Atlanta Defective Tires Attorneys
Did a Tire Recall or Defect Lead to a Serious Crash?
A motor vehicle's tires are one of the most important pieces of automotive equipment, being the only part of the car that actually touches the road. Tire manufacturers have a duty to make sure a car's tires are well-designed, made with quality materials, and made to industry safety standards. Auto manufacturers have a duty to make sure that the tires they equip a vehicle with are the appropriate type for that vehicle. When either manufacturer fails to adhere to this duty, it can have deadly consequences.
What Are Some Serious Injuries Caused by Defective Tires?
When a defective tire fails, a number of things can happen. A car can roll over, become un-steerable, skid out of control, or be unable to stop in time. Such accidents can cause catastrophic injuries, like traumatic brain injury, crushed and broken bones, spinal injuries, internal body injuries, neck injuries, and partial or complete paralysis.
What Are Some Common Causes of Tire Defects?
A tire may be defective by design, may be defectively or negligently manufactured, or may have been inadequately tested. Regardless of the cause of the defect, a tire manufacturer that markets defective tires can be held liable for any injuries caused by the tires.
- Design Defects: Tire design defects may include selecting poor-quality materials in the way of rubber, adhesive, and antioxidants that keep the tire from breaking down, as well as bead coating. Design defects may also include errors in tread pattern, groove ratio, shape, layout, and amount of inflation.
- Manufacturing Defects: There are many things that can go wrong during the manufacturing process if there isn't proper supervision. Defects include contamination of the rubber compound with foreign substances, improperly placed steel belts, trapped air, improper assembly, and curing at improper temperatures.
A defective tire can cause sudden tread/belt separation or a sudden change in tire pressure, which can cause a driver to lose control of his vehicle.
A Tire Manufacturer's Responsibility
Tire manufacturers have three main responsibilities:
- Design and manufacture quality tires;
- Adequately test their tires before putting them on the market;
- Provide accurate specifications for tires (such as air pressure, or psi).
Tire manufactures, however, are in the business of making money, and may be tempted to produce lower quality tires for the sake of increasing profits. A tire manufacturer may use lesser-quality materials because they are cheaper, hire inexperienced or inadequately trained workers, and assign specifications that make the tire appropriate for a wider range of vehicles.
What Do Tire Recalls Teach Us?
There have been several tire safety announcements and tire recalls in recent years, most notably the Firestone tire recall of 2000. These recalls and announcements have put a spotlight on the dangers of faulty tire design and manufacturing.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident that was caused by a defective tire, the experienced Atlanta vehicle defect lawyers at Grant Law Office may be able to help. Contact us today to learn more about your potential claim at (404) 995-3955.
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