Florida Tire Blowout Truck Accidents
Truck accident lawyers helping Floridians injured by truck tire blowouts
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were over 600 tire-related traffic fatalities in 2023. Tire blowouts and other failures can impact passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles alike. When a freight vehicle like a semi-truck suffers a tire blowout, however, the consequences can be even more severe.
Commercial trucks pack a serious punch in an accident, and even a seemingly minor operational failure can trigger a devastating crash. When a tire fails at highway speeds or in the middle of a sharp turn, it’s easy for a driver to lose control of their vehicle. When a truck is destabilized by a tire, it can easily collide with other vehicles, tip over, or lead to a jackknife incident. All of these situations can result in extensive damage and personal injuries that may require ongoing and costly medical intervention to address.
In a dense, high-traffic area like Miami, a single truck tire blowout can trigger a chain reaction that leaves a trail of devastation in its wake. That’s why truck drivers and motor carriers have a responsibility to take reasonable steps to prevent these incidents.
At Hickey Law Firm, we help truck accident survivors investigate all of the factors that may have contributed to a crash so they can pursue claims for compensation against the party (or parties) responsible for their injuries. If you or someone you love was injured in a Miami accident, contact our team to discuss whether a preventable tire blowout could provide you with a sufficient basis to file a claim.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Why truck tire blowouts are so dangerous
- Common causes of truck tire blowouts
- Injuries commonly seen in tire blowout accidents
- Who can be held liable in a truck tire blowout accident?
- What compensation is available for victims?
- How comparative negligence factors in
- Contact Hickey Law Firm about your tire blowout accident
Why truck tire blowouts are so dangerous
If you’ve ever popped a tire on the interstate, you probably know exactly how quickly a tire blowout can make a driver lose control. Now imagine that same scenario, but in a vehicle that weighs over 50,000 pounds. Doesn’t sound great, does it?
Tire blowouts usually happen without warning, which means a driver may be unable to mitigate harm or avoid a collision entirely. In a split second, a tire can fail, a driver can lose control, and a truck can careen into another vehicle, tip over, or jackknife.
All of these scenarios can lead to serious and even catastrophic accidents. These crashes can cause extensive property damage to multiple vehicles and/or nearby infrastructure components. They can also result in devastating – and even life-threatening – injuries to the truck driver and other nearby motorists. In short: Something as quick and unpredictable as a truck tire blowout can have life-changing consequences for multiple parties.
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Common causes of truck tire blowouts
Some people falsely assume that tire failures are unpredictable and impossible to prevent. This isn’t necessarily true. There are things drivers – especially commercial drivers – can and should do to reduce the likelihood of a tire blowout. For truck drivers and motor carriers, these safety considerations aren’t just best practices – they’re mandated by federal regulations.
Here are some of the factors and failures that can contribute to a preventable truck tire blowout accident:
Poor tire maintenance
Tires don’t last forever, even when they’re meticulously well cared for. The various components of a tire can wear down over time, which may make them more prone to sudden failures. Despite being one of the most vital parts of a vehicle, proper tire maintenance is easily overlooked by truck drivers and trucking companies.
The age of a tire, the quality of the treads, and even the level of inflation can contribute to a blowout. Crucially, however, these issues usually don’t pop up overnight. Tires get worn down or lose air over time, giving drivers and motor carriers ample opportunities to identify and remedy potential maintenance issues. When these problems are ignored or downplayed, the risk of a blowout can increase, and trucking companies and employees can find themselves facing claims of liability for a blowout crash.
Overloaded or improperly loaded cargo
Because freight vehicles have to haul such massive quantities of material, there are specific weight limits and cargo loading requirements that drivers and companies are expected to follow. When a truck is overloaded, it may put more strain on the tires than they can stand. This can lead to a sudden tire failure and may cause an accident in certain situations.
The weight distribution of the cargo is also important here. If the weight is disproportionately concentrated on one side of the vehicle, for instance, the tires on that side may be bearing more weight than they can handle. Unbalanced loads can also increase the likelihood of a rollover or jackknife accident after a tire failure. If a tire fails and a driver loses control of their vehicle – even for a moment – the uneven weight may cause the truck to tilt to one side or fold in on itself.
Road hazards
Miami motorists are no strangers to the havoc that roadway hazards can wreak on our tires. If a truck encounters roadway debris, uneven pavement, or a deep pothole, it could be prone to a tire blowout. These risks are even more elevated when vehicles move at high rates of speed. Suddenly striking a pothole while going 70 mph down I-95 could trigger a sudden tire failure and serve as the first link in a dangerous chain reaction crash.
These kinds of hazards are common in construction zones, but dangerous road conditions can creep up just about anywhere. Municipalities and state governments are often tasked with properly maintaining their roadways, but Miami’s large population, bustling tourism industry, and tempestuous climate can all lead to ongoing infrastructure safety challenges.
Heat and weather conditions
Let’s not forget the toll that Miami’s heat can take on roads and tires. Tires can be vulnerable to changes in temperature, and high heat in particular can accelerate wear and tear. Over time, high temperatures can also cause cracks in pavement and road surfaces that further increase the risk of a tire blowout.
We also have to contend with rainy seasons here in South Florida. Slick road surfaces and standing puddles of water can all wear down pavement and impact a tire’s ability to grip the road. Worn pavement and slick conditions may increase the risk of losing control or worsen the effects of a tire blowout.
Injuries commonly seen in tire blowout accidents
Tire blowouts can lead to serious and dangerous truck accidents, and it’s not unusual for survivors of these crashes to sustain significant injuries. Minor injuries we commonly see in these accident scenarios include things like cuts, bruises, mild concussions, and whiplash.
In some cases, the injuries suffered by crash victims are much more catastrophic in nature. For example, some survivors walk away with more severe traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), crushed limbs, spinal cord damage, and internal bleeding. These kinds of injuries can cause lasting harm to crash victims and require extensive medical intervention.
Some survivors are left with lifelong disabilities or find they are unable to return to their pre-accident routines because of their injuries. The physical, emotional, and financial impact of these kinds of personal injuries can completely alter the course of a survivor’s life and may serve as the basis of a claim for compensation in some cases.
Who can be held liable in a truck tire blowout accident?
If you can show that another party’s negligence caused or contributed to the tire blowout accident that injured you, you may be able to pursue compensation through a civil claim. This often requires a thorough investigation into all of the factors that may have played a role in the accident.
Depending on what an investigation reveals, an injured truck accident victim may be within their rights to pursue a claim against:
- The truck driver: If a driver ignored warning signs that their tires may be in need of maintenance or replacement – or if they were violating traffic laws like speed limits at the time of a blowout crash – they could be considered assigned a share of fault for the crash.
- The trucking company: Motor carriers are generally responsible for maintaining and inspecting their fleets. If a trucking company failed to properly inspect a vehicle’s tires or cut corners on required maintenance, it may be liable for damages related to resulting tire blowout accidents.
- Maintenance providers: Sometimes, a motor carrier will outsource some or all of its maintenance needs to third-party companies. If one of these maintenance providers fails to identify or properly repair a tire issue, they may share liability if that failure contributes to a crash.
- Cargo loaders: Cargo loading is another commonly outsourced workflow for motor carriers. If a third-party contractor improperly loads cargo for a trucking company and an unbalanced or unsecured load contributes to a tire blowout, the contractor could be deemed responsible for damages connected to a crash.
Some other parties could be deemed responsible for a truck tire blowout crash depending on the facts of the case. For example, tire manufacturers could be liable for crashes caused by defective products, or government entities could face claims of liability for accidents caused by infrastructure failures.
These cases can get complicated, especially since government entities sometimes have sovereign immunity in situations like this. An experienced truck accident lawyer can help a client identify possible sources of liability and take the necessary steps to hold them accountable if it’s permissible under the law.
What compensation is available for victims?
Because truck tire blowout accidents have the potential to cause serious harm to other parties involved in the crash, many survivors pursue compensation for their injuries via a civil claim. In Florida, this compensation can include both economic and non-economic damages, depending on the circumstances of the case.
Economic damages usually include things like medical bills, prescription medication costs, rehabilitative care expenses, and lost wages, among other things. Non-economic damages may include things like emotional trauma, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment in life. You’ll need to have supporting documentation to back up the value of your claim.
Hospital bills, therapy invoices, employment records, and other kinds of documentation can be important pieces of evidence in a truck accident case. Testimony from expert witnesses like medical professionals, life care planners, and economists can also be used to convey the value of your accident-related losses and help you advocate for reasonable compensation under Florida law.
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How comparative negligence factors in
One important factor to consider when pursuing a claim for compensation is Florida’s modified comparative negligence system. In our state, accident survivors generally cannot recover compensation in a personal injury case if they were 51% or more responsible for their own injuries. For those survivors who were less than 51% to blame, any compensation they do recover will be reduced by a percentage equal to their level of fault.
In practice, that means if an investigation concludes that you were 10% responsible for the truck accident that injured you, your damages will be reduced by 10%. This matters in a tire blowout case because a trucking company or its insurer may attempt to deflect blame onto you for the crash. They may say that you were following the truck too closely, for example.
An experienced Miami truck accident lawyer can help you understand the role comparative negligence could play in your case. They can also help you push back against unfair or inflated claims of comparative fault so you don’t walk away with less compensation than you deserve based on the facts of your case.
Contact Hickey Law Firm about your tire blowout accident
Truck drivers and motor carriers in and around Miami have a legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent causing harm to others. Tire blowout crashes are a great example of a local safety hazard that could be considered largely preventable in many cases. If a driver or company fails to uphold its legal duty of care, anyone who suffers as a result of their negligence may be entitled to compensation.
At Hickey Law Firm, we understand how complex truck accident cases can be – especially when there are multiple parties or corporate negligence involved. Our team works to clarify the details of truck accidents to provide survivors with the clearest path forward after a crash.
If you were injured in a truck tire blowout accident in Miami, fill out our online contact form or stop by our Miami office at 12150 SW 128th Ct., Suite 225 to speak with a member of our team. We’d love to hear the facts of your case and help you determine whether a civil claim for compensation could provide you with the resources you need to support your recovery.