The Dangers of Defective Tires

According to a 2003 report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), before the invention of the tire pressure monitoring system, flat tires and blowouts caused approximately 414 deaths, 10,275 injuries and more than 78,000 car accidents each year. In its effort to reduce these numbers, the NHTSA started to require all light vehicles to be equipped with tire pressure monitoring systems starting in 2007. This system warns drivers when a tire is significantly under-inflated.

Although tire pressure monitoring systems have played an important role in reducing the number of tire-related motor vehicle accidents, they cannot prevent all such accidents. If you or a loved one was seriously injured in a tire-related accident, you should consult an experienced personal injury attorney.

Defective Tire-Related Accidents

A sudden tire blowout or loss of pressure can cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle and cause a serious accident. Defective tires can also cause serious explosions during installation or inflation.

The following types of tire defects can lead to devastating accidents:

-          Under inflation or over inflation

-          Tread separation

-          Belt separation

-          Sidewall failure

-          Bead wire failure

-          Support cable failure

-          Wrong sized or mismatched tires or rims

-          Expired tires

Regardless of what type of defective tire caused your accident and resulted in serious injuries, you should consult an experienced personal injury attorney as you may be entitled to compensation.

Suing the Right Parties in a Defective Tire Claim

The NHTSA reports that more than 46 million tires have been recalled in the U.S. since 1996. When a defective tire causes accidents and results in injuries, a number of different parties may be held liable, including the:

-          Manufacturer

-          Distributor

-          Retailer

-          Other parties, depending on the specifics of the case.

If you have been the victim of a tire-related motor vehicle accident, you need to hire an experienced attorney to make sure you bring a claim against the right parties in order to collect the full extent of the compensation that you deserve.

Call Us

For more information or to schedule a complimentary consultation with a New Jersey personal injury attorney, please call the Law Offices of Dan T. Matrafajlo at (908) 248-4404.