Representing Injured Victims in the Washington Metropolitan Area
When a car’s tire is defective or faulty, disastrous results can occur. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, each year there are approximately 11,000 defective tire-relatedautomobile crashes in the United States, and approximately 200 deaths occur annually from crashes caused by blown tires.
When a tire comes apart, or “blows,” while the vehicle is in motion, pieces of the tire can wrap around the wheel, keeping the driver from maintaining control of the vehicle. Often, the nature of tire blowouts make it impossible for the driver to maintain control, as reported by the NHTSA, and frequently result in multi-vehicle collisions or cause the vehicle to drive off the roadway or roll over.
Even more troubling, these incidents are more likely to occur at a higher the rate of speed, resulting in maximum danger for those both inside and in the immediate vicinity of the car. The resulting injuries due to the sudden, high-speed nature of tire defect accidents can be catastrophic.
Common Forms of Defective Tires
Injuries due to tire defects can occur in a number of ways, including:
- Poor tire construction
- Tire design defects
- Tire shredding
- Tire de-treading
- Adhesion failures
- Tread separation
In recent years, millions of defective tires have been recalled by manufacturers because of deadly and dangerous problems in manufacture and design. These manufacturers include some of the largest tire companies in the world, such as Goodyear, Michelin, and Bridgestone.
For example, in 2000, Firestone made national headlines by recalling 14.4 million tires because the tread on certain tire models was susceptible to peeling, resulting in unreasonably high failure rates and deadly consequences. The sheer number and frequency of tire recalls nationwide demonstrates the unfortunate lack of safety of many tires on the roadways today.
Cases involving such defects require attorneys who are well-versed in the complex issues surrounding defective tire cases. The tire defect attorneys at Ashcraft & Gerel are national leaders in products liability litigation, and we are skilled at working closely with engineers and other experts to discover the cause of the injury and how or why the manufacturer is responsible. At Ashcraft & Gerel, we have the experience, knowledge, and resources to handle the most complex tire defect cases and to take on the largest and most well-financed corporations.
If You Think You Have a Defective Tire Case
If you or someone you know has been injured because of a defective automobile tire, you may have a products liability claim against the manufacturer. Ashcraft & Gerel can carefully investigate your case, work with experts to determine how and why your injury occurred, and closely advise you regarding your legal options.
Our only goal is to zealously protect your rights by holding manufacturers responsible for their defective products injuring people in Virginia, Maryland, and across the country.
