Tire Failure Investigation in Vehicle Accidents

In May 2000, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) called the attention of Ford and Firestone over the rising incidence of tire failure on Ford Explorers and other vehicles using Firestone tires.

Eventually, after Ford conducted its tire failure investigation, several models of Firestone tires were found to have very high tire failure rates. The result of the investigation led to the closing of one of Firestone’s tire manufacturing plants and the recall of thousands of tires from the market.

Tire failure is one of the common causes of vehicle accidents. When a tire loses it tread or blows out, the driver often loses control of the vehicle and crashes. A great number of motor vehicle accidents such as rollover accidents and truck accidents are due to tire failure.

How can you tell if tires are about to give up? Here are early warning signs of tire failure:

1. Cracked or cuts in the side walls of the tire
2. Excessive worn tread
3. Uneven tread wear
4. Tire vibration caused misaligned or unbalanced wheel
5. Bulges and blisters

Tire failure may be caused by several factors, among them:

Under-inflation – A under-inflated tire has the tendency to flex more, creates heat that softens the rubber and softens the tire while increasing the air in it. This results in tire explosion which could result in accidents.

Overloading – Putting on too much weight on a vehicle can result in tire flexing, with similar effect as an under-inflated tire. Adding weight above the capacity which a tire is made to support can result in accidents.

Damage to the internal structure – Unseen damage done to the tire may also lead to tire failure.

Abused tire – Tires are easily damaged when subjected to different external factors such as hitting the curb, running a speed bump at high speed, or running over big rocks and potholes.

Manufacturing defects – One of the leading causes of tread separation is caused by poor design and placements of the belts and overlying tread. The use of poor materials in tires can also lead to tire failure, which also includes the use of high-quality adhesion material.

A tire failure investigation may also help determine the cause of a vehicle accident. In cases where accidents are caused by tire failure, these factors may help identify which party is negligent in the case.

For instance, if the tire failure is caused by a manufacturing defect, such as in the Firestone case, the manufacturers can be held liable for injuries arising from the use of the tires.

Under product liability, injured victims of accidents can recover damages for their injuries arising from the use of a defective product.

Hence if you suspect that your tires have something to do with the accident you just had, you can ask for a tire failure investigation to determine the real cause of the accident.