Defective Tires and How to Start Your Claim Now

Defective Tires

Americans drive three trillion miles each and every year. We don't think much about our tires, but they could potentially be the reason for a major motor vehicle accident. Tires are prone to detreading, delaminating, and blowouts than the tire manufacturers admit. Defective tires cause thousands of motor vehicle accidents every year, and unfortunately many result in major injuries and even deaths. The rates of such accidents have been higher among truck and SUV drivers. Like other manufacturers, tire makers have a responsibility to ensure that their products do not harm consumers. If they do, the manufacturer may be held strictly liable under the law. Unfortunately, some manufacturers would rather save a few pennies than keep their consumers safe so they knowingly manufacture tires with design defects.

The following are examples of design defects that cause tread separations:

Inadequate Inner Belt Gauge

Tire manufacturers sometimes try to save money by reducing the amount of rubber in the tire, including rubber coating and steel belts. The thickness of the tubber coating between the belts is called the inner belt gauge and prevents the tire from cracking. If the gauge is too thin, the tire may be defective.

Lack of a Wedge with Adequate Thickness or Tread Separation: The wedge is the rubber part that extends around the tire between the edges of the two steel belts. This part prevents tread separation. Some manufacturers do not use any wedge at all. Wedges should be .040 inches or greater in diameter to be effective. Failure to install this part or to install the proper size wedge reduce the ability of a driver to control the vehicle, particularly when the failure occurs on a rear tire and at hight speed. Such loss of control can lead to numerous crashes, injuries, and fatalities. The likelihood of a crash is far greater when the tread separation occurs on a SUV than when it occurs on a pickup truck.

Defects in the Inner Liner

The inner liner maintains air pressure that protects the inside of the tire and is the layer of rubber on the inside of the tire. The inner liner is supposed to be made with 100% halogenated butyl rubber, an expensive rubber that is extremely resistant to air permeation and is less likely to become damaged. Cheaper rubbers are more susceptible to losing air quickly.

Nylon Caps

Nylons caps and are layers of nylon that extend around the two steel belts. The use of these caps prevent tread separation. Nylon caps are used to protect the steel belts in the tire.

Defective Belt Skim Stock

Rubber pieces of the tire are held together by polymer chains called belt skim stock. Belt skim stock is important because it makes sure the belts are adhesive. The chemical that makes up the adhesive is important to prevent the tire from oxidizing. During the life of a tire, air passes through the inner liner into the body of the tire and the oxygen will break down the sulpher polymer bonds, known as chain scission. This reduces the adhesion between adjacent rubber components.


Your Next Step if You or a Loved Ones Has Been Injured by a Defective Tire

Don't let the tires or vehicle be sold or destroyed. Find the tires and keep them so the claim can easily be investigated.

Then call Finkelstein & Partners for a free case appraisal today.

Roof crush accidents can also be a sign of liability in a motor vehicle crash.