Defective Tire Lawsuit

Tire Failures & Blowouts

Tire blowouts and failures are often caused by defectively designed and negligently manufactured tires. Reasons for defects can be dirty factory conditions, improper curing temperatures, faulty tire bead and sidewall construction, inferior tire materials and adhesives, negligent testing and sizing of vital tire components. Under-inflated tires can also cause a tire blowout. In addition, over-inflated tires, road hazards, worn-out tires, mismatched tires or a tire with a mismatched rim can cause a blowout. When a tire failure occurs and causes a rollover or other accident, other injury-causing components (seatbelts, airbags, roof strength, door locks, seatbelts)  must be studied to see if any safety system failed to keep vehicle occupants safe.

Old Tires Sold as New

Often brand new tires sit on a shelf or in a warehouse for many years before they are ever sold. While these tires look brand new they are not. All tires slowly age and its internal components start to disintegrate and fail. A “new” tire that hasn’t been used in years, but is then sold as new can be dangerous because the tire’s rubber and adhesives become weaker over time and increase the risk of a tire failure, or tread separation, and a sudden blowout especially at highway speeds. Likewise, any used old tire, even though it has plenty of tread showing, can be very dangerous as the buyer doesn’t know the history of that tire. Used tires could have been stored in hot warehouses, been involved in a previous accident, been severely overloaded, hit numerous potholes or curbs or suffered prior damage unseen by the naked eye.

Used tires, although cheaper may also increase the risk of an accident. Lack of sufficient tread can cause drivers to lose traction in wet weather or be unable to stop in time. Car dealers, used tire shops, inspection stations and repair shops have a duty to inspect the tire and recommend that the old tires be replaced or that the better tires with the best tread and traction be placed on the rear, not the front. If they fail to do, then they be held liable. Most manufacturers recommend that tire be replaced once they are six years old, no matter what remaining tread depth is showing.