Truck tire blowouts: What to know about lawsuits and claims
Brandon J. Broderick, Personal Injury Attorney at Law
Truck tire blowouts are terrifying occurrences on New Jersey and New York roadways. Debris and tire pieces can come flying at other vehicles. Truck drivers can lose control of their semi-truck after losing a tire. In fact, truck tire blowouts cause more than 200 fatalities and tens of thousands of injuries on roads every year,?according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. If your vehicle gets into an accident because of a truck tire blowout, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit or claim to recover compensation for your losses.
Causes of Truck Tire Blowouts
Truck tire explosions can occur for a variety of reasons. In many cases, the truck driver and/or the trucking company could be liable in a lawsuit if you can prove their negligence lead to tire blowout, which caused the accident.
Lack of Maintenance
Truck drivers and trucking companies are required by law to conduct routine maintenance on their fleet of trucks.?Underinflation?and worn tire treads are some of the most common reasons a tire blowout can happen. If a driver or company fails to inspect the tires and fails to maintain them adequately, you may be able to file a claim and recover compensation for your losses.
Driver Negligence
Truck drivers owe a ‘duty of care’ to other drivers on the road. That means operating their semi-truck in the safest manner possible. If the driver fails in their duty of care, you may be able to file a claim asserting the driver’s negligence caused the accident. Examples of truck driver negligence include:
领英推荐
Truck drivers are responsible for following all laws and regulations and if they fail to do so they may be deemed to have breached the ordinary standard of care.?
Overloaded Trailers
Federal law limits the weight of a semi-truck?operating on New Jersey and New York roadways. If a trucking company violates these laws and overloads the trailer, the added weight can put too much on a tire, causing it to explode. In this scenario, the consequences are often devastating. Overloaded trailers and tire blowouts can lead to very serious accidents and even fatalities.