Our Indianapolis, IN law firm takes all kinds of motor vehicle accidents seriously, particularly those involving large trucks. These commercial vehicles can cause catastrophic injuries just given their size and the amount of force generated from a collision.
While driver fatigue and inattentive driving are a common cause of collisions, tire problems can be a major contributing factor. Given this, we want to consider the potential dangers of tire blowouts when it comes to large trucks.
Miles Traveled by Large Trucks
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, commercial vehicles traveled an estimated 296 billion miles in 2015. Given the miles covered, it should come as no surprise that the tires on these vehicles experience a great deal of wear and tear on a daily basis.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 433,000 large trucks were involved in a police-reported collision in 2015. These crashes resulted in 116,000 injuries and 4,067 fatalities. There were 133 fatal truck accidents in the state of Indiana in 2015.
Large Trucks Losing Control
One of the dangers of tire blowouts is truck drivers losing control of their vehicle. When a single tire bursts or suddenly goes flat, maintaining control of a large truck is extremely difficult. Swerving into other vehicles is a major risk in such instances, meaning a high likelihood of sideswipe collisions.
Risk of Jackknife Accidents
Jackknife accidents occur when the trailer hauled by the large truck folds inward on itself like the eponymous blade. A tire blowout might trigger this if a driver loses control of their vehicle and the trailer wobbles from its proper position, taking up multiple lanes of traffic. These kinds of incidents pose many dangers to motorists near the trailer.
Hazards from Flying Tire Tread
In addition to the loss of vehicle control, the tire tread itself can be a hazard. Tire tread may fly off of the tire, striking a nearby vehicle in the process. Obviously the dangers are particularly bad for motorcyclists. The tread on the road may cause vehicles to swerve in an attempt to avoid it, or could cause a driver to lose control if they drive over the road debris.
Potential for Multi-Car Collisions
With large truck accidents, there’s always a higher risk of multi-car collisions. Whenever there are more vehicles involved in an accident, there is a greater risk of injuries of fatalities.
Regular Tire Maintenance, Changing, Rotation
Given all of the dangers noted above, it is crucial that trucking companies regularly check tires, rotate tires, and replace tires. Failure to ensure tires are in good condition could increase the risk of a crash occurring. All vehicles in a trucking companies fleet must be subject to regular maintenance and tune-ups.
Who Is Liable for the Accident?
While a trucking company is generally liable for accidents occurring, there are instances in which the tire manufacturer is liable for the accident. In these cases, the tire was defective, and the tire company must be held liable for contributing to the accident.
Our attorneys can go over the nature of your collision and help determine who the liable party of parties are. Damages may be sought from the liable party to cover injuries, property damage, and other hardships related to the large truck accident.
Contact Our Truck Accident Attorneys
To learn more about your legal rights and options regarding large truck collisions, be sure to contact our team of injury accident attorneys. The legal team at Golitko & Daly will discuss these matters with you in greater detail, helping you receive just compensation for injuries and property damage.