Every day in the Commonwealth of Virginia, thousands of commercial trucks traverse the region’s roads and highways. Many of these trucks utilize the Interstate 95 corridor to destinations up and down the Eastern seaboard, while others are coming and going from cities and towns throughout the commonwealth. The vast majority of truck drivers make every effort to operate their trucks in a safe manner and to make sure that each part of the vehicle is proper working order. Unfortunately, however, such is not always the case. Poor truck maintenance can result in equipment or parts failing at the worst possible time, including while the truck is operating at high speed. One of the common types of equipment failure is a tire blowout.
When a truck blows out a tire, the situation becomes extremely dangerous for those in other cars and trucks, and personal injuries are common. A blowout is essentially a small explosion, and the debris cause damage to nearby vehicles—with motorcycles being especially vulnerable. A blown tire could also make the truck impossible for the driver to control. When a large truck causes a Virginia truck wreck, it is usually the drivers and passengers in other vehicles who suffer the worst injuries. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries in an incident involving the blowout of a truck tire, our skilled Virginia personal injury lawyers can help you get the compensation you deserve.
Why Do Truck Tires Blow Out?
A large number of truck tire blowouts are caused by an ongoing pattern of inadequate maintenance procedures or outright neglect. While a new tire that has been maintained properly could burst if the driver runs over an object in the roadway, truck tires are much more likely to experience a catastrophic failure, or blowout, as the result of:
- Long-term wear and tear: A standard commercial truck weighs up to 40 tons when fully loaded and travels hundreds of thousands of miles in a given year. This combination of factors can wear out tires quickly. Truck tires need to be inspected before every trip and maintained regularly so that failures can be prevented;
- Improper inflation: A truck driver looking to carry extra weight might add extra air to the tires, but over-inflation places stress on the internal structure of the tire. Under-inflation can also be a problem and may result from rapidly dropping temperatures, elevation changes, and slow leaks; or
- Overloading the truck: Truck companies and drivers may allow a truck to carry a larger or heavier load than what the equipment is built to handle in an effort to save money. Overloading a truck, however, could lead to tire blowouts, brake failures, and a variety of other equipment problems.
Putting the Pieces Together
It seems to be stating the obvious, but obtaining fair compensation after a large truck accident is likely to be difficult. An accident caused by a tire blowout could leave several parties liable for the injuries sustained, including the truck driver, the transport company, and the company responsible for maintaining the truck. If the tire itself was defective, the tire manufacturer could be partially responsible as well.
When you work with a qualified truck crash lawyer after your accident, your attorney will fully investigate the circumstances of your accident so that we can figure out exactly what happened and who is to blame. Armed with that information, we will do everything we can to get you the compensation you need to move forward.
Speak With a Virginia Tire Blowout Injury Lawyer
For more information about collecting damages for an accident related to a truck tire blowout in Virginia, contact the skilled Virginia truck accident attorneys at Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp. We understand the challenges that often arise in such case, and we will help you overcome them. Our goal is to get you full compensation under the law, just as we did in securing a $650,000 jury award for our client who was injured in crash caused by a truck with bald tires. Call (833) 997-1774 for a free consultation with a member of our team today.
RELATED CONTENT: