Tire Defects
Like most other vehicle components, most of us take the safety of our tires for granted. As long as we replace them according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, we expect them to get us where we need to go – and to help us stop when we need to stop.
But, also like other components of our vehicles, tires can be (and often are) defective. Tires can fail suddenly and unexpectedly; and, when they do, they can cause serious accidents and injuries. From tread separations to blowouts, all types of tire-related issues have the potential to be extremely dangerous, and the companies that manufacture and sell defective tires deserve to be held accountable.
Experienced Representation for Accidents Involving Tire Defects
At Law Offices of Ronald A. Ramos, we are committed to fighting for victims of auto accidents caused by tire defects. San Antonio injury lawyer Ronald A. Ramos has over 30 years’ experience in insurance settlement negotiations and car accident litigation, and our professional staff is dedicated to ensuring that each client receives the utmost care and attention throughout his or her case. In tire defect cases, we work closely with trusted forensic experts and engineers to prove liability, and Mr. Ramos relies on his decades of experience to recover maximum compensation as quickly as possible.
Understanding Your Tire Defect Case
- Calculating Your Losses
When seeking financial compensation after an auto accident, you need to have a clear understanding of your current and future losses. Until you know what you have lost (and what you stand to lose in the future), you cannot make informed decisions about settling or taking your case to trial. In order to assess the long-term financial impacts of your injuries, one of the most important things you can do is to seek medical attention right away.
- Proving Liability
Under the law of products liability, automotive manufacturers and dealers are “strictly liable” for defect-related accidents and injuries. This means that proof of negligence is not required. However, convincing a major corporation to accept liability is far from a simple process, and we will need to gather critical evidence in support of your case as soon as possible.
- Negotiating a Fair Settlement
Most car and truck accident cases settle out of court. Once we calculate your losses and gather the evidence needed to prove your case, Mr. Ramos will seek to negotiate a fair settlement as quickly as possible. Some of the types of tire defects that can entitle drivers and passengers to substantial settlements include:
- Issues with rubber compound engineering or manufacturing
- Retread failures
- Tire blowouts
- Tires that are not suitable for certain vehicles
- Tread separations
- Other design and manufacturing issues
- Fighting for Your Rights at Trial
If a fair settlement is not on the table, we will need to take your case to trial. In addition to a proven record of success in settlement negotiations, San Antonio injury lawyer Ronald A. Ramos has also successfully taken numerous cases to verdict. Before you accept or reject a settlement, we will provide you with a clear breakdown of your expenses and the potential costs of litigation so that you can make an informed decision about the best way to protect your legal rights.
- Contingency-Fee Representation
At Law Offices of Ronald A. Ramos, we handle all cases on a contingency-fee basis. This means that it costs you nothing out-of-pocket to hire us, and you do not pay anything unless we help you collect financial compensation.
Contact Law Offices of Ronald A. Ramos
If you were injured in an accident and would like to speak with a San Antonio injury lawyer, you can contact Law Offices of Ronald A. Ramos for a free, no-obligation consultation. To speak with Mr. Ramos about your case, please call (210) 308-8811 or submit your information online today.
Common Types of Tire Defects
Tire defects come in several forms, each posing serious risks to drivers. Tread separation occurs when the tread layer detaches from the tire body, often at highway speeds, causing the driver to lose control. Sidewall blowouts happen when weaknesses in the tire sidewall cause sudden catastrophic failure. Bead failures occur when the seal between the tire and rim fails, causing rapid air loss. Manufacturing defects such as contamination in the rubber compound, improper curing, or foreign objects embedded during production can cause any of these failures.
Design defects are another category, where the tire’s fundamental design makes it prone to failure under normal driving conditions. These defects affect entire product lines and often lead to recalls by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If a recalled tire caused your accident, the manufacturer may face strict liability for your injuries.
Accidents Caused by Tire Failures
When a tire fails at highway speed, the driver often loses control of the vehicle entirely. Tread separation can cause violent steering pull that sends the vehicle into oncoming traffic, leading to head-on collisions. Blowouts on the rear tires can cause the vehicle to spin, resulting in side-impact crashes or rollover accidents. Even when the driver manages to maintain some control, the sudden loss of a tire at 60 or 70 miles per hour frequently results in sideswipe accidents or collisions with guardrails and other roadside objects.
Injuries from tire defect accidents tend to be severe because the crashes typically happen at high speeds. Victims commonly suffer traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, broken bones, and in the worst cases, fatal injuries.
Who Is Liable for a Tire Defect Accident
Texas product liability law allows injured consumers to hold tire manufacturers, distributors, and retailers accountable for defective products. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 82, manufacturers are strictly liable for products that are defective in design, manufacturing, or marketing, meaning you do not have to prove negligence. You only need to show that the tire was defective and that the defect caused your accident and injuries.
Your attorney will work with tire engineering experts who can examine the failed tire, identify the specific defect, and testify about how it caused the failure. Preserving the tire evidence after an accident is critical, so make sure the damaged tire is kept in a safe location and not discarded. Other potentially liable parties include vehicle manufacturers who specified the tires as original equipment and service shops that may have improperly installed or inflated the tires.
Contact a San Antonio Tire Defect Attorney
If a defective tire caused your car accident, the car accident and product liability attorneys at the Law Offices of Ronald A. Ramos can help you hold the responsible parties accountable. We work with tire failure experts to investigate defects and pursue compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Contact us today for a free consultation about your vehicle defect case.
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