When there is a car accident or a truck accident, a tire blowout is sometimes cited as a contributing factor. In fact, one of the most common causes of truck accidents is a tire blowout. If a tire blows out while the truck is travelling on a highway at a high speed, the driver can easily lose control of the massive vehicle, colliding with other vehicles. In some instances the tire blowout was the result of underinflation, while in other cases a defect in the design of the tire made it susceptible to a blowout. Regardless of the reason for the blowout, the consequences are sometimes tragic. If a large truck collides with a much smaller sedan, an SUV or even another large truck, victims often suffer serious injuries such as a brain injury, contusions, broken bones, internal injuries, amputations, paralysis, or spinal cord injury. Many tire blowout truck accidents are fatal. If you were injured in a truck accident, it is important that you immediately contact a New York Tire Blowouts Lawyer as you may be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering through a personal injury claim. In addition, if while treating you for your injuries your doctor, nurse, or other medical professional is negligent, resulting in a medical malpractice claim, the truck driver or trucking company may be legally required to compensate you for that as well.
Causes of Truck Tire BlowoutsThere are several common reason that tires on 18-wheelers, semis and tractor-trailers blowout.
Overloading. Tire damage is one of the most common results of overloading a large truck. The heavier a truck’s load, the more pressure that is exerted on its tires. When a truck’s load is too heavy, air will escape more rapidly from the tires. The low pressure in the tires will eventually lead to a blowout. It is quite difficult to control a huge semi-truck travelling at high speeds, when there is a tire blowout. Trucking companies and drivers have an obligation to make sure their trucks are not overloaded and too heavy. If they negligently or intentionally caused an overload that led to a blowout, then the company and driver will be legally responsible.
Underinflation. One of the most common causes of tire blowouts is underinflation. A truck driver must inspect the truck to make sure that it is safe to driver. A driver who ignores underinflation and drives underinflated tires over long periods of time risks a blowout.
Defective tires. Faulty tire design has been a cause of many blowouts over the years. In cases where a manufacturer produces substandard tires, or where a mechanic installs the wrong type of tire on a truck, the result may be blowout. In such cases the fault would be with the manufacturer based on a product liability claim, or the mechanic based on a negligence claim.
Pursuing a ClaimTruck accidents can be devastating to a victim as well as to the victim’s family. Because of the size and weight of large trucks, even low-impact, low-speed accidents can have catastrophic results. Truck accidents can lead to devastating injuries such as a spinal cord injury, broken bones, brain injury, amputation, paralysis, and all too often, death. Through a personal injury lawsuit, New York law allows you to hold the negligent party responsible for the losses you suffered. Victims who suffer serious injuries in truck accidents have significant medical bills. In addition, because victims of serious injuries often have to miss a great deal of work or are unable to return to work at all, victims have the right to sue for lost wages and loss of earning capacity.
If your injury was the result of a work-related accident, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. New York's workers' compensation laws state that injured parties are entitled to compensation if they sustain a work-related injury. Compensation often comes in the form of medical expenses, lost income and benefits, loss of ability to earn, and more. However, it is important to know that worker’s compensation benefits are limited. Just because the accident occurred at work does not necessarily mean that you are limited to the benefit available through workers’ compensation.
New York Tire Blowouts LawyerIf you were involved in a truck accident that was caused by a tire blowout it is important to immediately contact an experienced truck accident attorney since the rules that apply to a truck accident and in many ways different from those that apply to a car accident. Contact Stephen Bilkis & Associates, PLLC to discuss the details of your case. Our staff is experienced in handling claims resulting from truck accidents, as well as SUV accidents, car accidents, and motorcycle accidents. Contact us at 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your case.