A defective tire will quickly turn a trip into an absolute nightmare. Drivers will experience potential spinouts, loss of control of their vehicles, and the chance that they will smash into another driver or object while on the road.
Car tires, like car parts and overall vehicle design, must meet the standards passed by law with the consumer’s safety in mind. Yet, manufacturers do not always adhere to these standards, and as a result, drivers are put in a highly hazardous situation that otherwise could have been avoided.
If you were in a car accident because of a defective tire, reach out to Burt McDowell Injury Law today. Our firm is ready to help. Schedule a free case review with an experienced Bridgeport defective tire attorney now when you call (203) 590-9169 or contact us online.
Get Help From a Bridgeport Defective Tire Accident Attorney
Products released into the consumer market should be safe to use, especially during a dangerous activity like driving at highway speeds. These products undergo different tests to ensure quality and longevity. When a manufacturer is negligent, they may choose to forego testing altogether or refuse to recall a product that they know is dangerous to the public.
If you were in a car accident because of a defective tire, you must immediately call a Bridgeport defective tire attorney. Seeking help from legal counsel ensures you have professional help in your fight for compensation to cover your resulting damages from a negligent manufacturer.
Victims who choose to handle these kinds of claims alone will quickly learn of the reluctance of manufacturers and their attorneys. Some victims face pressuring tactics to give up on trying to prove liability or to accept a measly payout for their injuries.
An Bridgeport personal injury attorney is your advocate when someone pressures you to accept less. Your attorney will also provide services like:
- Research and analyze evidence associated with your case
- Use industry experience and apply it to build a solid claim
- Investigate the cause and estimate your damages in full
- Be your advocate if your case goes to court
Proving Liability for Tire Failure
Each year, therehere are thousands of car accidents in Bridgeport, but not all result from negligent driving. Connecticut has seen thousands of accidents over the last seven years related to flying debris, including incidents related to a blown tire.
Determining who is responsible for a car accident may be more complicated than one would think. A blown tire can happen when it overheats from low air pressure or hits a foreign object in transit. However, it can also happen when there is a defect in the product itself. When there are defective products, like tires, on a car, it may be that the manufacturer or company who repaired the tire is to blame for its malfunction.
As drivers, we depend on manufacturers and tire shops to sell us safe products. But when there is a shortcoming in this, the driver is the person who will face the pain and the costly expenses that follow.
One of the most challenging yet important parts of any case is determining which party — or parties — are liable for your injuries. Your case can only proceed if you are able to demonstrate who was at fault and why.
A Bridgeport car crash attorney will research applicable laws and similar cases to see how legal precedent, regulations, and tort claims statutes could apply to the question of liability.
In many cases, one of two specific parties — or sometimes both — may be liable for the defectiveness of the tire:
- The tire’s manufacturer
- A repair shop
Tire’s Manufacturer
You will greatly benefit from hiring an attorney if the manufacturer is at fault for your accident. Manufacturers will work with their own experienced (and ruthless) legal teams, who know how to use pressure tactics to make claims go away. An attorney will fight by your side and help you understand the truth of your legal standing and what strategies are available to maximize your chances of success.
A manufacturer is responsible for a car accident if poor quality controls, defective designs, or unacceptable materials are used during the manufacturing process. Tire manufacturers are looking to reduce costs as they mass produce a product to sell to the public.
Specifically, a manufacturer may be liable because of:
- A design defect causing the tire to be structurally weak or to have a consistent point of failure
- A manufacturing defect, causing certain production runs of the tire to fail because of substandard assembly, materials, or quality testing
- A failure to warn or properly advise potentially leading to a faulty installation of a tire by a dealer, repair shop, or consumer
- A tire that presents an unacceptable danger to the public, creating grounds for a strict liability claim
Manufacturers Are Notorious for Cutting Costs
The cheaper it is to produce the product, the more money a tire manufacturer will make. Issues related to this profit drive can result in something like a design that uses fewer layers of material than usual to produce a tire. When fewer layers are used in production, it skips out on steel, rubber, nylon, and additional liners that prevent the degradation of other structural parts of the tire.
It is always dangerous for the consumer to drive with faulty tires, especially at high speeds, if they are brittle because of poor manufacturing. If poor production causes separation between the tread and the belts, it may result in blowouts, which can have deadly consequences, especially at high speeds.
Tire Repair Shops
When the puncture on a tire is repaired, it is supposed to be patched or plugged. However, sometimes, this is done improperly, compromising the tire’s integrity.
Addressing punctures is not the only reason a tire shop can be liable. They may negligently over or under-inflate a tire, compromising its function. They may also have installed the tire improperly, using the wrong level of tension on the lug nuts or failing to properly balance the tire after placement.
Working with an attorney with many years of experience resolving similar cases, you can expect them to do whatever is possible to find proof of liability. Your attorney will review evidence, such as the police report, pictures, and your car’s maintenance and repair history, to find out what caused the blowout in the first place. Their findings will form the basis of a liability claim against the appropriate named party.
Damages Associated With a Defective Tire Accident
Defective tires are a leading cause of accidents stemming from defective parts. A defective tire accident can cause severe injury, increased insurance premiums, property damage, and fatalities.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that traffic accidents cost Americans $340 million in damages in 2019. Recurring doctor’s visits and injury treatment costs will incur significantly large medical expenses — ones that would otherwise not exist if the accident had not happened.
Your attorney will help you gather the documents needed to show how the negligent act resulted in financial burdens like medical bills, lost wages, and diminished enjoyment of life.
Many injury victims will be unable to work for several weeks at a time. Attending medical appointments also takes a significant time out of one’s day, requiring time off work and a loss of working hours. In some cases, the impact of missed working hours will result in losing a job or taking time without pay, further exacerbating the financial impacts on the victim and any dependents.
Medical bills are expensive, and it is no surprise that the average person falls into dire financial straits because of them. Those who cannot pay will quickly encounter collection agencies asking for payment of past due bills.
Victims who hire a defective tire accident attorney can notify their lawyer immediately of any contact from collections. They can handle notifying hospitals and other parties of your intended claim and coordinate those expenses as part of your settlement.
Statute of Limitations for Defective Tire Injury Claims
Connecticut has laws to prevent outdated cases from moving forward in the courts, called a statute of limitations. The statute is intended to encourage filers and negligent parties to work towards seeking a settlement as soon as possible rather than waiting years to resolve the issue before a judge.
In Connecticut, the statute of limitations for defective products claims and other injury torts is two years. Although that may sound like a long time, you ideally want to file a claim as soon as possible. Your attorney must review your claim, analyze evidence, prepare and build a solid case, and allow time for both parties to negotiate to reach an agreement.
These tasks take time to resolve and require extra preparation if your case is in the courts.
Bridgeport Defective Tire Accident Law Firm
As the victim of a defective tire accident, you face a confusing and intimidating situation. Often, you are dealing with large manufacturing companies that, at times, might prove difficult to get to the bottom of and determine who was at fault.
To add to your situation, the manufacturing companies and their team of ruthless lawyers might do whatever is possible to minimize or deny responsibility. Our team is prepared to stand up against large manufacturing companies on your behalf and fight for the settlement you deserve.
Hire an attorney that makes you feel confident and will have your back. Call Bert McDowell Injury Law today at (203) 590-9169 or contact us online and schedule your free initial consultation.
(203) 690-1030
