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Defective Tire Lawsuit Attorneys

Tires are a critical safety component on any automobile or motorcycle. If a tire fails or "blows out," the driver of the vehicle or motorcycle may lose control and crash. When tires fail at highway or freeway speeds, they can cause a serious crash that endangers the safety of other drivers and passengers on the road. Particularly in vehicles with a higher center of gravity, such as sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks, tire blowouts can cause rollover accidents. In steel belted radial tires, tread separation is the most common type of failure. Other types of failures include blowouts, detreading, sidewall failures, and tread loss. Tire failures caused by defective tires can occur at anytime, in any road condition, but frequently occur on hot days and at high speeds.

Tire Defects and Tread Separation

Tread separation may result from both design defects and manufacturing defects. Either way, when it occurs, tread separation is a very serious problem. A tire's "tread" is the part of the tire that comes in contact with the road. A tire's condition can be determined by measuring the distance between the base of the groove to the top of the tread. Tires have narrow bands, called "wear bars" that become visible when tires reach a tread depth of 2/32", or are legally considered to be "worn out." By nature, tire tread should not separate from the body of the tire. Defects in a tire that can lead to tread separation include:

  1. Inadequate curing process
  2. Inadequate skim stock
  3. Improper belt wiping
  4. Improper belt placement,
  5. Lack of nylon overlays
  6. Poor design

 

When tread separates, the tire will "pull" the vehicle in the direction of the damaged tire. In response, the driver will instinctively react by steering in the opposite direction in an attempt to keep the car going strait. This can cause a rollover accident.

Valve Stem Defects

If the valve stem on a tire is defective, it can cause the tire to leak air. An underinflated tire can cause uneven tire wear, which can lead to a blowout or tire failure. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has linked several fatal accidents to defective valve stems imported by Dill Air Controls Products. Defective valve stems are found on many vehicles, particularly  2007 Ford model vehicles.

Experts in Tire Defect Litigation

If you have been hurt in a crash or rollover accident caused by a defective tire, it is important to choose an attorney who has successfully handled defective tire cases against major tire makers like Firestone, Bridgestone, Goodyear, Michelin, Continental and Cooper Tire Company. It is common for automakers and tire manufacturers to blame victims, and say they were not driving safely, their tires were underinflated, or that their tires were old and needed to be replaced. An experienced lawyer will anticipate these claims and work with experts to paint the full picture and demonstrate the causal link between the defect in the tire and the resulting accident and serious injury or death.  If you were injured in an accident or lost a loved one in an acceded that you believe may have been caused by a defective tire, contact the product liability tire defect attorneys at Estey & Bomberger, LLP for a free consultation today.