Car accidents are a common occurrence in California. Drivers must exercise reasonable care while driving the vehicle to ensure the safety of others and prevent accidents. However, driver error is not the only cause of auto accidents. Sometimes, the failure or malfunction of vehicle parts can contribute to severe accidents and injuries.

Defective tires are among the most common, non-driver-related causes of car accidents. Poor design or manufacture of the tires can cause defects like tread separation, sidewall collapse, tire blowout, and bead failure. Tires are a critical part of vehicle operation. Therefore, one of these defects can make it difficult for the driver to control the vehicle, causing a catastrophic collision.

Poor manufacture and design of tires is an act of negligence. For this reason, the victims of a defective tire accident may be entitled to compensation. By filing a car accident claim, you can recover compensation for your losses and injuries. The navigation of a defective tire accident claim is complicated. Therefore, seeking legal guidance is critical.

An Overview of Defective Tire Car Accidents

A defective car accident is a crash caused by a defect in the tire. Defective tire accidents are different from most accidents since none of the drivers or parties involved are responsible for the accident. Instead, California personal injury law dictates that the person liable for the tire defect will be held responsible for your injuries.

Most lawsuits involving defective tire accidents fall under product liability. This is because some tires come out of the industry with defects that cause accidents. Under product liability laws, when a defective tire causes your accident and injuries, the party liable for your accident is the individual responsible for designing, manufacturing, and selling the tires.

Design Defects

In California, a product’s design is defective when it fails to perform as safely as expected by the consumer or when the risks of using it outweigh its benefits. When a tire fails due to design defects, the failure can be noticed across a whole product line. Consumer expectations require you to prove that the effective design caused your accident and injuries.

The following factors can help prove that the risks of using these tires outweigh the benefits:

  • The seriousness of the potential risk of using the tires
  • The feasibility of safer designs
  • Cost of using an alternative design
  • Level of risk associated with using the alternative design

Manufacturing Defects

A manufacturing defect is an error that occurs during tire assembly. Manufacturing defects occur even when the design is correct. When filing a compensation claim for your defective tire accident, you can prove a manufacturing defect by providing evidence that:

  • The defendant manufactured and sold the tire
  • The tires were defective when they left the manufacturer
  • The defect caused your accident and injuries

Warning Defects

The individuals who market and sell car tires have the responsibility to inform the consumer of any risks associated with the tires. This includes indicating the right manufacture and expiration dates of the tires. You can prove warning defects by establishing that the defendant was a distributor or retailer of the tires and they failed to warn you of the known risks associated with using the tires.

Causes of Tire Defect Accidents

Drivers rely on good-quality tires for traction, control, and balance. When a tire is defective, controlling the vehicle may be challenging. This increases the chances of a collision with other cars and road obstacles. Common tire defects include:

Tread Separation

This dangerous defect occurs when the tire treads separate from the casing or body. Tires remain safe when the treads are strongly attached to the body, which is done using strong glue or good-quality fabric at the manufacturing stage of the tires. Tread separation increases the risk of tire blowout due to excessive friction.

The following factors could cause tread separation:

  • Manufacturing defects.Issues in the manufacturing stage of the tires are a common cause of tread separation. This could result from improper material portioning or the use of poor-quality raw materials.
  • Excessive wear. Especially for vehicles that carry heavy weights and move long distances, tires should be replaced regularly. Failure to do this can cause wear and tread separation.
  • Improper repair.If tires are impurely repaired after a flat, an error in the repair process can cause tread separation.
  • Reckless driving habits.Drivers who need to be more careful with vehicle operation can cause damage to the best quality tires. Reckless driving, in this case, means hitting potholes at unnecessarily high speeds.

Depending on the cause of tread separation, you can easily determine the liable party and file a claim against them for your defective tire accident.

Tire Blowout

Blowouts or tire explosions are among the most dangerous tire defects. When one or more tires explode, the driver can lose control and balance of the vehicle, which causes them to hit anything in their way. A tire blowout is a common cause of serious rollover accidents, head-on collisions, and pedestrian accidents.

Before you file a lawsuit for an accident caused by a tire blowout, you must determine if the blowout happened before or after the collision. If a tire explodes after a collision, then you must find the root cause of the collision. Tire blowouts may result from poor tire manufacturing or improper maintenance by the vehicle owner. Other causes of blowouts include:

  • Underinflated tires
  • Excessive tread wear
  • Old or poorly repaired tires
  • Air tube punctures
  • Dangerous road conditions

Adhesion Failure

Several factors contribute to adhesion between the rubber and belt on the car tires to fail. Contamination of materials during manufacturing and using incorrect compounds can initiate cracks between the belts and treads. These cracks will increase in size with prolonged use and can cause severe accidents.

Sidewall Collapse

Tire sidewall collapse could be caused by:

  • Vehicle overload. When you operate an overloaded vehicle, the tires could explode overhead on the sides. Driving with a collapsed tire can cause vehicle instability which makes accidents inevitable. Sidewall tire collapse from overloads is common in trucks and semi-trucks which ferry heavy goods.
  • Tire wear. Bald tires are more vulnerable to heating and damage. Therefore, replacement is necessary when the tread reaches the minimum acceptable depth. Although some drivers can spot when the tread wears off completely, it will be challenging to notice uneven wear.
  • Damage. Another factor that could cause your vehicle tires to collapse on the side is driving on poorly maintained road surfaces or poor installation of the tires.
  • Aging. Like other vehicle parts, tires have an expiry date of six to ten years after the manufacture. The quality of the rubber and other materials deteriorates with time. Aged rubber loses flexibility, and its vulnerability to a side collapse increases.
  • Manufacturing defects. The main cause of tire sidewall collapse is poor manufacturing. When manufacturing tires, improper balance of compounds or materials can weaken them. 
  • Under inflation. A tire may be underinflated due to negligence from the driver or damage that caused the tire to lose air more rapidly. An undefiled tire will flex more on the sides, causing a head buildup and an increased possibility of collapsing. Underinflation of tires is dangerous when a vehicle travels at high speeds on the highway.

Tire Bead Failure

The tire bead is a part of the tire that rests on the wheel with support from air pressure. Failure of the tire bead is another significant contributing factor to defective tire accidents. Improper manufacturing practices and poor fitting of the tire beads can contribute to the failure. Additionally, insufficient pressure to support the beads can cause them to move out of their position.

Liability in a Defective Tire Car Accident Lawsuit

Liability is a significant aspect of securing compensation for your defective-tire car accident lawsuit. You must understand that liability is not automatic. It would be best to investigate your accident further to determine the exact cause or causes. This helps you identify the liable parties and pursue a compensation claim against them.

California is a comparative fault state. Therefore, a defendant is only held liable for the damages based on their percentage of fault for the accident. You can file a claim against multiple parties, depending on the exact cause of the tire defect.

Liability for auto accidents is determined through negligence. Therefore, when you file a lawsuit against the person responsible for the defective tire accident, you must establish the following elements of negligence:

The Defendant Owed You a Duty of Care

The duty of care is the easiest element to prove. This is because each person is responsible for exercising reasonable caution to avoid causing harm to others. For example, tire manufacturers are responsible for manufacturing good-quality tires that are safe for use on vehicles.

Vehicle owners and drivers are responsible for proper vehicle inspection and regular replacement of the tires to ensure they are always in good working condition.

The Defendant Breached the Duty

Owing you a duty of care is not enough to hold another person responsible for your accident and injuries. You must take a further step to prove that the defendant breached the duty of care. A person breaches their duty towards you by engaging in acts that could cause harm or injuries. Common breaches of duty include:

  • Manufacture and release of poor quality tires to the market
  • Proceedings with the manufacture of tires with a poor design
  • Failure to warn consumers of potential defects with the tires
  • Failure to replace tires by the manufacturer
  • Improper vehicle inspection which could help in detection of defects

The Breach Caused the Accident

A defendant will only be liable for your injuries if their actions were a significant factor in your defective tire accident. While the defendant’s actions may not be the only cause of the accident, they must be significant. For example, old and worn-out tires are more likely to blow out when the vehicle is operated on a poor road surface. In this case, poor road conditions and tire failure contributed to the accident.

You suffered Injuries from the Accident

The last element you must prove to recover compensation in a tire accident lawsuit is that you suffered injuries or losses from the accident. Tire defects like blowouts and tread failure cause some of the most severe accidents, like head-on collisions and rollover accidents. Therefore, the likelihood of injury or death is high.

Before you recover compensation, you must present evidence of your injuries and losses. This helps you recover from economic and non-economic damages.

Liable Parties in your Defective Tire Accident 

The following parties can be held liable for the injuries you suffer from a car accident caused by defective tires:

  • Driver

A driver can be held liable for an accident for more than drunk driving, speeding, and failure to follow traffic rules. Drivers have the responsibility to use the right tires for their vehicles. Additionally, they must engage in these practices:

  • Regular inspection for detection and correction of obvious tire defects
  • Avoid driving a vehicle with tire defects
  • Drive reasonably to prevent unforeseen tire malfunction
  • Replace worn-out tires constantly
  • Avoid overloading of vehicles which damages the tires

Failure to engage in these care practices is considered negligence and can make the driver liable for your injuries.

  • Tire Manufacturer

In cases of tread separation blowouts or explosions caused by manufacturing and design defects, you can file a lawsuit against the tire manufacturer. Manufacturers must follow the right procedures and use suitable materials to manufacture vehicle tires. If you can establish that the tire was defective when it left the factory, you can recover compensation for your injuries.

  • Tire Retailer

Retailers are obligated to use honest marketing techniques for tires. They should notify the consumer if a tire is nearing its expiration date. Additionally, other tire defects should be disclosed to ensure the consumer makes the right decision. If the retailer misleads you into buying a defective product, they will be liable for the injuries caused by the tire defects.

  • Tire Installer

Poor tire installation increases the chances of developing defects.

Therefore, mechanics or automotive specialists must ensure that the tire they install matches the vehicle part, and they must do it correctly. If the tire defects that caused your accident are related to poor installation and repair, you can file a claim against your installer.

Damages Available in a Defective Tire Auto Accident Claim

Once you have identified a liable party in your accident, the next step is to file a compensation claim. Most people settle auto accident claims out of court.

However, you can file a civil lawsuit in court if you cannot agree on compensation with the liable party’s insurer. When you file a case in court, the judge will determine the amount you deserve as compensation.

A successful car accident claim can yield compensation for the following damages:

Medical Expenses

Medical bills make up a significant part of your car accident compensation claim. Your medical bills accumulate when the emergency medical responders arrive and you are taken to a health facility. The injuries resulting from a defective tire accident can leave you with huge medical bills.

If you successfully sue, you will be compensated for the amount spent to cover these bills.

Lost Wages 

While lying on a hospital bed and nursing your injuries, you can miss weeks or months of work. Lost wages are the money you lose from missing work while you undergo treatment for your accident injuries. A successful civil lawsuit will see you recover the amounts lost from monthly income, bonuses, overtime, and income from self-employment.

Lost Future Earnings

Some injuries resulting from a defective tire accident can leave you with disfigurement or permanent disability. Such injuries can destroy your ability to return to work and earn a living. If your injuries have not recovered by the time your claim is settled, you are entitled to compensation for losing your earning capacity.

Find a Los Angeles Car Accident Attorney Near Me

A defective tire accident is a collision caused by faulty tires. When you purchase new vehicle tires, you expect them to be in proper condition and function properly. Unfortunately, some poorly manufactured or worn-out tires can cause a severe car crash. Unlike popular belief, accidents resulting from driver error are not the only collisions that prompt personal injury cases.

If the negligence of a vehicle part manufacturer causes a defective tire accident, you can pursue a civil claim. Injuries from a defective tire car accident can take a toll on you physically, emotionally, and financially. Fortunately, you have the right to be compensated for your injuries and losses arising from the accident. You can recover your damages by identifying the liable parties in your accident and filing a lawsuit against them.