Just How Dangerous Is a Truck Tire Blowout on Boston’s Busy Roadways?

A blowout can cause a truck driver to lose control of an 80,000-pound tractor-trailer

When a truck’s tire blows out, it doesn’t just pop. It explodes with deadly force, sending fragments flying and, under certain conditions, the semi reeling. Accidents caused by tire blowouts are among the most easily preventable — meaning that negligence is a likely factor. At Swartz & Lynch LLP, we’re determined to hold negligent parties accountable for the serious injuries that result from truck tire blowouts.

If you or a loved one was seriously injured in a truck accident caused by a tire blowout, we know how to help. In fact, we recently recovered $9 million in a case where an under-pressurized tire blew out and caused an accident. Our Boston personal injury attorneys have nearly 75 years of combined experience taking on trucking companies, manufacturers of defective products, truckers and their insurance companies to ensure that you are compensated for your injuries. We apply the same aggressive representation to clients injured in tire blowout cases as we do to those who are hurt in driver fatigue or drunk driving accidents.

Federal law mandates truck tire safety standards

In Massachusetts and throughout the country, trucking companies or their third-party service companies are responsible for maintaining their trucks, including tires. Drivers are responsible for inspecting tires for proper inflation and wear. And truck tire manufacturers are responsible for seeing to it that the products they make are free from defects.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has strict regulations regarding truck tire safety.  It specifically states that no truck can operate with the following hazardous tire conditions:

Exposed ply or belt material Tread or sidewall separation Flat or audibly leaking tires Tires with a groove pattern depth of less than 4/32 of an inch

Regrooved, recapped or retreaded tires on the front wheels A tire inflated to less than what is specified for the load Tires not correctly inflated for heat

And what are the most common reasons for tire blowouts?

Underinflation can produce severe cracking and component separation, and is the leading cause Overloaded trucks with cargo that makes them too heavy for the tires to support Defective tires

Poor maintenance Traveling on hot roads Tires damaged by impact Mismatched tires

As your lawyers, we check for evidence that federal regulations were not broken, that maintenance standards were adhered to and that the truck with cargo was not over its weight limit. If poor road conditions caused tire damage, we find indications. And if the tire was defective, we know how to prove it.

When it comes to getting you full and fair compensation for your injury, we go the extra mile.

Protect your right to recover damages in a truck tire blowout accident

To learn more about how an AV-rated attorney from Swartz & Lynch LLP can help you in a truck tire blowout accident, please call us at 857-250-0664 or contact an injury lawyer online. We are happy to set up a free initial consultation at our conveniently located office or, if you are unable to travel, at your home or hospital. All cases are taken on contingency.