Most car accidents happen when drivers act carelessly. Speeding, texting, or consuming alcohol can significantly increase the risk that a driver will run off the road or crash into another vehicle. However, faulty equipment, like defective tires, can also cause accidents that often result in catastrophic injuries. Defective tire car accidents in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, injure and kill many people each year.
If you were injured in an accident caused by a defective tire, Laird Hammons Laird Personal Injury Lawyers can help you file a personal injury case. The liability for equipment-related crashes may fall on multiple parties. An Oklahoma City car accident lawyer can help you understand your options for pursuing fair compensation for your injuries.
Contact us or call us at (405) 703-4567 today to schedule a free consultation.
How Laird Hammons Laird Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Defective Tire Car Accident in Oklahoma City, OK
At Laird Hammons Laird Personal Injury Lawyers, our attorneys have 95 years of combined experience fighting for accident victims. Our Oklahoma City personal injury lawyers have achieved notable success, recovering over $100 million in settlements and court awards for our clients.
After you suffer an injury in a car accident in Oklahoma City, OK, we can:
- Work with experts to identify the cause of the crash and who bears liability for it
- Gather evidence to support your insurance claim
- Negotiate with insurers and at-fault parties to resolve your case amicably
- Pursue litigation when the opposing parties refuse a settlement
The blame for a car accident resulting from an equipment failure can fall on the driver, tire manufacturer, or tire shop, depending on the facts of the case. Contact us to schedule a free consultation with an Oklahoma City car accident attorney to learn more about your rights and options to seek compensation.
Tire Failure Crash Statistics
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that about 11,000 crashes per year result from tire failures. In a recent year, 646 traffic fatalities were caused by tire-related crashes in the United States.
What Can Cause Tire Failures in Oklahoma City?
Tires and wheels are a leading cause of equipment-related crashes for a few reasons. First, vehicle owners are responsible for checking and maintaining their tires. While some newer cars might alert drivers to low pressure, they cannot force the driver to inflate their tires and check them for leaks. As a result, at least some drivers operate their vehicles with underinflated tires.
Second, unlike some equipment issues, drivers might not notice problems with their tires. For example, while brake pads are designed to squeak when dangerously worn, drivers might not notice some of the signs of worn tires, such as increased road noise and a rough ride.
Wheels and tires can fail in the following ways:
- Blow out
- Loss of traction
- Wobble
- Tread separation
When the wheels or tires fail, the driver will likely lose control of their vehicle. At high speeds, the driver may hit other vehicles before safely stopping or pulling over. These highway accidents can cause serious injuries or even fatalities due to the speeds involved.
Liability for Tire Failure Crashes in Oklahoma City
Liability for Oklahoma car accidents is analyzed using negligence principles. Negligence means that a party failed to exercise reasonable care under the circumstances.
The liability for tire failure accidents can fall on several parties.
The Driver
A driver may act negligently if they know or should have known that their tires had problems. For example, a driver who ignores a tire inflation light on their dashboard may be liable for any crash that occurs when they lose control of their vehicle.
The Tire or Auto Manufacturer
Manufacturers are strictly liable for defects that existed when products left the factory. If a tire was improperly designed or manufactured, liability for any tire-related crashes may fall on the company that made it.
Product liability law also applies to auto manufacturers. Thus, an auto manufacturer might be liable if a bolt protruding from the fender wore the tire prematurely.
The Tire Shop
If the defect arose from improperly mounting or installing the tire, a tire shop may be liable. For example, the shop may be liable if it failed to test the tire after mounting it, leading to a catastrophic blowout when the driver took the vehicle on the road.
An Oklahoma City personal injury attorney can investigate your claim and work to identify all potentially liable parties.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Oklahoma City Defective Tire Car Accident Attorneys Today
Tire-related crashes may not be the most common, but they can have serious consequences. If you were injured in a defective tire car accident in Oklahoma City, Laird Hammons Laird Personal Injury Lawyers can explain the options you have for seeking compensation for your crash-related losses and costs.
Call us today to schedule a free consultation with our Oklahoma City car accident lawyers to discuss your collision.