Recent Injury Highlights Flying Tire Accidents
A recent video showing a man walking with his daughter in Brazil highlighted a serious problem: Flying tire accidents. In this case, the man was walking along unsuspectingly when a tire bounded toward, struck him in the head, and left him flat on the ground. Although the man sustained serious injuries, he did survive the accident, which is remarkable when you watch the footage.
Others aren’t so lucky. Tires, even small tires on cars, can weigh anywhere from 10 to 100 lbs. When they fly from a moving vehicle, the strike with an incredible force. In one instance, a flying tire peeled back the top on a moving vehicle when the tire entered oncoming traffic.
Flying Tire Accidents
In March, a young student at Tulane University was struck and killed after a tire hit her at a rest stop. The tires came from a tractor-trailer.
Another incident caught on dashcam shows a Toronto driver’s vehicle being struck by a wayward tire. Another driver in Chicago was struck by a wayward tire from an SUV that hit the passenger side of her windshield.
In 2014, two died in flying tire accidents. While the trucking industry and NHTSA say that these accidents are rare, it begs the question: Why do they happen at all?
Causes of Flying Tire Accidents
According to one survey, a “disturbingly high” number of flying tire accidents occur directly after the car has been serviced for tire replacement or brake problems. In a number of these cases, it’s either the owners of the car or their mechanics who are not fastening the tires to the wheel hard enough. In these cases, liability would fall on whoever put the tire on the vehicle.
In cases where it’s a large commercial truck that lost a tire, the trucking company would be responsible for the accident. Trucking companies are expected to perform diagnostics on the vehicle before allowing it out to make a delivery. If they fail and they lose one of their tires and this injures or kills another driver on the road, they’re liable for that accident.
While these accidents are largely considered “freak” accidents because of how rarely they occur and the odds of them resulting in injury, it is estimated that tires fall off vehicles at least 50,000 times per year. While it may seem like a perfect storm is needed to result in a serious injury or fatality, odds are, that improperly fastened tires will eventually harm someone.
Injured by a Flying Tire? Halpern, Santos, & Pinkert Can Help
Flying tire accidents are always caused by someone’s negligence. They are never caused by the negligence of the person who was struck by the tire. Tires need to be fastened securely and correctly to the wheel of cars. When they aren’t, the driver or company that manages the vehicle is responsible. If you’ve been injured in a flying tire accident, contact the Coral Gables tire defect attorneys at Halpern, Santos & Pinkert today.
Resources:
nydailynews.com/news/world/brazil-man-struck-flying-tire-freak-accident-article-1.2979242
apnews.com/11ebc0abb9ae451ca43c25d67140cf36
abc7chicago.com/automotive/freak-flying-tire-accidents-slipping-under-the-radar/1065167/
https://www.tiredefectattorney.com/expert-witnesses-in-tire-failure-lawsuits/
