If you've done even a little bit of driving on highways or interstates, you've probably come across the remnants of a tire blowout from a tractor trailer or other large truck at some point.
Unfortunately, a truck tire blowout can lead to a serious accident if the truck driver loses control when the blowout occurs or if another driver swerves to avoid the large strips of rubber and other debris scattered all over the road after a blowout.
The three most common causes of truck tire blowout or failure are:
- Tires that are defective. Sometimes tire manufacturers sell defective tires that end up being recalled.
- Improper maintenance of tires. Trucking companies often make mistakes such as allowing drivers to use tires that don't have enough tread, mounting tires that are different sizes or that have major differences in tread wear, or mixing different types of tires (bias and radial) on the same axle.
- No pre-trip tire inspection or a poor inspection. Truck drivers are required to do a pre-trip inspection. If they fail to do the inspection or perform the inspection but don't notice obvious signs of a problem such as worn tread, sidewall damage, or over or under inflation issues, a trucking accident may occur.
If you have been involved in an accident caused by a big truck tire blowout, you should seek the counsel of an experienced trucking accident attorney. Truck accident cases are often very complicated, involve multiple insurance companies and usually require a thorough understanding of the trucking industry.
