To transport goods throughout the nation quickly and safely, the world's society depends on the commercial trucking industry. Every day, large trucks share the road with passenger cars, and most people rarely give these enormous vehicles any thought as they commute to and from work.
However, when a truck tire blows out unexpectedly, the consequences can be disastrous for the truck driver as well as every other vehicle in the area. A driver of a passenger car runs the risk of needing to swerve to miss other cars, of being run off the road, or of colliding with the truck.
All of these have the potential to result in deaths or serious injuries. Even if every situation is different, the following question often appears after the accident: Who is at fault for a truck tire blowout? You may also be interested in who's at fault in blind spot accidents?
A Sudden Truck Tire Blowout Leads to Sudden Damage
Although car crash scenes in movies are often exaggerated, truck accidents may also be extremely dramatic in real life. In an accident in Arizona in March 2022, a tire blowout caused a truck to swerve into a sedan as the driver struggled to keep control of his truck in congested highway traffic.
The minivan was wedged into the median wall when the car flipped over and hit it, leaving the vehicle on its roof. Essentially, the cost of the vehicle damage was high even though none of the drivers had sustained serious injuries.
This shows how crucial it is for commercial drivers to adhere to regular equipment maintenance and inspection schedules for their safety, the protection of other road users, and their own.
Most Common Causes of Truck Tire Blowouts
Overinflated or Underinflated Tires:
Overinflated or underinflated tires might cause the tread to wear out quickly in the center of the tire because of the tire pressure. An underinflated tire will cause the tread to wear out faster on the truck's tires' sides. In both situations, the air imbalance increases the risk of truck tire blowouts.
Overloaded Trailer:
An overloaded trailer puts a lot of strain on the truck's brakes and tires.
Roadway Debris or Potholes:
The impact between the truck's tires and any severe road hazards can totally rip through the rubber and fabric of the tire, resulting in serious tire blowouts. Other times, the blown tire does not cause the truck to lose control, but the debris can pose a hazard to other cars on the roadway.
Tiny Tire Leaks:
A tiny tire leak may go undetected but might cause a dangerous blowout. The tire weakens due to the gradual air leak, eventually failing suddenly.
Preventing Tire Blowouts
While it may not always be possible to prevent tire blowouts, the likelihood of them happening can be reduced with regular tire maintenance. Frequent tire inspections boost the possibility that problems will be detected early.
Defective Tires
A defective tire can occur in a variety of ways, including:
The tire developed a flaw due to a design error
A manufacturing process defect
The failure of the manufacturer to warn users of the dangers of the tire
Truck Driver Responsibility
To avoid losing control, truck drivers must make sure they respond accordingly. After a blowout, a truck driver should use full throttle to ensure that they can move forward, rectify any steering problems, slow down, and pull over in a safe place.
Without taking the necessary precautions, truck drivers may lose control and swerve into other lanes, run off the road, or cross a highway median. Sometimes, truck accidents like jackknifing or rollovers might happen, blocking the road and sometimes causing multiple-vehicle pileups.
Understanding Liability from Truck Tire Blowout Accidents
The Trucking Company
Due to the many rules and standards that truck drivers and their employers must follow regarding upkeep and inspection, the trucking company is usually held responsible for a truck tire blowout accident.
Even if a truck driver is careless in their maintenance, the trucking company is legally responsible for any damages arising from the crashes.
Tire Manufacturer
In other instances, a tire manufacturer might be involved in a case with other trucking companies if it can be proven that they did not address design flaws or manufacturing flaws that led to the truck tire blowout accident.
The tire manufacturer may be held accountable for truck tires that cannot be overloaded, travel at high speeds, or travel long distances.
Maintenance Company
Trucking companies often hire third-party maintenance companies to inspect their commercial trucks and perform repairs. The maintenance company might be held accountable if it didn't perform its duty.
Occasionally, it might be possible to include governing entities in a liability claim. Essentially, this is challenging because it requires proof that the tire blowout was caused by outrageously bad road maintenance. This liability may exist in place of or in addition to any other causes of a car accident.
It might be difficult to determine who is at fault for a truck tire blowout; therefore, victims need a semi truck accident lawyer in Long Island with a lot of experience. A knowledgeable legal team can look into all the relevant aspects and determine the best strategy for a jury trial or settlement.
What Are the Types of Potential Lawsuits?
If a truck tire blowout caused losses for an individual, they may be entitled to compensation. Depending on who caused the blowout, however, the kind of lawsuit a victim files to make their claim may vary.
There are two common types of cases resulting from truck tire blowout accidents: product liability and wrongful death.
Product Liability
If the tire manufacturer is at fault for an accident, product liability will likely apply to the victim's claim. During a tire blowout event, two forms of product liability claims are most significant:
Defective manufacturing implies that the design of the tire was not the problem. Instead, a problem arose during the manufacturing process that caused the product to be defective.
Furthermore, defective design refers to a situation where the production process was properly carried out, but the product was defective due to the design.
Wrongful Death Cases
A victim's claim should fall under wrongful death if a vehicle tire blowout accident caused the death of a loved one. If the person was pregnant at the time of their passing, a surviving member can bring forward a wrongful death claim on behalf of the unborn child.
Supporting Truck Accident Victims
A victim of a blow-tire truck accident should never try to manage their own truck accident case. These situations are often complex and call for the experience and knowledge of an established truck accident lawyer. The staff at The Law Office of Carl Maltese is dedicated to fighting for those who have been hurt without fault.