Chattanooga Truck Tire Blowout Attorneys

What Damages Can I Recover for Truck Tire Blowout Injuries?

You can generally obtain compensation for both economic and non-economic damages for truck tire blowout injuries. Economic damages are tied to out-of-pocket expenses you incur because of the accident, while non-economic damages consist of intangible losses linked to your injuries. If a defendant acts especially recklessly, maliciously, intentionally, or fraudulently, you may in some rare cases be able to get punitive damages.

Our Chattanooga truck tire blowout lawyers will work to secure maximum compensation for all damages, including:

• Past, current, and future medical expenses
• Ongoing or permanent disability
• Property damage
• Loss of consortium
• Lost income
• Reduced earning capacity
• Physical pain and suffering
• Mental anguish

If you were recently injured in an accident caused by a truck tire blowout and are not sure who is at fault, do not hesitate to call (423) 454-3288 or contact us online. We can come to you if your injuries prevent you from coming to us.

Truck Tire Blowouts, Explained

A tire “blows out” when it rapidly loses air pressure. The swiftness and extremeness of the event will cause a truck driver to lose control of their enormous, unwieldy vehicle, which may cause them to swerve, jackknife, or even rollover. Even a highly skilled driver will have difficulty bringing a truck experiencing a tire blowout to a safe stop, especially if they were traveling at high speeds on a highway like the I-75.

It may not be clear why a tire blew out in the immediate aftermath of an accident. Our Chattanooga truck tire blowout attorneys are prepared to investigate what happened and ascertain liability.

A tire blowout may be triggered by one or more factors, such as:

• Failure to replace an overworn tire. Even top-quality, professional-grade tires do not last forever, especially when they travel hundreds of thousands of miles over many years. Like any other vehicle component, tires have a shelf life, and they become more prone to fail the older they get. Because of the risks huge trucks pose to other vehicles on the road, truck owners and truck companies must exercise an extra level of care when maintaining and inspecting tires as well as deciding when to replace them.
• Cargo overload. Every truck has a maximum weight capacity that must be observed. When a truck is overloaded beyond this capacity, additional strain is placed on the vehicle’s tires, making a blowout dramatically more likely.
• Heat. High temperatures also put an increased strain on tires, which is why blowouts are generally more common in warmer months.
• Improper braking. Braking failure or overly aggressive braking can quickly wear down the tread of a tire, increasing the chance of a blowout.
• Potholes. Hitting a pothole at a high speed or at the wrong angle can cause the impacted tire to explode. Truck drivers must be especially cautious when navigating roads known to contain potholes and other hazards.
• Use of the wrong tire. Not all tires are right for large trucks. Mismatching tires or using the wrong size tire may make a blowout inevitable. 
• Tire defects. In some cases, there is nothing a truck driver could have done to prevent a blowout. If the tire itself is defective, it may suffer a blowout without warning, even when the driver operates their vehicle with the utmost caution and does everything right. 

Who Is Liable for an Accident Caused by a Truck Tire Blowout?

Because truck tire blowouts are not always the result of driver error, liability will depend on how and why the accident occurred. Multiple parties may be liable, and an investigation will likely be necessary to determine who can be held responsible through legal action. A trucking company might be liable if they failed to adequately inspect, maintain, or replace truck tires, for example, and you may even be able to sue a local government if a pothole caused a blowout. Our team at The Hamilton Firm has extensive experience handling these cases and can help you ascertain liability.

One or more of the following parties may be liable for a truck tire blowout accident:

• The truck driver
• The trucking company or broker
• The owner of the truck
• The shipper or warehouse involved in the cargo loading
• The truck or vehicle component manufacturer 
• Parties responsible for vehicle maintenance, repairs, and inspections
• Insurance companies for various parties
• A state, city, or local municipality

What Is the Deadline for Filing a Truck Tire Blowout Accident Lawsuit?

You must take legal action against parties responsible for a truck tire blowout accident before the pertinent state’s statute of limitations expires. If you wait too long to start the legal process, your claim will be dismissed, and you will be barred from recovering any compensation.

The statute of limitations varies from state to state. In Tennessee, you have just one year from the date of the truck tire blowout accident to bring a claim. In Georgia and Alabama, you get two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit.

Accidents resulting from truck tire blowouts are often fatal, especially if they lead to rollovers or jackknifing. In these tragic situations, qualifying parties have one year from the date the victim passed to file a wrongful death lawsuit in Tennessee. In Georgia and Alabama, parties with standing have two years from the date of death to bring a wrongful death claim.