What are the causes of tire blowouts?
Tire blowouts are one of the top causes of vehicle accidents across the country. While a tire blowout can be dangerous for any vehicle, when the tire on an 18 wheeler fails, it can have catastrophic results. Tractor trailers often weigh in at 80,000 pounds. When a tire blows on these large vehicles, its rubber components may fly into other lanes of traffic, potentially causing accidents. Even more dangerous, the truck driver may lose control of the vehicle and plow into smaller vehicles in the vicinity. Tire failure can have many causes, some of which may be based on negligence by the tire manufacturer, trucking company, or truck driver. Our Los Angeles truck accident lawyers discuss the causes of tire blowouts below.
Lack of Maintenance
Improper maintenance is one of the main causes of tire blowouts. Tires must be routinely inspected to ensure their proper functioning. Truck tires should be regularly rotated, inflated to the correct level, and changed out when they become too worn. Trucking companies must maintain proper records of maintenance to the tires and other parts of the truck. If you are injured due to a blown truck tire, your attorney will want to closely review the trucking company’s tire maintenance records for signs of inadequate maintenance.
Defective Tires
Defective tires are another major cause of tire blowouts. Tires that are made improperly or designed defectively can collapse, blowout suddenly, or wear out far faster than they should. Every year, thousands of tires are recalled for serious defects. At times, trucking companies will not check for tire recalls or may decide to continue to allow trucks to operate with recalled tires on them. Other times, defects are not caught or made public in time and the tires fail.
When a defective tire causes a truck accident, the trucking company or the tire manufacturer may be at fault. Accident victims injured in a truck accident caused by a blown tire will need to consult with a knowledgeable accident attorney who will investigate the accident to uncover its cause. Thorough investigations may involve subpoena of maintenance records, internal company records, accident records involving that tire type, and more. Do not delay in contacting an attorney after your accident as time is of the essence for investigations.
