Tire Defects Lawyer

Tires can present defects in several different ways. A product defect typically falls under 1 of 3 categories: manufacturing defects, inadequate instructions or warnings on how to use the product safely, and design defects. Similar to other types of defective products, a tire defect can also fall under one of these 3 categories. Here is an overview of the common tire dangers and defects. Call a Tire Defects Lawyer today.
If you sustained injuries caused by an automobile accident that was tire-related, contact the Willis Law Firm at (713) 529-9377 for a free, obligation-free consultation to find out whether you have a claim. Our injury lawyers in Houston, Texas work across the country and have obtained outstanding results against all the main tire manufacturers in the U.S.

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What Is A Tire Design Defect?

The vulcanization process of tires started in the 1850s, while pneumatic tires were introduced a couple of decades later. The steel-belted radials are more than 70 years old. Today, the tire producers continue to experiment and innovate their designs with the goal of achieving improved style and performance. Today, many of the tires are developed for specific road surface types, speed, temperatures, handling, and more. Despite these innovative designs, there are still specific standards that these manufacturers need to adhere to and to certify that they are compliant. Failing to design a product like a tire that matches up to the requirements of the FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) can result in tires that are prone to shredding easily, are susceptible to blow-outs in such a way that is especially dangerous which can cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle, or even result in tread separation which is caused from failing to design the tire with the necessary safety belts along with other components.

What Is A Tire Manufacturing Defect?

Tire production of quality is reliant on the tire builders that are supervised and trained adequately. Unfortunately, these tire builders will be put on assembly lines for extremely long shifts. They are also pressurized into delivering set amounts of tires each shift in order to match up with a quota. These systems are stressful and often lead to errors in the assembly lines along with manufacturing errors which results in defective tires. The common types of manufacturing defects will include tires that are made from outdated rubber, the use of petroleum-based solvents before vulcanizing the rubber or curing errors that allow moisture, dirt, or other types of foreign objects to enter the tires. Constant quality control and inspection are necessary in order to detect any errors and to guarantee quality products. Sadly, the internal inspections for tire manufacturing are often lacking, while some of the tire companies have actively misled an outside inspector using different types of tricks in order to avoid fines or been forced to make changes to their practices.

What Is A Failure To Warn Defect?

Once a tire of quality is correctly installed, their maintenance and care become the responsibility of the owner of the vehicle (and any repair or maintenance shops that the owner uses). Consumers rely on reliable information on how to maintain their tire and what the expected life-span of the product is. When tire companies advertise their products, they might make unreasonable claims when they market their products when it comes to how much maintenance the tire needs, and how long it lasts. They even provide misleading information about the tires handling and performance abilities. Misrepresentation linked to product literature may result in consumers not knowing when their tires should be replaced or using the tires in an unsafe manner. Errors like these fall under a type of defect recognized in the product liability litigations.

What Are Examples Of Common Types Of Dangerous Tire Defects?

Belt Or Tread Separation

Tread separation is one of the more common forms of tires failing when it comes to the steel-belted radials, which occurs from defects in the manufacture or design of a tire. There are several mistakes made in the manufacturing or design process that can cause a belt or tread separation. There are many techniques that include inserting safety belts, cushions, or wedges, that the manufacturers of tires can employ in order to mitigate and lower the likelihood of tread separation, yet not all of the tire manufacturers use these basic types of safety measures. Exposed belts or tread failures often result in losing control over a vehicle or causing blowouts, along with rollover accidents. These errors can also result in tragic fatalities or injuries to the occupants in a vehicle.

Bead Failures

Most drivers know the importance of keeping their tires inflated properly, and that an under-inflated tire can result in gas mileage that is poor or even cause a blowout or flat tire. Yet not many people know about the dangers linked to over-inflated tires. The recommendations that manufacturers provide about tire pressure is applicable to tires that come straight off an assembly line. After the tire is used on roads over a period of time, the tires that are filled to recommendations from the manufacturer may be overinflated. When the tire presents defects in the bead-wire, over-inflating the tire may cause these tires to explode. This can result in death or serious injuries.

Sidewall Failures

A sidewall failure which is also called a zipper failure which corresponds with the way a tire sidewall will look once it fails. Defects in the sidewall can cause an explosion while the tire is undergoing inflation, which can result in either injuries or even a fatality to any person that is in close proximity.

Call The Tire Defects Lawyer At The Willis Law Practice

The litigation cases involving tires are often complex. Proving that tires are defective and that these defects played a role in causing a car accident will require expertise and experience associated with tire litigation. At the Willis Law Firm, our Personal Injury Lawyers in Texas have litigated many tire cases all over the country which involved just about all the major manufacturers of tires, with notable results. If you were injured due to an accident in a car and you think defective tires may have caused the accident, contact the Willis Law Firm at (713) 529-9377 for your confidential, no-cost consultation with one of our successful, aggressive, and experienced tire defect lawyers.
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