Tire Defects: When Auto Manufacturers' Negligence Causes Injury

April 05, 2013

Recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a tire recall for specific tires manufactured by Hercules Tire & Rubber Co. According to the recall, the ALL TRAC A/T 10-ply Load Range E tires could experience tread separation and in-service belt separation. Tread separation can cause drivers to lose control of their vehicles, potentially leading to serious auto accidents.

Few tires are defective, but when a tire defect occurs, it often affects thousands, even millions of people. For example, when Bridgestone Firestone tires were recalled in 2000, the company had to replace more than 6.5 million tires. Unfortunately, the statistics don't stop there. The Bridgestone/Firestone tire defects killed more than 270 people and injured at least 600.

What are the most common tire defects? How do you know if a tire-related accident was caused by a defective tire or poor tire maintenance? How can we hold companies accountable when they make defective automobile parts?

Common Tire Defects

The following are some of the most common tire defects:
- Tire tread separation/tire detreading: Tread separation occurs when a tire's tread separates from the tire body or casing. Tread separation is most commonly caused by faulty chemical bonding processes -- the treads and/or steel belting do not fully bond to the tire casing.
- Tire blowouts: Tire blowouts occur when a tire rapidly loses inflation pressure. While tire blowouts are often caused by tears in the tire, foreign objects, underinflation or overinflation, manufacturers may also be responsible. For example, air bubbles in the tire or a poor rubber mixture can lead to tire blowouts even in new tires.
- Explosion during tire inflation: A number of tire defects can cause a tire to explode during inflation, including bead failure (which occurs when the bead wire on a tire is weak), rim failure (which occurs most often with multi-piece rims) and sidewall failure.
- Sidewall deformations: Defective sidewalls can cause "zipper failures." A tire can explode if its sidewall was improperly designed.

Was My Accident Caused By A Tire Defect?

Determining whether a tire blowout or other tire-related mishap was the result of a tire defect can be challenging. First, tire maintenance and other common tire-related problems must be ruled out.
- Did you regularly inspect your tires for tread depth? Tires without safe tread depth can spin out of control, especially in poor weather conditions or when turning corners. Check your tire tread depth every few months and replace your tires if the tread depth is less than 2/32nds of an inch.
- Were your tires properly inflated? Check your tire pressure often. Too much or too little air can cause tire blowouts and serious accidents.
- Have you rotated your tires? Uneven wear can cause tread separation. Uneven wear on the edges or down the tire's middle, however, may be caused by a manufacturing defect.
- Was the accident caused by road debris? Did you find a nail or other road debris in your tire? Did your tire blow out after it rolled over something in the road?

Car accident investigators and tire experts can take a closer look at the tire to determine the cause of your car accident. If the tire is defective, then the tire manufacturer and/or the company that sold you your tires may be held accountable.

You may also want to check the NHTSA's tire recall list to learn if your tires are defective.

Holding Companies Accountable Through Tire Defect Litigation

When we drive, we are putting our trust in multiple automobile manufacturing companies, from the manufacturers of our cars to the manufacturers of our tires and windshield wipers. Each part of the equation must work to get us home safely. When a manufacturer's negligence or a defect causes a serious accident, the manufacturer must be held accountable for creating a dangerous and defective product.

Through a product liability lawsuit, individuals and families can hold a negligent company accountable while recovering compensation for economic expenses related to the accident (such as medical costs), noneconomic damages (such as pain and suffering) and, in some cases, punitive damages.

Article provided by The McClellan Law Firm
Visit us at www.mcclellanlaw.com