Almost all car accidents result from risky driving behaviors. Speeding, failing to yield, and distracted driving cause hundreds of thousands of crashes annually in Florida.
Drivers can also experience defective tire car accidents in Fort Walton Beach, FL. When these crashes happen, a Fort Walton Beach car accident lawyer from Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers can help injured victims pursue compensation for their losses. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation at (850) 863-5297.
How Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Car Accident in Fort Walton Beach, FL
For 25 years, Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers has represented injured clients in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, as we work to recover financial compensation. We have handled thousands of cases, including 75 trials, and recovered millions of dollars for accident victims.
When you suffer an injury due to a preventable incident caused by someone else’s actions, our Fort Walton Beach personal injury attorneys assist you in the following ways:
- Discussing your losses and the options you have for seeking compensation for them
- Collecting documents and other evidence
- Filing an insurance claim with the at-fault party’s insurer
- Working to resolve your claim with a settlement rather than a lawsuit
- Litigating your case if negotiations with the insurer fail
You may have several options for pursuing injury compensation after a tire defect crash. Contact Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation with a Fort Walton Beach car accident attorney to learn how we can advise and represent you in your case.
Causes of Tire Defect Accidents
Tire defect crashes happen in many ways.
Tire Blowout
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 11,000 tire-related crashes happen in the United States annually. When a tire blows out, your car can become uncontrollable, particularly at high speeds. The loss of the tire could cause the vehicle to tip. Moreover, the drag from the flat can cause it to swerve sharply. Your vehicle could sideswipe another vehicle or leave the road. If your vehicle veers off the road, it may roll over.
Loose Lug Nuts
Lug nuts hold your wheels to your hubs. If the lug nuts come loose, your tire can wobble. The wobbling can loosen the other lug nuts or weaken the studs, leading to a catastrophic failure. As your wheel breaks free from your vehicle, one corner of your vehicle will suddenly drop several inches and drag on the ground.
The position without a wheel will have no braking or steering. As a result, your ability to maneuver or stop the vehicle will be significantly impaired.
Tread Separation
From the late 1990s to the early 2000s, Firestone distributed thousands of tires containing manufacturing defects. These tires were manufactured in one factory, where humidity and untrained workers resulted in improper adhesion between layers of the tire.
When under-inflated, the tread separated from the underlying layer and caused the vehicle to suddenly lose traction.
Unfortunately, these tires were sized for SUVs. With their higher center of gravity, the sudden loss of the tire treads caused vehicles to swerve and roll over.
Collision
In some cases, a collision damages your tire. The subsequent tire failure can worsen the crash outcome as the damaged vehicle crashes into other vehicles, collides with fixed structures, or runs off the road.
Liability for Collisions Arising From Tire Failures
The liability for injuries caused by defective tires may fall on many parties, depending on the reason they failed.
Tire Manufacturer
Under Florida law, manufacturers are strictly liable for injuries caused by defective products. Under product liability law, defects can take three forms. Design defects are inherent in the product, rendering it unsafe under any conditions. Manufacturing defects occur at the factory. Warning defects happen when the manufacturer fails to instruct users in the product’s safe use.
To recover compensation for a defective tire, your lawyer must prove the tire was defective and that your injuries resulted from the defect. Importantly, strict liability means you do not need to prove the manufacturer knew about the defect.
Tire Shop or Repair Garage
A tire shop or repair garage that damaged the tire or wheel during installation might be liable for the resulting crash. To win a claim against a business, you must show that its employees failed to provide reasonably competent services and that they knew or should have known that their services would pose an unreasonable danger to you.
Other Driver
Another driver can be liable if their act damages your tire. A negligent driver cannot shift the blame to a tire manufacturer if their actions damaged the tire that caused your accident.
Contact Our Fort Walton Beach Car Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation
A car accident can produce serious injuries and financial losses regardless of the cause. Contact Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to discuss your crash and the parties that might bear liability for your losses.
