Defective Tires

We all count on our tires to get us safely over the roads we travel every day. Unfortunately, the safety of our tires is something we take for granted. Tires are not simply pieces of rubber that fit nicely on our wheels; they are strategically engineered pieces of equipment that need to be properly manufactured and maintained to keep you safe on the road (see The Importance of Tire Maintenance). When tires are not properly maintained or are defective, it can result in serious accidents.

In order to understand how tires can be defective, it is important to understand how a tire is built. Modern tires make use of a sophisticated design that enhances the life of a tire, provides better handling and minimizes tread wear. These tires are called “steel-belted radial tires” and are made up of a series of layers that are composed of different materials like rubber, steel and fibers (like polyester or nylon); the rubber is chemically bonded to these other components to increase the durability and strength of the tire.

Common tire defects include:

Aged Tires

Even the best looking tires may be dangerous to use if they are over six years old—even if they have never been used before. Older tires are more likely to fail because the chemical process used to bond all of the tire’s components together begins to break down over time. For this reason, old tires can self-destruct as you drive and cause serious accidents, especially when the tire failure happens at highway speeds.

You can determine the age of a tire by decoding the series of letters and numbers located on the sidewall of your tire. The series of numbers you are looking for is called the DOT Safety Standard Code; it is located on the inner circle of information on your tire’s sidewall and begins with the letters “DOT.” For example, your tire may read something like: “DOT MD L9 XYZ 1706.” The last four digits tell you the week and year that your tire was made. In this example, the last four digits are 1706; that means the tire was made during the 17^th week of 2006.

Tread Separation

While steel-belted radial tires offer longer life and handle better than tires made from older technology, the adhesion between the steel belt and rubber treads can come loose causing the tread to separate from the steel belt. When the tread separates on your tire, it can result in a tire blowout, loss of control, collisions and even deadly rollovers; this is the most common type of failure seen in steel-belted radial tires. Tread separation can be a result of aged tires, poor design or irresponsible manufacturing.

Faulty Valves

The tire valve is the piece of equipment that allows you to check the air pressure in your tire and add or remove air from your tire as necessary. If a valve is poorly manufactured or designed, it may crack and cause the tire to rapidly lose air. A faulty tire valve can cause tire failure and result in serious injury if it occurs at highway speeds.

Defective Materials or Design

When tires are made from defective materials or utilize a poor design they are more likely to cause tire failure. Defects of this kind are usually unnoticeable to the naked eye and put trusting motor vehicle drivers at risk of serious accidents.

According to the NHTSA, more than 8,000 collisions caused by faulty tires result in injury or death every year. Victims of tire failure may be able to seek compensation for things like: pain and suffering, medical expenses, property damage, lost income and reduced earning potential. Often times, getting the compensation to which you are entitled requires the skill of an experienced attorney.

If you believe that tire failure was the cause of your accident, it is important to contact an attorney as soon as possible. Look for an attorney who has experience holding manufacturers and dealers responsible for defective tires.

To keep you and your family as safe as possible, it is important to properly maintain your tires and have them periodically inspected by professionals. It is also important to keep abreast of tire recalls. You can keep yourself informed of tire recalls by regularly visiting the National Highway Safety Administration’s Website at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/recallsearch.cfm.