Truck Tire Blowout Accident Attorney
Determining Fault & Recovering Damages
Large commercial trucks require properly maintained tires to safely carry heavy loads of cargo over long distances. When a tire suddenly blows at highway speeds, a truck driver may struggle to maintain control of the vehicle, while pieces of the tire can strike vehicles traveling nearby. A truck tire blowout in San Bernardino can lead to rollovers, jackknife crashes, multi-vehicle collisions, and other serious accidents.
At Personal Injury Lawyer & Car Accident Gold Firm, our team of truck accident lawyers in San Bernardino represents people injured in truck accidents throughout the city and surrounding areas. When a semi truck tire contributes to an accident, our truck tire blowout attorneys can investigate why the tire failed, identify the parties responsible, and pursue compensation for the injuries and financial losses caused by the accident.
What Causes Tire Blowouts on Commercial Trucks?
What causes tire blowouts can change from one accident to another. Commercial truck tires are placed under substantial weight, experience changes in heat, travel thousands of miles, and are exposed to roadways daily, making regular inspections and tire maintenance especially important. Potential causes of a truck tire blowout accident may include:
- Underinflated or overinflated tires
- Excessive tire wear
- Improper tire maintenance
- Overloaded trucks
- Excessive heat buildup
- Punctures or road debris
- Tread or sidewall separation
- Improper tire installation
- Manufacturing defects
- Failure to replace damaged or worn tires
A truck tire blowout does not automatically mean someone was negligent. However, evidence that a trucking company or another party knew, or reasonably should have known about, a faulty tire or an unsafe tire can become significant in a personal injury claim.
Federal regulations established through the FMCSA also have tire requirements for commercial motor vehicles. Under 49 C.F.R. § 393.75, commercial vehicles typically cannot operate on tires with:
- Exposed belt or body ply material
- Tread or sidewall separation
- A flat or audible leak
- Certain cuts exposing the tire’s structural material
This federal regulation also establishes minimum tread-depth requirements and restrictions concerning tire loading for commercial vehicles such as tractor-trailers and semis.
Why Do Truck Tires Explode?
Why do truck tires explode is a common question asked by accident victims, and often comes from a tire experiencing a rapid loss of air pressure or structural failure. Several things can contribute to that failure.
- Improper Inflation – Improper inflation of a tire can cause excessive heat and stress within a tire.
- Overloading Cargo – Overloading can place additional strain on tires that are already carrying substantial weight.
- Internal Damage To The Tire – A tire may also have internal damage that is difficult to see during a casual visual inspection.
Commercial trucks spend long periods traveling at highway speeds, which makes routine inspections particularly important. Drivers and trucking companies should not ignore any visible tread damage, air-pressure problems, unusual wear, or other apparent indications that a tire may be unsafe to drive on.
California Vehicle Code § 24002 is a state statute that makes it unlawful to operate a vehicle or combination of vehicles that is in an unsafe condition and presents an immediate safety hazard. Federal regulations may also impose additional requirements on interstate commercial motor vehicles.
Semi Truck Tire Blowout Accidents Can Cause Serious Injuries
A semi truck tire blowout can affect vehicles on the road around the semi. When a tire fails, the driver may suddenly lose stability or have difficulty controlling the truck.
Depending on traffic conditions and the driver’s response, the truck could leave the lane it is traveling in, strike another vehicle, overturn, or jackknife, which can cause a multi-vehicle collision to occur. Large pieces of separated tire tread can also enter traffic and create hazards for other motorists that are behind or beside the truck.
The size and weight difference between a semi-truck and a passenger vehicle can contribute to severe injuries or even death when a truck tire blowout accident occurs. Victims may suffer:
- Fractures
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal injuries
- Burns
- Death
- Much more
Who Is Liable if a Truck Tire Blows Out?
Determining who is liable if a truck tire blows out requires identifying why the tire failed in the first place and which person or business had responsibility for preventing that failure. Potentially responsible parties in a truck tire blowout accident in San Bernardino may include:
- Truck drivers – A driver could bear responsibility when required inspections are ignored, or the truck continues operating despite an obvious tire problem.
- Trucking companies – A motor carrier may be responsible for inadequate vehicle maintenance, inspection failures, or other negligent practices related to its trucks.
- Maintenance providers – A company hired to inspect, repair, replace, or install tires could potentially bear responsibility when negligent work contributes to a failure.
- Loading companies – Improperly loaded or overloaded cargo can place excessive stress on truck tires.
- Tire manufacturers – A manufacturer could potentially face liability when a defective tire contributes to an accident.
Some accidents involve more than one responsible party. Identifying each potential source of liability can also help determine which insurance policies may provide compensation.
Evidence After a Tire Blowout Accident
Investigating a tire blowout accident in San Bernardino typically requires much more than reviewing the initial police accident report. Physical evidence from the truck and failed tire may provide more information about what caused the collision, and help point to who can be held liable.
Depending on the circumstances of the truck tire accident, evidence may include:
- The failed tire and tread
- Photographs of the accident scene
- Truck maintenance records
- Tire inspection records
- Purchase and replacement records
- Driver inspection reports
- Electronic vehicle data
- Cargo information
- Surveillance footage
- Witness statements
- Company records
Preserving the failed tire to keep as evidence can be especially valuable because its condition may provide information about wear, damage, separation, or another potential cause of failure, especially if reviewed by an expert witness.
A San Bernardino truck accident attorney from our team at Personal Injury Lawyer & Car Accident Gold Firm can also investigate whether the motor carrier followed applicable federal and California vehicle safety requirements.
Compensation After a Truck Tire Blowout Accident
Someone injured in a truck tire blowout accident caused by negligence may be able to pursue compensation for the resulting economic and non-economic losses. Depending on the circumstances, recoverable damages in a truck tire blowout accident may include:
- Medical expenses
- Future medical treatment
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Rehabilitation expenses
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of a loved one
- Funeral expenses
- Much more
Serious truck accident injuries can affect a person’s ability to work, live independently, or participate in activities they previously enjoyed. Documenting both current and anticipated losses can therefore be an important part of evaluating a truck accident claim in California.
California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1 typically allows victims up to two years to file a personal injury lawsuit for an injury that was caused by another person’s wrongful act or negligence, including in truck tire blowout accidents. Different deadlines can apply in some situations, so accident victims should not assume that the general two-year statute of limitations applies to every claim.
How Personal Injury Lawyer & Car Accident Gold Firm Can Help
Truck tire cases in San Bernardino can involve multiple parties, including:
- Trucking companies
- Drivers
- Maintenance businesses
- Manufacturers
- Insurance carriers
- Other parties
Determining why the tire failed can help establish whether negligence or a defective product contributed to the accident.
Our team at Personal Injury Lawyer & Car Accident Gold Firm represents truck accident victims throughout the San Bernardino area, including those who have been injured or wrongfully killed in a truck tire blowout accident. Our truck accident attorneys in San Bernardino can:
- Investigate the crash
- Preserve available evidence
- Review truck and tire maintenance records
- Identify responsible parties
- Document injuries and financial losses
- Communicate with insurance companies
- Pursue compensation through a personal injury claim
A truck tire blowout accident can leave victims dealing with immense medical expenses, lost income, vehicle damage, and lasting injuries that affect their physical and mental health. Our San Bernardino personal injury lawyers can examine the circumstances surrounding the tire failure and pursue compensation from the parties whose actions contributed to the accident.
Don’t hesitate to contact our team today for a free case consultation to learn more about your options for pursuing compensation.