We’ve all driven past discarded furniture, shredded tires, and car components on the highway, and most people assume that those are the primary cause of tire blowouts. While loose items can cause tire blowouts, they aren’t the primary reason that these accidents occur. Poor maintenance is one of the main reasons that tire blowouts occur.
Tractor-trailers need a substantial amount of maintenance work done on a routine basis, due to the significant wear and tear they suffer during long-haul trips. When maintenance is done improperly, with the incorrect parts, or skipped entirely, blowouts are a serious risk.
Negligent inspections are another common trigger for tire blowouts. Everyone has routine tasks in their work, and for truck drivers, inspections quickly become mundane and repetitive. It’s common for a driver to rush through inspection tasks, marking them off simply for the sake of marking them off rather than actually looking for issues. When inspections are done this way, issues with the tires or other components can slip through the cracks.
When maintenance or inspections are improperly completed, the following issues can occur:
- Overinflated or underinflated tires
- Recalled tires
- Mismatched tires
- Uneven wear and tear, indicating unbalanced loads
- Overloaded trailers that damage the integrity of the tires
- A habit of hard braking that damages the tires
Common Injuries Caused by Tire Blowouts
When a tractor-trailer has a blowout, the driver often loses control of the vehicle. The truck may collapse on the side with the blown-out tire or jackknife, causing it to spin out of control. Cars may be struck by the semi, slammed into the median, or crushed underneath the truck. As you can imagine, the injuries resulting from these accidents can be devastating. Reported injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Damage to the spine and spinal cord
- Cuts and deep lacerations
- Amputations
- Broken bones
- Road rash
- Internal bleeding
Preventing and Responding to Tire Blowouts
As the driver of a passenger vehicle, there isn’t anything you can do to stop tire blowouts from happening. However, you can do your best to protect yourself and your family. If there is a tractor-trailer in front of you or next to you, try to move out of their zone. This ensures that if a tire blowout occurs, you won’t be in the area that suffers the worst damage.
If you must be next to a tractor-trailer, speed up to pass them. Not only will this help you if a blowout occurs, but it can also prevent blind spot accidents.
What should you do if a tire blowout occurs when you’re driving? Keep a calm, level head. Rash reactions can actually make the situation worse and put you in more danger. Rather than slamming on the brakes, lay off the accelerator and try to steer away from the wreckage. Hitting the brakes too hard could cause the vehicles behind you to run into you, causing a pileup. Come to a stop as soon as you can safely do so.
Report the accident to emergency services right away. It’s likely that you aren’t the only victim, and a quick response will allow them to get medical personnel and police officers on the scene promptly. Get checked out by a medical professional right away. If you have injuries, you’ll want them documented and you’ll need to explore your treatment options.
Discuss Your Legal Options with Turner, Onderdonk, Kimbrough & Howell
Have you been injured in a tire blowout accident? Let the team at Turner, Onderdonk, Kimbrough & Howell help you. We’ll learn more about your accident, determine liability, and fight for fair compensation on your behalf. Get started now by calling our Chatom office at 251-847-2237, calling our Bay Minette location at 251-651-0483, or contacting us online.
