Tire Blowout Accident Attorney

Tire blowouts are a serious problem on American roadways, and Massachusetts and New Hampshire are no exception. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), about 200 million tires are scrapped every year due to tire blowouts or because wear from low tire pressure makes them a blowout risk.

Nationally there are about 78,000 tire blowout crashes each year, leading to hundreds of deaths around the country. Like many types of traffic accidents, most tire blowout accidents could have been avoided.

Protecting Against Tire Blowout Accidents

Proper care and maintenance goes a long way toward preventing tire blowout accidents. Some tips for avoiding this type of accident include:

• Maintaining your tires.

  We all know that our tires are meant to be rotated periodically, balanced out, and aligned. We also know that we should be inspecting them regularly for wear and tear, punctures or any object that may have become embedded in the tires, and uneven wear. However, many people ignore their tires until a problem arises. In the case of a blowout accident, that may be too late.

• Ensuring that your tires are maintained at the appropriate pressure level.

  Though it’s common to look to the tire itself for this information, remember that the weight of your vehicle plays an important role in determining appropriate tire pressure. Therefore, the sticker on the inside of your driver door is the best place to look for tire pressure information.

• Avoid overloading your vehicle.

  The same sticker that provides information about tire pressure will tell you what the maximum safe weight for your vehicle is.

• Avoid driving significant distances on your spare tire.

  Spare tires are at an increased risk for aging and are less likely to be maintained properly then the tires that are on your vehicle day to day. The purpose of your spare tire is to give you a means to get home or to a service station to repair or replace your regular tire. Your spare should not be used as a replacement tire on an ongoing basis.

• Avoid potholes.

  It may seem obvious that you want to avoid potholes on the road, and most of us try to do so anyway. But, not everyone recognizes the danger presented by a pothole. Even if you have hit a pothole and continued to drive without apparent problems, you may have caused damage to your tire that will increase the risk of a tire blowout later. Many GPS programs warn you of potholes on the road, and if you do happen to hit a pothole it is important to thoroughly inspect your tire as soon as possible afterward, or to have a professional do so.

Many Tire Blowout Accidents Are Caused By Negligence

Many tire blowout accidents are avoidable through simple steps like those described above. When a vehicle owner or operator fails to take the necessary steps to ensure that tires and other equipment on a vehicle are safe for operation, he or she may be found to have been negligent. That means that if you have been injured in an accident due to a tire blowout, you may be entitled to compensation from the driver who was operating a vehicle in an unsafe condition.

Damages in car accident cases commonly include compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, property damage, and ongoing losses such as continuing need for medical care or lost earning potential.

Get the Help You Need after a Tire Blowout Crash

To learn more about your rights after a tire blowout accident, and the type of damages you may be entitled to, it is in your best interests to speak with an experienced car accident attorney. Attorney Kevin P. Broderick devotes his practice to helping people who have been injured in car accidents in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Schedule a free consultation with attorney Kevin J. Broderick. Just call 978-459-3085 or fill out the contact form on this site.