When defective tires and defective wheels are placed on vehicles or tractor-trailers, the results can be dangerous to the public. We have all been driving down the highway when we see a large tire tread in the middle of the roadway and have to quickly avoid it. Some of us perhaps have even witnessed these large treads come off of a passenger vehicle or tractor-trailer. Such conditions can be life-threatening for the unlucky motorist who happens to be traveling behind the vehicle that lost a tire. It is common for truck companies to “re-tread” their tires – it is much cheaper than purchasing brand new tires every time an 18-wheeler needs one. But these re-treads are not always installed correctly. There are many other situations where wheels and tires can have defects leading to injuries on the roadway:
- Aging tires can fail at any time. Oftentimes, the driver doesn’t know when the tire is too old to be used any further because the tread still looks solid.
- Tires can separate from the rim during inflation – even when all manufacturer specifications are followed. These tire separations can cause severe injuries to whoever is inflating the tire and any bystanders.
- The tread on the tire can separate, causing the vehicle to roll over if traveling at high speeds.
- The tire can suffer a tire sidewall failure or defect, or “blowout” when the tire is under-inflated. Sometimes, a sidewall can burst during inflation, resulting in a tire “zipper failure” (because the blowout looks like an open zipper.
- The part of the tire that actually connects with the rim, the tire bead, can also fail. These types of tire failures most often occur in smaller spare tires. The failure can result in a small explosion.
- Some wheels are composed of multiple metal parts, all held together by the tire’s air pressure. Such tires can be extremely dangerous when they explode because they can send shrapnel.
Although tire and wheel failures can occur no matter who the manufacturer is, the following are the most common types of tires that experience tire failure:
- Daytona tire defect;
- Dunlop tire defect;
- Firestone tire defect
If you have questions about your car tires, we probably have the answers. Contact us.
