Truck Accident Causes: Tire Defects
The integrity of your tires is directly related to your safety as even
insignificant malfunctions or defects can result in tragic injuries, serious
property damage, and death. According to the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA), motorists can avoid accidents by checking
tire pressure, regularly inspecting their tires for cuts and punctures,
and avoiding hazards on the road that might damage tires. However, these
precautions cannot protect from innate defects.
Common Defects of Tires
Serious defects can affect tires in a number of ways with many parts that
may threaten your safety:
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The
inner liner maintains air pressure and protects the inside of the tire. Safe liners
are manufactured using halobutyl rubber, which is a special rubber than
is less likely to become damaged or degenerated. Cheaper rubbers are more
susceptible to air penetration and other problems. Tire liners that are
not made with 100% halobutyl rubber lose 4-5% of their air pressure every
month, whereas safe tires only lose 2.5%.
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Body plies can also be defective. Body plies are sheets of fabric integrated between
each layer of rubber in the tire to reinforce the tire's strength.
Heavy vehicles require tires with more body plies.
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Like the inner liner, the tire's
sidewalls protect the inside of the tire. Simply put, sidewalls are strong pieces
of rubber placed on the outside of the tire to protect it from environmental dangers.
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Steel belts are used to protect the tire from being punctured by sharp objects. If
the belts are not bonded properly, they may damage the tire treads.
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Rubber pieces of the tire are held together by polymer chains called
belt skim stock. This is important because it makes sure belts are adhesive. If it is
chemically unsound, the tire may oxidize.
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Inner belt gauges are a rubber coating located between the tire's belts. These gauges
keep the tire from cracking. If the gauges are too thin, the tire may
be defective.
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To prevent cracking and treat separation,
wedges are placed around the tire and between the belts. Wedges should be at
least 0.04 inches wide to function properly.
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Tread separation may also be prevented by
nylon caps. Nylon caps are used to protect the steel belts in the tire. Properly
designed caps can effectively prevent tire treads from separating.
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Tire treads are an extremely important to the integrity and safety of the tire. Simply
put, tire treads help vehicle avoid skidding and slipping by providing traction.
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Tread separation is the most common type of tire tread defect. If the treads separate,
the rubber between the belts could separate, causing one belt to detach
from the tire. When the belts separate like this, the driver can lose
control of the vehicle. Sometimes, tread separation is caused by inadequate
tire design or defective
valve stems. The valve stem allows air to enter/exit the tire and is usually sealed
by pressure. If manufactured incorrectly, the valve can leak.
Truck Accidents Caused by Tire Blowouts
Truck accidents caused by tire blowouts are extremely dangerous and cause
many traffic accidents. Unfortunately, many tire blowouts are preventable
if a driver properly maintains his or her vehicle. To do so, a driver
should inspect the entire vehicle to ensure that all parts are safely
secured and ready for travel during an inspection before leaving.
So what causes a tire to suddenly blowout or burst?
Many studies suggest that several factors can lead to such an incident,
including cargo overload, damage from impact, slices in the tire that
causes it to give way, or a small cut that slowly leaks air until the
tire can no longer support the large vehicle.
Who Is Responsible for a Tire Blowout?
When a tire ruptures, there are several parties who may be responsible,
including the driver themselves, the owner of the truck, the manufacturer,
trucking company, and more.
Learn More
Arnold & Itkin LLP: Fighting for Truck Accident Victims
If you suspect that your accident was caused by a poorly manufactured tire,
call our office today and see what an attorney from the firm can do for
you. In order to establish liability in your personal injury claim, you
must be able to demonstrate that your tire was manufactured defectively
and that the tire defect was responsible for your accident. Arnold &
Itkin LLP can help you establish an effective, aggressive strategy to
get you the compensation you need.
Contact us! With an experienced lawyer, you can have peace of mind that your case
is in good hands.