Texas Truck Tire Blowouts

Any collision involving a large commercial truck can be devastating for occupants of smaller passenger vehicles. While there are many different ways a truck collision can occur, tire blowouts are a leading cause. A tire blowout is much different than a flat tire. When a truck tire blowout occurs, it completely explodes, spreading tire debris across the road and leaving the truck unstable. Often, tire blowouts lead to the truck swerving or rolling over, endangering the lives of all those around it.

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured as a result of a tire blowout, we can help. At Liles White, we have significant experience handling truck accident cases and may be able to hold the trucking company or tire manufacturer liable for the losses you have incurred.

Collisions Caused by Tire Blowouts

Tire blowouts are unpredictable, abruptly thrusting truck drivers and other motorists into a dangerous situation without warning.

Rollovers – Tractor-trailers typically have a high center of gravity. When a tire blowout occurs, it causes the truck to lean or swerve, shifting the center of gravity rapidly. In many cases, this can cause the vehicle to overturn, known as a rollover. This is especially common in cargo tankers, where the liquid inside the tanker can slosh and exacerbate the issue.
Head-on Collisions – If a blowout causes a truck to swerve into oncoming traffic, it can collide with vehicles head-on. Head-on collisions with commercial trucks are most often fatal for passenger vehicle occupants.
Lost Cargo – In some cases, a tire blowout can cause cargo to shift and fall onto the roadway. This is particularly dangerous if hazardous materials are being transported.
Rear-end or Sideswipe Collisions – Vehicles on the side of and in front and behind trucks are particularly vulnerable when a truck loses control. It may swerve and sideswipe them, be unable to break in time to stop, slow down or stop unexpectedly and leave motorists with no time to maneuver away.

Causes of Tire Blowouts

Tire blowouts can occur for a variety of reasons. Commonly they are caused by:

Improper Maintenance: If a driver or trucking company fails to properly inflate their tires, safely maintain their condition, or replace them when they are worn, it may lead to a tire blowout.
Driver Negligence: This can include improperly breaking, overuse, or failing to notice a leaking or damaged tire and continuing to drive.
Road Hazards: Road debris, potholes, and other negligent drivers can damage truck tires and lead to deadly accidents.
Overloading Trucks: The trucking industry is highly regulated and every vehicle and roadway has a maximum gross weight that trucks may carry. If the truck is overloaded, it can lead to a wide range of dangerous conditions including blowouts.
Defective Tires: Tire manufacturers are responsible for producing safe products. Defective tires can have weaknesses that make tire failure, tread separation and blowouts much more likely.

Depending upon how a tire failure or blowout occurs, the legally responsible party may be a truck driver and the trucking company that employs them, a vehicle or truck manufacturer, a negligent motorist, or, in rare cases, a governmental entity.

Our Texas Truck Accident Attorneys Are Ready to Help

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident caused by a commercial truck tire blowout or rollover incident in Texas, the team at Liles White is standing by to help. Our attorneys have decades of experience standing up to aggressive insurance carriers and at-fault trucking companies, and we refuse to back down. Our goal is to help ensure that our clients receive full compensation for their medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering damages, property damage expenses, and more. When you need a Texas rollover and blowout truck accident attorney, you can contact us for a free consultation of your case or call (361) 826-0100.