According to the Large Truck Crash Causation Study, around 8,000 tire blowouts occur on semi trucks each year, causing serious and sometimes fatal accidents.
If you or someone you love was hurt by a blowout accident, you have legal rights. You may be able to hold the trucker, the trucking company, and those responsible for truck maintenance liable for your losses. Drafahl Law Firm can help you to pursue a claim for justice in these tragic cases, as we have extensive experience taking the steps necessary to build strong claims, including subpoenaing maintenance records and finding expert witnesses.
To learn more about how our St. Louis truck accident lawyers can help with your claim, give us a call today.
Why Do Tire Blowouts Occur on Trucks?
There are many reasons why a truck tire could blow. Some of the most common causes include:
- Over-inflated tires: When a tire is overinflated, it can stretch beyond its capacity.
- Low tire pressure: If a tire is underinflated, this puts excess stress on internal components. This can cause heat to build up inside the tire, which can lead to cracking rubber or even a potential explosion
- Excess cargo: If a cargo load exceeds weight capacity, this places extra pressure on tires. This can cause a blowout to occur even if the tire is in good condition.
- Wear-and-tear: Continuous operation of tires can eventually stress the rubber over time, making tires more vulnerable to being damaged by potholes and other road irregularities.
Unfortunately, many of these causes of tire blowouts could be prevented if truckers and trucking companies followed FMCSA regulations to ensure that trucks — and all their parts — are in good working order before taking them out on the road.
Types of Truck Accidents Caused by Tire Blowouts
Many different kinds of truck accidents can result from tire blowouts, including:
- Head-on crashes: When a truck tire blows and the trucker loses control of the vehicle, the truck could cross into oncoming traffic, resulting in a head-on collision.
- Read-end accident: Trucks that experience a blowout often crash into the vehicle in front of them as the trucker becomes unable to keep the truck under control,
- Rollover accidents: When a truck becomes unstable due to a blown tire, the vehicle can roll over. This is especially likely to occur when the truck is going around a curve at the time the blowout happens, or if it is traveling at a high speed. Trucks are already more prone to rollovers due to their high center of gravity, and when the truck becomes unstable, the risk is greater.
- Jackknife collisions. Tire blowouts that involve the rear tires can cause the trailer to skid, resulting in a jackknife accident. These collisions get their name from the fact that the trailer swings out from the truck cab at an angle that looks like the shape of a jackknife.
Many of these types of accidents, including jackknife, rollovers, and head-on crashes, present a significant risk of fatalities or serious injuries.
Getting Help from a St. Louis Truck Accident Lawyer
If you or someone you love is involved in a blowout accident with a large truck, you need to get help from a St. Louis truck accident lawyer who can gather the necessary evidence to prove your case.
Our legal team will work to obtain maintenance records, expert testimony, and more to make the strongest possible claim. Give us a call today to learn more about the help we can offer.