Why Do Tires Blowout On Large Trucks More Frequently?
Why is it that whenever you hear a new segment or read an article on a tire blowout, it seems to involve a tractor-trailer or other large commercial vehicle? There are a number of reasons for this. They range from the manufacture of defective tires to sheer laziness on the part of the commercial trucking company. In some cases, it’s the road’s fault, while in other cases, it may be the driver’s.
The larger portion of these accidents is preventable by following simple federal guidelines on ensuring the roadworthiness of vehicles before they go out on delivery. In other cases, they could have been prevented by ensuring that sufficient quality-control mechanisms were in place before the tire entered the stream of commerce. Below, we’ll discuss large commercial vehicle tire blowouts and when and why they’re the fault of the trucking company or tire manufacturer.
Commercial Truck Tires Support 80,000 Pounds
Commercial truck tires need to be able to support somewhere in the range of 80,000 pounds. That’s no easy task for an inflatable object. Unfortunately, some trucking companies do not take tire maintenance seriously. Whenever you see a shredded tire on the highway, chances are, the trucking company is to blame.
Why? Because the trucking company is required to perform diagnostics on the roadworthiness of their vehicles and one of the key elements of this process is to check the tires. In a negligence lawsuit, if a plaintiff can prove that the tire failure was foreseeable or that the defendant failed to follow federal guidelines on ensuring the roadworthiness of a vehicle, the plaintiff may be able to recover punitive damages for gross negligence.
The Duty to Inspect and Maintain Trucks
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) imposes several regulations on trucking companies to ensure the roadworthiness of their vehicles. These include:
- Trucking companies must systematically inspect their trucks on a schedule delineated by the FMCSA;
- Trucking companies must now allow trucks that do not pass inspection out on the road;
- Trucking companies are required to conduct pre-trip inspections of trucks before they go out on delivery;
- Truckers must conduct post-trip inspections to list any repairs as needed;
- Truckers are required to inspect trucks and tires at the end of each day;
- Trucking companies must maintain and repair tires as needed.
Essentially, this places the onus on the trucking company to ensure that their tires are safe. Yet tire blowouts involving large commercial trucks are common. How does this happen? In some cases, it’s the tire manufacturer’s fault, while in other cases, there may be some road condition that contributed to the accident. By and large, however, it’s the trucking companies that have failed in their duty of care to prevent these accidents.
Talk to a Tire Liability Attorney Today
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed in a commercial trucking accident, the Coral Gables tire defect attorneys at Halpern, Santos & Pinkert have the experience you need to ensure that you’re compensated fairly. Talk to us today for more information.
Resource:
fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations
https://www.tiredefectattorney.com/liable-parties-in-tire-blowout-lawsuits/
