Truck Tire Blowouts and Rollover Accidents

Understanding Truck Tire Blowouts and Rollover Accidents. When you’re operating a truck on the road, you need to pay attention to your surroundings. You never know when another driver will swerve into your lane or the speed limit will suddenly drop. While there are many different causes of truck accidents, a tire blowout is an issue that’s common but often overlooked. Blowouts lead to more than 11,000 crashes and nearly 500 deaths every year.

At first glance, tire blowouts might appear to be random and impossible to predict. However, there are numerous factors that can cause a tire blowout, some of which are preventable. If you get into an accident as a result of a tire blowout, call our truck collision lawyer immediately to consider your options. The following guide explores truck tire blowouts and the rollover accidents that can result from them.

The Danger of Tire Blowouts on Commercial Trucks

Tire blowouts are often more serious the larger the vehicle. If you’re driving a box truck or 18-wheeler, a blowout can cause you to lose control. When this happens, you need to react properly to minimize the chances that you wreck the truck or run into another vehicle. If you swerve into another lane, you might get into a head-on collision or a rollover accident.

Keep in mind that nearly 80,000 tire blowouts occur every year, many of which lead to damaging or fatal accidents. The sudden whiplash that occurs during a car crash can lead to broken bones, brain injuries, and spinal cord damage. If you’ve been involved in a tire blowout or rollover accident, contact our truck crash lawyer at Haney, Paschal, & Romoser today to schedule a consultation.

Common Mechanical Failures Leading to Blowouts

There are a variety of factors that can lead to a blowout when you’re driving a truck, including everything from overinflated tires to poor maintenance.

Underinflated or Overinflated Tires

If your tires haven’t been inflated correctly, they could pop and send your vehicle into the next lane. When your tires are underinflated, friction and heat build up quickly, which can cause one or more to pop. If the tires are overinflated, they’re more likely to be punctured.

Worn or Bald Tires

Driving on worn or bald tires can be dangerous regardless of the conditions you drive in. If your tires don’t have enough tread, they can fail when pressure is placed upon them.

Improperly Loaded Cargo

Every truck comes with a specific weight capacity. For example, federal law dictates that 18-wheelers can’t exceed 80,000 pounds when you add the truck weight to the cargo weight. The limit in cargo weight typically ranges from 42,000-48,000 pounds. When the total weight of a truck is too high, it puts a lot of strain on the tires, which makes a blowout more likely.

Faulty Tire Retreads or Defects

Trucks need to be regularly maintained and inspected to ensure that the tires don’t become worn down. The driver of the truck or the company that employs them must check for tread wear, proper alignment, and the correct inflation.

Keep in mind that the tires may be defective because of a production issue or design flaw. In this scenario, the tires can fail even if they’re well-maintained.

Suspension or Brake Issues

Tire blowouts and rollover accidents can also result from suspension or brake issues. For example, let’s say that the brakes fail and make it impossible for the driver to properly slow the vehicle. If the truck hits an embankment or runs into another vehicle, a rollover accident could occur. Problems with the truck’s electrical system can also lead to brake and suspension failure.

Who Is Liable After a Blowout or Rollover?

When a tire pops, there’s always a reason. Whether the tire lost its tread or was poorly manufactured, blowout accidents often result from negligence or product liability. Below are the main parties that could be liable for the accident and any resultant injuries.

The Truck Driver

It’s up to the truck driver to properly maintain their vehicle before driving it. They need to regularly check the tire pressure and make sure that the tread isn’t worn. If a tire is damaged, the driver must repair or replace it immediately. Most trucks are equipped with a warning light that indicates when tire pressure is low, which means the driver has ample opportunity to address the problem before an accident happens.

The Trucking Company or Maintenance Crew

The maintenance crew or truck company may share responsibility or have sole liability if a blowout occurs. For example, let’s say that a tire is damaged but that the issue isn’t detected when a mechanic inspects it. In this scenario, the company the mechanic works for could be a liable party. The same is true if the truck driver doesn’t own the vehicle they’re operating.

The Tire Manufacturer

If a tire isn’t designed or manufactured correctly, the owner of the vehicle could file a liability claim against the designer or manufacturer. However, they must prove that the tire was immediately defective, which can prove challenging without extensive documentation. From using low-quality materials to installing the wrong tires, there are several reasons why the manufacturer or designer could be to blame for the accident. When investigating a truck accident, our truck collision attorney will be able to determine if the tire manufacturer is at fault.

Cargo Loaders

Rollover and blowout prevention requires the correct loading of cargo. If the cargo isn’t distributed evenly or fully secured, the truck could roll over. A blowout might happen if too much weight is distributed to one axle, even if the total weight still falls below the listed capacity.

Cargo can shift during transport if it’s too heavy or unbalanced. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration maintains comprehensive cargo securement regulations that cargo loaders must follow. If they don’t, they could be liable for any accidents that take place because of their negligence.

How Haney Paschal & Romoser Investigate These Crashes

Here at Haney Paschal & Romoser, our truck wreck lawyers have the skills necessary to investigate the cause of any truck accident. We have several decades of combined experience that gives us a leg up on the competition. The considerable resources at our disposal ensure our truck accident lawyers can handle any size or type of case.

We work closely with our clients to record every detail of the accident. The investigations our truck crash attorneys perform include everything from gathering witness statements and crash scene photos to closely reviewing the police report. Our team considers every angle of the accident and how it happened to help our clients build strong cases.

What Victims Can Recover

If you’re a victim of a truck accident, you may have legal recourse to seek compensation. Many types of damages can be awarded in the event that the truck driver or manufacturer was at fault for the accident. The damages associated with truck accident cases include everything from the costs associated with medical bills to the pain and suffering that arose from the accident. In rare situations, the victim could receive punitive damages depending on the cause of the accident.

You can separate truck accident compensation into the following categories:

• Economic damages
• Non-economic damages
• Wrongful death compensation
• Punitive damages

The most common types of economic compensation include the following:

• Lost wages
• Loss of ability to earn money
• Funeral expenses
• Rehabilitation expenses
• Medical bills
• Property damage
• Fees for rental vehicles
• Legal fees
• Lower value of property

These types of compensation are often easy to calculate by a truck accident attorney because they’re usually documented with specific monetary figures.

Non-economic damages aren’t as clear but can include:

• Loss of consortium
• Loss of enjoyment for life
• Pain and suffering
• Scarring or disfigurement
• Emotional distress
• Mental trauma or anguish

As for wrongful death compensation, it’s paid only if the victim passed away as a result of the truck accident.

These damages include the following:

• Medical bills resulting from the accident
• Loss of inheritance
• Loss of comfort and companionship
• Burial and funeral expenses
• Loss of future benefits or income
• Pain and suffering that the decedent went through before they died
• Mental anguish for surviving family members

Punitive damages may be awarded if the judge overseeing the case finds that the liable party caused the accident intentionally or was extremely negligent. Once our truck wreck attorney reviews your case, we can identify the types of compensation you may be eligible for.

Prevention Starts with Accountability

Preventing tire blowouts and rollover accidents is possible. However, it begins with accountability. Drivers must follow safe driving practices and properly maintain their tires.

Some of the preventive techniques that can be implemented include the following:

• Regularly inspect the tire condition, pressure, and tread depth
• Replace tires immediately if they are worn or damaged
• Don’t drive over debris or potholes when on the road
• Keep the truck’s cargo weight under the listed capacity
• Pay for premium tires from the top brands in the industry, such as Michelin and BF Goodrich

What to Do After a Truck Tire Blowout Accident

Reacting the right way after you’re involved in a tire blowout accident is crucial to ensure you have a strong case. Make sure you seek medical attention immediately even if you don’t believe your injuries are serious. If you’re able to walk, take pictures of the tires, possible road hazards, and every vehicle involved in the accident.

If there were any witnesses to the crash, get the contact info from these people. Their statements can be helpful if a judge hears your case. Before speaking with any insurance provider, call our truck crash lawyer at Haney Paschal & Romoser to get started on your case.

Call Haney Paschal & Romoser

At Haney Paschal & Romoser, our goal is to help clients identify liability and obtain the compensation they deserve. Whether you need us to speak with insurance providers or file a lawsuit against the liable parties, we’re here to help. Call our truck collision lawyer today to discuss legal representation or schedule a consultation.