What to Do When Tire Blowouts Cause Accidents?

Tire durability has advanced over time, much like the majority of other components of your car. Tires have become more resilient and responsive as a result of ongoing research into the materials and technology used to make them. For most drivers, this means less time and money spent on replacements. But do you know what to do when a tire blowout causes a wreck?

Tire blowouts still contribute to a sizable number of accidents each year in the United States.  Despite their incredible advancements, sometimes tire negligence is the cause. Although drivers can reduce the chances of a tire blowout, it helps everyone involved to know what to do if a blown-out tire leads to a collision.

What Can Be Done to Prevent Tire Blowouts?

In the United States, tire-related incidents cause about 738 fatalities and 78,000 injuries per year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Tire blowouts can be prevented in a variety of ways. Simple precautions like the ones listed below can help safeguard your tires, your vehicle, and the priceless people it is carrying.

Perform Routine Maintenance

Refer to your owner’s handbook for precise information on tire pressure and tread wear. Regularly check tires to ensure they are correctly inflated and devoid of evident damage or debris, such as glass or nails. When in doubt, have a mechanic inspect your tires and install new ones as necessary. 

Drive Carefully

The road itself and the risks you experience while driving are major threats to your tires. Potholes and road barriers are impediments that can badly harm your tires and result in an accident, as are dangerous debris like jagged metal and glass. 

In order to reduce your risk, maintain a safe following distance from the car in front of you, pay close attention to the road at all times, and drive slowly to give yourself time to react to potential hazards.

Stay Calm

Maintaining your composure is the easiest way to prevent a collision with another car if one of your tires blows out while you’re driving. Similar to the rules when hydroplaning, avoid abrupt braking and sharp steering turns so the cars around you have time to slow down and adjust to the blowout as well.

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What Steps Can I Take if a Tire Blowout Causes An Accident?

Any driver may find blowouts frightening, as they can result in catastrophic injuries and total property loss. Here are some actions you should take if a tire blowout contributed to your accident:

1. Move to safety: If at all feasible, pull your car over to the side of the road or a safe area away from oncoming traffic. This will aid in averting such mishaps.
2. Do a health assessment: Examine yourself and any accompanying individuals for injuries. Call for medical aid right away if anyone is hurt.
3. Contact the authorities: You should call the police to report the accident, even if no one was hurt. Be honest and precise about the details that you share, omitting speculation or incriminating details. An accident report will be made by the police after they have recorded the incident.
4. Collect information: Share your name, contact details, insurance information, and license plate number with the other driver(s) involved in the collision. If possible, get witness information as well.
5. Take pictures: Document the collision scene by taking pictures of the damage to your car, any other vehicles involved, and the flat tire. Both insurance claims and judicial actions may benefit from this.
6. Speak with your insurance provider: Make contact with your insurance provider to report the accident and provide them with all the details.
7. Speak with a lawyer: If you or anyone else was hurt in the accident, it may be a good idea to speak with a car accident lawyer who focuses on representing clients who have suffered injuries. They can guide you through the court procedure and make sure you get the money you are due.

Keep in mind that putting your safety and the safety of others involved in the accident first is what matters most.

Who is Liable for Damages in a Tire Blowout Collision?

Assigning liability for damages after a tire blowout collision can be nuanced, as several potential parties can be at fault aside from the driver. A proper investigation will be conducted by the insurance adjuster to see if any of the following parties played a role in the tire blowout incident:

Tire Manufacturer

If a tire had a weakness in its construction or was defective, and this deficiency led to the accident, the tire maker may be held accountable. The tire manufacturer may be held responsible for any damages, including injuries or fatalities, that arise from an automobile crash caused by a tire rupture or other tire-related malfunction.

For instance, the tire manufacturer could be held accountable if the tire was constructed with inferior materials, improperly tested, or with a design that made it prone to failure. In these situations, the tire manufacturer may be responsible for accident-related losses, including medical costs, lost pay, pain and suffering, and other losses.

Mechanics

Although the majority of auto mechanics are experts, they occasionally install or rotate tires incorrectly, which can result in a blowout. A mechanic may be held accountable for any incident that occurs as a result of improper tire installation, routine tire maintenance that results in over- or under-inflation, or failure to report damage.

Government Municipality

Certain road conditions pose risks that a driver cannot logically avoid. Be sure to note any possible contributing road conditions if a tire blowout causes your car to crash or cause an accident. The city or state that failed to maintain safe roadways may share some of the blame if a pothole caused your tire to blow out.

Other Motorists

When your car collides with potentially harmful items that have fallen from another vehicle, your tires may be harmed. Items can drop onto the road from a poorly secured load being carried by a car or a commercial truck, causing harm to the vehicles nearby. Hazards left behind by one driver can trigger an accident.

If the driver hit a curb or was driving on worn-out tires, then liability will be assigned to the person operating the vehicle. It is important to properly maintain vehicles and take precautions when driving to prevent further harm if another car’s tire explodes. 

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Can an Injury Claim Be Filed After a Tire Blowout Wreck?

After a tire blowout accident, a claim for injuries may be filed. You may be eligible for compensation for your injuries and other damages if a tire blowout resulted in an automobile accident in which you were harmed.

If you’re thinking about making an injury claim following a tire blowout accident, it’s generally a good idea to speak with an accomplished personal injury lawyer. You can navigate the legal system with the aid of an attorney, who will also make sure you get paid for your losses and injuries as you are legally entitled.

If you were the driver whose tire blowout caused an accident, protect yourself by speaking with an attorney who can advise you of your legal options, as some states implement comparative negligence that allows you to collect compensation even if you were at fault for the accident. 

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