Determining Liability in a Semi Truck Tire Blowout Accident
A tire blowout on a standard passenger car is scary, but a blowout on an 80,000-pound commercial vehicle is a catastrophic event. When a massive tire explodes at highway speeds, it sends heavy shrapnel flying into windshields and often causes the massive truck to swerve violently across multiple lanes.
If you were injured in a semi truck tire blowout accident, securing compensation requires answering a highly complex legal question: Who is to blame for the explosion?
To save money, many trucking companies use 'retreads'—old tires that have a new layer of rubber glued onto them. When driven in intense summer heat or at high speeds, this glued tread can peel off instantly, creating massive road hazards known as 'gators'.
Who Can Be Held Liable?
Tire blowouts are rarely acts of God. They are usually the result of human negligence. Your attorney will investigate three primary parties to hold them accountable for your medical bills and trauma:
- The Trucking Company: Federal regulations mandate strict pre-trip and post-trip inspections. If the company ignored bald tires, underinflation, or structural bulging to keep the truck on the road, they are liable for the crash.
- The Cargo Loaders: An overloaded trailer puts immense, uneven pressure on the tires. If third-party loaders exceeded federal weight limits, the excessive friction can easily trigger a heat-induced blowout.
- The Tire Manufacturer: Occasionally, the tire itself is defective. If a manufacturing flaw caused the rubber to fail despite proper maintenance, you may have grounds for a product liability lawsuit against the manufacturer.
Preserving the Evidence
Winning a blowout case relies heavily on preserving the shredded tire itself. Insurance companies often try to quickly dispose of the blown tire to destroy the evidence. An aggressive lawyer will immediately issue a spoliation letter, legally forcing the company to secure the tire for independent forensic testing.