A tire defect or tire explosion can sometimes be hard to notice or foresee. If a tire malfunctions while you are driving, you can lose control of your vehicle and end up in a serious car accident. Tire defects can happen for a variety of reasons, and it may be possible to hold negligent manufacturers and retailers accountable for your injuries. If you or a family member was injured in an auto accident because of a defective tire, you should consult with a Baltimore defective tire accident lawyer about your next steps.
At Bennett & Heyman, P.A., we have handled many claims involving defective products, which is known as “product liability.” We understand that failing to screen for defects can harm innocent consumers, which is why we will work tirelessly to fight your product liability case and pursue the compensation you deserve. To schedule a free consultation about a tire explosion accident in Maryland, call Bennett & Heyman at 410-429-7856, or reach us online.
Causes of Defective Tire Explosion Accidents
There are several different reasons why a tire could become defective. In some cases, it is possible to catch the defective condition before disaster strikes. However, this is not an excuse for companies to develop tires that could injure consumers.
Tread and Belt Separation
One of the most common causes of tire defects is tread and belt separation. Tread and belt separation typically occurs because a steel-belted radial tire was not properly adhered to the rubber on the tire. This type of flaw can be a design defect or manufacturing defect.
As the name implies, a design defect is when a product is poorly designed, and the manufacturer failed to use safety precautions to avoid injuring a consumer. A manufacturing defect is when a product was adequately designed and contained the necessary warnings, but was damaged by errors during the manufacturing process.
A tire with tread and belt separation can be designed defectively because most manufacturers are aware of “safety belts,” a design modification that can help prevent tread and belt separation. By failing to install this modification because of increased costs, manufacturers may knowingly design a defective line of tires. Tread and belt separation can also be caused by a manufacturing defect. For example, if a manufacturer fails to inspect certain tires before distributing them, issues these tires had will not be noticed or corrected.
Tread and belt separation can lead to the steel belt of the tire being exposed, likely resulting in the tire exploding and the car spinning out of control.
Bead Wire Failures
Many tire explosions occur while the tire is being inflated or mounted. A bead wire failure is one factor that can contribute to a tire explosion.
Bead wire is used to reinforce radial or conventional tires. If the bead wire inside a tire is weak, if the tire is overinflated there is an increased chance the tire will explode. Manufacturers usually only provide safety guidelines for filling new tires that are in pristine condition. Therefore, many older tires with wear-and-tear run the risk of exploding because consumers are often not provided with safety precautions for inflating old tires.
Tire Overheating
A tire explosion can also occur if a tire becomes overheated. If the temperature inside a tire rises, the pressure inside the tire will rise as well. Once the temperature increases too high, the tire is likely to blow out.
In addition to weather or temperature, road conditions can also play a part in a tire exploding due to overheating. For example, traveling down an uneven road or hitting a deep pothole in a certain location can cause a tire to explode.
Who is Liable for Defective Tire Accidents?
Retailers who sell tires they know are defective, or tires that have been recalled, may be liable for injuries resulting from an explosion or accident. Manufacturers who produce unsafe tires may also be held accountable for their actions. For instance, it may be possible to prove that a manufacturer was liable for your defective tire accident by showing:
- The tire, as designed, was unsafe.
- There are safer alternatives that could have been used when designing the tire.
- The safer alternative design would not cost a significant amount of money to develop.
An injured driver may also be able to file a claim alleging that a specific tire they received from the manufacturer was defective. As mentioned above, this is known as a manufacturing defect and can occur because the manufacturer carelessly deviated from their manufacturing process.
Baltimore Defective Product Lawyers Can File Your Injury Claim
If you or a family member was injured in a car accident in Maryland because a tire exploded or was otherwise defective, you should contact an experienced product liability lawyer. At Bennett & Heyman, P.A., our lawyers are prepared to help you hold negligent manufacturers accountable for defective automotive products. To schedule a free consultation, call us at 410-429-7856 today.
