Did the manufacturer of your tires warn you about the dangers of driving on aging tires? Probably not.
The manufacturers want you to believe that a tire’s age means nothing. But studies have shown how age-related wear weakens a tire, greatly increasing the risk of blowouts, tread separations, and other tire failures. Especially in hot climates, our tire defect lawyer Houston warns that tires age and weaken quickly.
Henry Garza was lucky. He managed to bring his Mazda MPV van back under control and survive the tread separation of his aging Firestone Affinity tire on I-10 in Houston. Mr. Garza had been traveling on the left inside lane of 4 lanes of busy I-10 traffic when he felt a vibration in the steering wheel of his Mazda van. He began to try and ease his speed downward so that he could pull over and try to determine the source of the vibration.
But his aging Firestone tire, 9 years old, had other ideas. The tread on the right rear tire came apart, pulling his van sharply to the right. Mr. Garza heroically managed to keep his van from crossing over the other 3 lanes. He avoided crashing into and injuring anyone else, but in struggling to bring the vehicle under control at highway speeds, he slammed into the concrete highway barrier, severely fracturing his own hip.
The Intense Injuries and Expenses from the Tire Tread Separation Crash
Mr. Garza was an elderly man, and a severe hip fracture was not a minor injury. He underwent hospitalization for the fracture, during which time he suffered a major heart attack. He ended up saddled with almost $175,000 in medical bills and called on tire defect lawyers Houston Tony Denena and Chad Points for help.
Denena Points, PC filed a lawsuit on Mr. Garza’s behalf against Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire LLC. The lawsuit claimed that Mr. Garza’s Firestone Affinity tire was defective and needlessly vulnerable to tread separation because it did not contain a full nylon cap, a tire feature proven to help prevent tire tread separations.
Basically, Firestone had failed to include a proven safety feature when it manufactured the tire that caused Mr. Garza so much pain, injury, and expense. Firestone had also failed to warn Mr. Garza of the inherent dangers in using an aging tire. Denena Points, PC’ arguments and convincing evidence won the case and a confidential settlement from Firestone on Mr. Garza’s behalf.
Get Proven Experience and Success on your Side for Your Tire Tread Separation Injury Claim: Contact a Tire Defect Lawyer Houston at Denena Points, PC for a Free Legal Consultation
Get in touch with us at 281-369-4363 or through our online contact form. We’ll be happy to meet with you and discuss your specific case. We can help you understand your legal options and evaluate your potential for a full financial recovery after your needless injuries. You have no obligation to hire an attorney. And we don’t charge you attorney’s fees unless we in your case for you. Learn more about the no-risk contingency fee basis on which we take our cases. Watch our video.