Old, aged or used tires – as well as tires with design and manufacturing defects – are common causes of tire failures. Langdon & Emison is a nationwide personal injury law firm composed of attorneys who routinely evaluate tire defects as potential causes of auto accidents and sources of financial recovery for accident victims.
Tire failures that occur at highway speeds often result in vehicle rollovers, and the consequences for drivers can be grave. The infamous Ford/Firestone litigation showed how a tire problem could become a crisis for both the tire manufacturer and the automaker. In these types of cases, our firm’s attorneys will look for possible defects in the design and manufacturing of the tire and in the overall design of the vehicle.
Tire Failure Factors
Unfortunately, design and manufacturing defects are often hidden until the moment a tire actually fails. A number of factors can cause a tire blow-out or detread, including but not limited to:
- Age of the tire. All tires deteriorate with age; older tires have a much higher risk of failure than newer tires with similar wear and tread depth.
- Design/manufacturing defects. Poor design and construction of critical components, such as the inner liner, can allow air flow to permeate the internal tire structure and cause oxidation of the rubber components, making them brittle and susceptible to tread separation. Poor manufacturing and placement of the belt plies also can lead to premature failure.
Design Flaws that Cause Vehicle Rollovers
When a tire fails, there is a high probability that the vehicle will go out of the driver’s control. While tire failures certainly can cause a vehicle to rollover, faulty vehicle design can also be a factor in these types of accidents. When evaluating a case involving a tire failure and rollover, our attorneys will consider two types of design flaws to determine whether an auto defect could be in play:
- Roof design. To increase profits, automakers routinely cut costs on materials used to construct the roof, making them more likely to crush occupants in a rollover.
- Suspension design. Electronic Stability Control is an existing technology that minimizes loss of control and could prevent most rollovers, yet it is not installed in many vehicles.
For more than 30 years, Langdon & Emison has litigated high-profile cases involving defective tires, vehicle rollovers and other auto product defects. If you have been injured in an auto accident where a tire blowout or a rollover occurred — or if you are an attorney evaluating an auto accident case — contact our firm at 866-931-2115 or click on the chat box to the right.