Tire Blowout Accidents
Blowouts occur when a truck’s tire experiences a sudden and rapid loss of pressure. It’s common to hear a “pop” or another explosive sound as the tire blows out. Many times, the tire begins to fall apart, leaving pieces of rubber on the road as momentum carries the vehicle forward.
Tire blowouts can make the vehicle unstable, throw its center of gravity off balance, and cause the truck’s driver to lose control. Every year, tire blowouts contribute to thousands of truck accidents across the nation.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), tire-related issues, including blowouts, contribute to about 8,000 truck accidents annually. This amounts to roughly 6 percent of all trucking accidents in the United States.
Unfortunately, most of them can be avoided.
What Causes Tire Blowouts?
Several factors can cause a commercial truck’s tire(s) to blow out, including:
Overinflation or Underinflation
Tires must be inflated properly and in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications to operate correctly. When a tire has too much or too little air inside, it can create serious safety issues.
If a tire is overinflated, it can put too much pressure on the sidewalls, causing them to stretch and expand. The tire becomes rigid and can’t absorb the weight and force of the heavy commercial vehicle as it travels along the road. In time, this pressure and stress can cause the tire to burst.
On the other hand, an underinflated tire can be problematic, too. When a tire doesn’t have enough air, it can put a different kind of stress on the tire’s sidewalls. The sidewalls can drag on the road’s surface, generating friction and causing physical damage to the tire itself. This can cause them to wear down rapidly and blow out. Research suggests that the risk of blowouts increases significantly when a tire is underinflated by more than 25 percent of its recommended PSI.
Tire Age and Tread Life
Tire treads are designed to help the tire grip the road surface and prevent a large truck from sliding as it travels, especially when roads are wet or slick. Over time, treads get worn down. As tread depth decreases, the tire’s friction with the road surface also declines. The lower a tire’s tread, the more susceptible it is to a blowout.
Overloaded Trucks
Trucks are subject to weight limits, as established by state and federal trucking regulations. However, some trucks are overloaded when services believe they might be able to consolidate shipments and save on cost. Weight limitations are in place, in part, because truck tires can only bear a certain amount of stress. Overloading a truck increases the stress on the vehicle’s tires and sidewalls, which can make it more likely to blow out, especially if it strikes a nail, pothole, or another defect on the road.
Are Trucking Companies Liable For Tire Blowout Accidents?
They certainly can be, yes. So can truck drivers, truck manufacturers, and mechanics. Ultimately, anyone who is involved in truck operations or maintenance can potentially be liable for tire blowouts.
A lot of tire blowout accidents can be avoided by simply conducting regular tire inspections and maintenance. Checking the tread and pressure of a vehicle’s tire regularly – even daily – can help to identify tires that need to be replaced or repaired.
Trucking companies can also reduce the risk of tire blowouts by complying with cargo loading and securement regulations.
When a trucking company’s negligence contributes to a tire blowout accident, they can be financially responsible for resulting injuries and/or deaths.
If you’ve been injured in a tire blowout accident in Chicago, call Taxman, Pollock, Murray & Bekkerman, LLC. Our Chicago truck accident attorneys fight for the rights of individuals, not corporations. We offer the powerhouse legal representation that’s needed to take on trucking companies and hold them accountable when their costly mistakes change lives.
We offer a free consultation, so contact our Chicago law office today.