We place a lot of trust in our vehicle’s tires. The more you travel on the road, the more potential for harm exists. If your tires are defective, they can lead to serious accidents, injuries and even death.
Who’s to blame when a defective tire fails? Often, the manufacturer may be liable for any injuries or damage that occurred. Manufacturing defects are more common than you might expect. When heating the rubber, contaminants can get in the batch and ruin the tire. Similarly, if the wrong adhesives are used, the tire tread can separate or blow out.
Tire defects cause a number of different accident types, including SUV rollovers. Once a tire is damaged, you might find yourself unable to control the vehicle, skidding, swerving or unable to stop. Depending on how fast you’re going and where the accident occurs, these defects can cause injury to multiple people.
Products liability and defective tires
If you suspect a defective tire was to blame for your accident, it’s important to talk to a personal injury lawyer as soon as you’re in stable condition. Products liability lawsuits can be filed against the manufacturers of a defective product. This is a type of negligence action. The plaintiff must show that the manufacturer created a defective, unreasonably dangerous product and the plaintiff suffered actual harm as a result of that defect. “Actual harm” means that you can’t sue a manufacturer if you weren’t injured in some way—the potential for harm is not enough for a successful case.
In some cases, you may have been injured by tires that were recalled later. While this can be helpful for your case, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll win your lawsuit. An attorney can explain how a recall can affect your case, and what they think the most likely legal outcome will be.
Products liability cases are strict liability cases—if the manufacturer created a defective product as defined by law, they are responsible for the damage caused. There are always exceptions, however. If the plaintiff wasn’t using the tires as intended, that could work against their case. That’s why it’s so important to talk to a skilled attorney. They can review your claim and let you know what the most likely defenses and outcomes will be. Together, you can decide if it’s worth pursuing a claim.
Talk to an Ohio personal injury lawyer today
If you’ve been injured by a defective tire, the manufacturer may be at fault. If so, I’ll Make Them Pay!® Call me today at 877.483.2298 for a consultation, and we’ll discuss your claim.