Truck Tire Blowouts are Deadly
When a tire blows on a big rig, the driver may be fighting to maintain control. If the vehicle is pulling to the side of the blow, the driver must compensate. Any amount of overcompensation and the rig could start whipsawing across lanes or off the road.
Blowouts can happen for a variety of reasons, from potholes and road hazards to improper inflation and overweight vehicles and more. The risk of a blowout is greater in the summer months as the pavement heats, but they occur in winter on cold, snowy and ice covered roads too.
Truck tires are much larger and heavier than passenger vehicle tires, and when they blow, debris that may weigh hundreds of pounds is hurled through the air and across the roadway, increasing your accident risk. The force of blowout can also cause the cargo on a trailer to shift and become unstable. This shift can cause a driver to lose control. Aside from being slammed by an out of control truck, you could easily become involved in a crash with other vehicles that may be swerving, hard braking, or shooting across lanes to avoid colliding with the truck.
Accident Liability
Truck drivers are required by federal law to inspect their vehicle and its equipment before hauling a load, including the tires. They are to make sure the tires are properly inflated and check for signs of deflation, wear, cracks, or slices on a regular basis and have the replaced as needed. If the driver is aware the tires are worn or otherwise defective and they blow and cause an accident, the driver may be liable for injuries and losses.
However, if tires had a defect that an installer, distributor, or manufacturer should have known about, one or more of those entities may be liable for injuries and losses caused by tire failure.
If are injured in an accident involving a truck tire blowout, you may be able to collect compensation from the at-fault party for any medical expenses you incurred because of the injury, including expected future expenses; for your pain and suffering; income lost due to the injury; rehabilitation or physician therapy costs; as well as injury-related costs such as assistive devices, transportation costs to and from medical appointments.
Contact us today to learn more about your rights to compensation when you are injured due to the negligence of someone else.