8 Key Facts about Your Risk of a Rollover Crash Caused by Tire Blowout

The Angleton tire defect attorneys at Denena Points, PC emphasize that tire failure, especially tire blowouts, are frequently a factor in dangerous rollover crashes. Tire blowouts cause a much higher percentage of rollover accidents at 4.81% than non-rollover crashes at only 0.28%. So if you have a blowout, your chances of also experiencing a rollover are greater than not.

NASS-CDS (National Automotive Sampling System-Crashworthiness Data System) investigators estimate that each year about 23, 450 vehicles get towed away from crashes caused by tire blowouts or flats. Rollover accidents are among the most catastrophic of vehicle crashes, often leading to fatal vehicle ejection and incapacitating head and spinal injuries.

But crash data reported in government databases doesn’t properly account for tire defects or tire blowouts as a cause of the severe accidents. The U.S. NHTSA crash data, for instance, contains no direct mentions of defective or sub-standard tires as causes of specific crashes. Our Angleton tire defect attorneys mention that the closest link might be a notation mentioning a flat tire or a blowout as the cause of a crash. But the note won’t speculate as to the cause of the flat, blowout, or tire failure. The U.S. FARS (Fatality Analysis Reporting System) may record a tire problem as contributing to a catastrophic crash, but the data does NOT report whether the tire failure caused the crash, influenced the severity of the crash, or occurred during the crash (when, for example, a crashing vehicle strikes a curb or median).

Available data indicates that a combination of lower-quality tires and under-inflation or vehicle overloading increases your chances of a vehicle rollover caused by tire failure. Lower-quality tires have designs that don’t sufficiently dissipate the heat that builds up in a tire. Heat build-up in a tire causes the tire to age more quickly and magnifies the effect of any inherent weaknesses in the tire, leading to more rapid tire failure. Our Angleton tire defect attorneys know that under-inflation and overloading also increase build-up in a tire. For instance, when you have to make an emergency steering maneuver to avoid a potential accident, an under-inflated tire could “de-bead,” or separate from the tire rim, tripping your vehicle into a catastrophic rollover crash.

Tire blowouts cause over three times as many light truck crashes as passenger car crashes. And the 6.88% rate of rollover accidents caused by tire blowouts in pickup trucks is also more than three times the 1.87% rate of such rollovers for passenger cars.

Government crash data indicates that about 414 deaths and 10,275 injuries occur each year in rollover crashes caused by tire failure. The vast majority of these, 74% of the fatalities (306) and 64% of the injuries (6,590) occur on highways with posted speed limits of 55 mph or above. Our Angleton tire defect attorneys note that increased speed is another factor tat causes heat to build up more quickly in a tire.

Heat is clearly related to an increased incidence of tire blowout failures. The greatest number of these crashes occur in pickup trucks in southern states in the summer, followed by light trucks in northern states in the summer, and then by passenger cars in southern states in the summer. Our Angleton tire defect attorneys mention that light trucks are more likely to overload the tire than passenger cars, which contributes to a higher proportion of blowouts in pickup trucks in all seasons and regions than in passenger cars.

Tire failure also indirectly contributes to a number of other accidents. For instance, when a vehicle has stopped beside the road or suffered an accident due to a blowout or flat tire, other drivers slowing to “rubberneck” can lead to further crashes. And people working beside the road to change a flat or to push a vehicle with a flat out of the roadway are often struck by other drivers. Our Angleton tire defect attorneys clarify that these crashes are classified as pedestrian accidents since those struck are outside of their vehicles at the time.

Contact the Angleton Tire Defect Attorneys at Denena Points, PC to Learn about How You Might be Eligible for Financial Compensation

When you or your loved ones have suffered catastrophic crash injuries due to tire failure, you could be eligible for a full financial recovery from the manufacturer of the defective tire. Call us at 713-807-9500 to learn how. You can also reach us anytime through our online contact form.

We provide a FREE, no obligation initial legal consultation to discuss the specifics of your case and evaluate your potential eligibility for a full financial recovery for your undeserved accident injuries or losses. And the Angleton tire defect attorneys at Denena Points, PC never charge attorney’s fees unless we win your case for you. Put our more than 12 years of experience successfully resolving complex accident cases to work for your family’s benefit.