Defective tires can cause serious car accidents. Defective tires can lose tread, blow out, fail to maintain traction during bad weather, and give out under heavy weight that they are designed to carry. Some defective tires blow out when drivers are taking tight turns, causing vehicles like SUVs to roll. Recent accidents involving defective tires include:
- One man was driving in a pickup when his tire lost tread, resulting in the man losing control of the pickup and slamming into oncoming traffic.
- One man was inflating a tire, but didn’t know that the tire was designed for a wheel rim of a different size. The tire exploded, causing serious brain injury.
- One family was driving in a mini-van when their Bridgestone/Firestone tire blew out, resulting in a rollover. Four people were injured and one is confined to a wheel chair for the rest of her life.
- A family lost their 6-year-old daughter after their rental van crashed because of a defective tire.
Injuries from defective tire accidents are serious, and accidents can result in death. Injuries from automobile accidents include head trauma, brain injury, broken bones and fractures, and internal organ damage and bleeding. Make sure you know what to look for in defective tires, and whether your tires have been recalled.
Things to look for in defective tires include:
- bulges in the side wall
- tread separation
- cracks
- abnormal tread wear
- abnormal shape
You can find out if your tires have been recalled by visiting sites such as:
Or, you can contact your local car dealership. If your tires have been recalled, stop driving on them immediately. Your dealership should replace them for free. If you have been injured because of defective tires, contact a personal injury lawyer who specializes in automobile accidents.