Tire Blow Out Accident Attorneys
Tread Separation and Tire Blow Outs
Faulty or defective tires can and do cause severe accidents. Perhaps the most dramatic example of this is the Firestone Tire/Ford Explorer catastrophe, where hundreds of innocent people were killed, maimed or injured as a result of belt or tread separation in the Firestone tires used on Ford Explorers.
In 2000 and again in 2001, Firestone announced a recall of over 14 million tires sold in the United States. NHTSA (The National Highway Transportation Safety Association) determined that a defect existed in Firestone Wilderness and ATX P235/75R15 and P255/70R16 tires manufactured before May, 1998 and ordered the recall. Also in May of 2001, Ford issued its own recall of the tires that were installed on any Ford vehicles.
More recent examples of defective tires include Continental General tires (installed on Lincoln Navigators), Firestone Steeltex tires (installed on Excursions), Goodyear Load Range E tires (installed on 15-passenger vans), and Cooper, Dean and Uniroyal-Goodrich tires.
Cooper and Dean Tires
Cooper_Tires_and_Dean_Tires are being investigated for the possibility of shoulder cracks, which results in tread separation, causing a tire blow out or the tire to suddenly lose air and the driver to lose control of the vehicle. According to one source, over 30 U.S. highways fatalities may be due to defects in these tires. The defects themselves may be the result of careless or negligent manufacturing practices as indicated by employees and former employees of the manufacturer. Various lawsuits as a result of injuries and deaths have resulted in a recall for the defective tires.
Tire Tread Separation
Tread separation is a particular problem for steel-belted radial tires and is more likely to show up at high speeds and in hot weather. Tire tread separation is a sudden event, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle, which is particularly dangerous in high profile vehicles like SUVs and trucks because of their tendency to roll over, resulting in severe injuries and death.
Many factors contribute to tire blow out and to tread separation, including shoddy manufacturing practices, failure to allow enough time for the tire to cure, foreign objects baked into the tire, old and dry rubber, inappropriate solvents used in the manufacturing process, shoddy inspection practices, substandard quality control, etc.
Responsibility
Tire manufacturing is a huge and powerful industry, and tire makers like to blame accidents on drivers, and/or improper care and inflation of their tires rather than take responsibility for a defective tire. But the safety of millions of people - including families and children -- is literally riding on their tires; and tire companies should be held accountable if they fail to maintain basic safety standards. Numerous lawsuits and substantial settlements indicate that the public is sending a strong message about safety accountability to defective tire makers.
If you or someone you know has been involved in an accident that involved tire separation, tire blow out and/or tire failure, please call our tire blow out accident attorneys for more information about tire separation lawsuits.
The law firm of Levin, Papantonio, Thomas, Mitchell, Echsner & Proctor, P.A. has a long history of jury verdict awards and has been nationally recognized as one of the top firms in jury verdicts and claims. Our attorneys specialize in product liability cases and settlements.
If you or a loved one has been harmed by a tire blow out or tire separation accident, please call or email our experienced tire separation accident attorneys today. We'll evaluate your claim for free and help you get the justice you deserve.
To contact our tire blow out accident lawyers please call 888-435-7001 or email us today .
Levin • Papantonio • Thomas • Mitchell • Echsner & Proctor, P.A.
316 South Baylen Street, Suite 600 • Pensacola, FL 32502-5996
