Our Houston tire failure lawyers realize that when you think of blowouts and sudden tire failure, you probably think of passenger vehicles or maybe trucks. But sudden tire failures, such as blowouts from defects or poor maintenance on landing or takeoff, happen regularly on airplanes too.
Fortunately, a tire blowout on an airliner is a fairly rare occurrence. Engine failure, which is even more dangerous, is a far more frequent event.
The Houston tire failure lawyers at Denena & Points note that a United Airlines passenger jet that left Houston today experienced a dangerous blowout upon landing just after 11 a.m. at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. Fortunately, none of the 127 people on board were injured in the incident on United Flight 1075. And the Boeing 737 was safely towed into the terminal.
A pilot must take immediate action following an airplane tire blowout in order to maintain the stability of the aircraft and the safety of the passengers. Just as in a ground vehicle blowout, a tire blowout on an airliner can lead to the pilot losing control of the vehicle. Loss of airplane control can result in a deadly crash.
Tire blowouts can also cause brake fires on the plane as the pilot tries to bring the aircraft to a stop. Our Houston tire failure lawyers emphasize that fires on an airplane also present severe safety threats to passengers and crew alike.
In addition, a weakened tire can experience a blowout upon takeoff. The debris from the blowout could get sucked into the engine, causing engine failure, fire, and a crash.
Besides common tire failure causes like inherent defects and excessive wear, hard braking by pilots on short runways can also lead to sudden, catastrophic tire failure. Aggressive landings or hard landings from other conditions like inclement weather can also cause tires to fail under the massive weight of a plane. It’s not just the weight of a plane that its tires must bear. The tires must also bear particularly high temperatures and unusually strong friction under the pressures of a landing.
If you’ve been injured on a plane that experienced tire failure, and you have questions about what you can do to obtain compensation to pay your medical expenses, contact our experienced Houston tire failure lawyers for a free and confidential legal consultation about the accident. There may be several causes and several liable parties behind an airplane tire failure accident. Let us help you learn about your available legal options and potential for a full financial recovery after your undeserved injury.