Understanding What Makes a Tire Defective or Potentially Dangerous

By The Husband and Wife Law Team on September 15, 2009

Defective tires may be responsible for several thousand traffic accident deaths in the United States every year, as well as for countless injuries and inconveniences. This is according to statistics issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), though the true number of accidents that occur due to tire defects may be even higher, as the role of defective tires that cause or exacerbate car and other motor vehicle accidents is often masked by other contributing factors.

There are at least 2000 major tire lines on American roads today and, although companies like Goodyear, Firestone, and Bridgestone issue recalls regularly in order to remove defective or potentially defective tires from the roads, the system to remove them does not function effectively due to its complexity. Because of this, millions of tires that may be defective continue in use on our roadways. To put this in perspective, several years ago Firestone and Bridgestone recalled more than 15 million of their tires because of severe and dangerous defects.

The age of the tire generally contributes to its failure, and tires between five to seven years old are at a higher risk for blowouts, punctures, and tears. As some tires are designed to last longer, it is important to read about them before purchasing and to talk to a respected auto mechanic about a particular tire brand’s reliability on the road.

The separation of treads can endanger a driver when the tires lose their grip fully or partially on the roadway during quick turns or while performing other emergency maneuvers.

The potential for blowouts or exploding tires can cause drivers to become unable to steer his or her vehicle and thus veer out of control, often resulting in an accident. Tires that fail catastrophically also may damage other parts of the vehicle.

Besides the actual tires, tire rims, air pump systems, and other related parts and equipment are intimately designed into the vehicle’s structure. If the structures surrounding a poorly designed tire on a modern automobile, truck, or bicycle fail, additional problems will often occur.

If there is a possibility that a defective tire or rim may have been responsible, or at least partially to blame, for your motor vehicle accident, it is important to seek out legal assistance to examine your options. Compensation for any injuries or damages stemming from defective tires may be due you.  As one of the most dedicated and esteemed Arizona personal injury law firms, Breyer Law Offices has served the Phoenix area for nearly fifteen years.  Our Phoenix auto product liability attorneys provide exceptional service for our clients, custom fit to meet their legal needs, and are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for emergency situations.  To schedule a free consultation about a possible tire defect lawsuit, please call us at 602-978-6400.