What Happens if a Tire Blowout Caused your Car Accident?

Tire blowouts are a terrifying thing to experience. Especially if you are driving on the freeway at high speeds, suddenly losing control of your vehicle and flying all over the road is a jarring and frightening thing. If you are hurt in an accident caused by a tire blowout, what comes next? Can you hold anyone responsible for your injuries? The answer: It depends. Read on for a discussion of tire blowout accidents, and call a knowledgeable Beaumont car crash and defective product lawyer if you have been hurt due to a tire blowout or other auto manufacturing defect.

What Caused the Blowout?

If you are looking to hold someone else liable for your tire blowout crash, the first thing to ascertain is the cause of the blowout. Depending on what caused the tire to give out, you may be able to bring a claim against one or more parties. Some of the more common causes of tire blowouts include the following:

• Impact damage. Driving over an object on the road, even if it’s not a sharp object, can do a number on your tires. You might not even notice the impact at the time, or you may not realize that your vehicle suffered damage after an impact. If you run over an object and feel a large bump, it is worth checking whether your tires are damaged.
• Old, worn-out tires. Tires wear down over time, just like the rest of your car. Old tires are weaker and less elastic, prone to damage from temperature and pressure change. Worn tires are more likely to puncture than new tires.
• Small punctures. Driving over nails or rocks can cause small punctures, creating a strong risk of a tire blowout. Sometimes the object is so small that the driver does not even notice the puncture.
• Tire defect. Your tire may have a manufacturing defect, or it may have been installed incorrectly. The treads may already be stripped, the rubber may be weak, or the installation may have left the tires experiencing the wrong kind of pressure.
• Overloaded vehicles. Cars and trucks carrying too much weight, whether that weight comes from freight, cargo, or passengers, can put too much pressure on the tires and cause a blowout. Worn tires are even more susceptible to bursting from a blowout.
• Potholes. Potholes and other road defects can easily do a number on your tires. They cause the tire to expand and contract rapidly, increasing the risk of a blowout.

Who is Liable?

Different parties may be liable depending on which factors led to the blowout. If you let your tires wear down, overload your car, and then hit an object on the road, unfortunately, there may be no one else to blame for a blowout.

However, if the tires are still under warranty and are relatively new, they should still be strong. A blowout could be a sign of a manufacturing or installation defect. In that case, you might have a claim against the tire or auto manufacturer or a combination of both. If a serious roadway defect caused your blowout, you might even have a claim against the city or county responsible for maintaining the road, although these claims can be more difficult to pursue. Additionally, if you hit an object that was dropped by a freight truck, you might be able to find the owner of the object and determine if they were negligent.

Speak with a dedicated and detail-oriented car accident lawyer after your blowout accident to help investigate the circumstances of your crash and determine who may be held liable.

Get Effective Help With Your Texas Traffic Accident Injury Case

If you’ve been hurt in a Texas car or truck crash, contact the seasoned and effective Beaumont personal injury lawyers at the Gilbert Adams Law Offices for a free consultation on your case at 409-835-3000.