Is it common for trucks to have tire blow outs or are they usually as a result from a defective tire?

Question:  My father is an experienced interstate truck driver who wasrecently injured when his semi-truck was involved in a rollover accident.  After close inspection, it appears that theaccident was due to a blowout of a rear tire. I know he is very safety conscious and always inspects the equipmentcarefully.  Is it possible that adefective tire may have been the cause?

Response: A tireblowout occurs when a tire suddenly loses its tread.  These are extremely dangerous when they occurand can cause the truck driver to lose control of the vehicle.  If the blowout occurs on a rear tire andcontrol is lost, it’s easy for the rear of the vehicle to swing around andbecome perpendicular to the direction of travel.  If this is not immediately remedied thesideways motion of the vehicle allows the bead of the tire to separate from therim.  When the rim digs into thepavement, it can propel the truck into a rollover situation.

An accident involving a tire blowout may have been the result of adefective product.  Tread separation occurswhen the tread peels off the tire due to a design or manufacturing defect.  Additional reasons for the blowout could includeroad hazards, excessive tire wear, under-inflation of the tire or overloadingof the cargo.  Tires can also explode ifthey are placed on rims of the incorrect size.

If you think that a defective tire caused or contributed to theaccident, your father should contact an experienced lawyer to go over the casethoroughly.

Answered by Linda Adams