blowout Accidents

Many drivers of cars experience a tire blowout, which can be just as dangerous as when an extremely heavy truck experiences a tire blowout. It can become impossible for the truck driver to keep control of the vehicle, and sometimes the loss of control results in jackknifing or rolling over. The causes of a tire blowout can include tire punctures, poor maintenance, improper inflation, use of refurbished tires, or tire delamination.

If the truck driver is to blame for the tire blowout, it may be possible to recover damages from the driver or trucking company. For example, if the truck driver was responsible for maintaining the tires and failed to do so, an accident victim may be able to recover damages from the driver by establishing his negligence. The victim will have to show that the driver should have used reasonable care, but didn’t, and that this failure to use reasonable care caused his or her injuries.

Sometimes a trucking company is responsible for a tire blowout. For example, if one of its employees failed to properly maintain the truck, including the tires, and this resulted in a blowout, the trucking company may be vicariously or directly liable for the blowout if the driver was acting within the course and scope of his or her employment. In many cases, trucking companies have greater insurance coverage than individual drivers do, which makes it more likely that accident victims can recover the full range of damages to which they are legally entitled.

Sometimes, a tire blowout is the result of a product defect. For example, tire delamination may be caused by a defect in the manufacture or design of the tire. Tire delamination happens when the steel belts and tread of the tire separate from other layers of the tire, resulting in blowout or a sudden deflation. In order to hold a tire manufacturer responsible in a product liability lawsuit, an experienced product liability attorney will need to investigate why the delamination occurred. If the delamination is the result of a design or manufacturing defect, it may be possible to recover damages from the tire manufacturer or others in the chain of distribution.

Damages arising out of a truck tire blowout accident may be extensive. There may be multiple accident victims, all making a claim against the driver’s policy. It is important for your attorney to examine all possible causes of the accident, and it may be necessary to retain an accident reconstruction expert to look at the debris, testimony, driver logs, maintenance records, and other evidence to figure out all contributing causes of an accident so that the appropriate defendants may be brought into the case.