Dallas Tire Blowout Truck Accident Attorneys

Every motorist must share the road with commercial trucks. Unfortunately, this makes them vulnerable to truck crashes that can lead to serious injuries. When a small car collides with a large truck, the person in the small vehicle usually sustains a severe injury. One of the most common causes of truck accidents is tire blowouts.

When the trucker or their employer is negligent in ensuring the truck is safe, leading to a tire blowout accident, you could pursue compensation for your losses. Tire blowouts could happen for multiple reasons, whether improperly installing the tire, overloading cargo, or braking too hard. The contributing factors are typically complex and require an experienced Dallas tire blowout truck accident attorney to investigate.

The Benton Law Firm can perform thorough investigations into vehicle crashes and seek the maximum financial award for injured victims. If you want to know your rights after getting hurt in a tire blowout truck accident, contact us at (214) 777-7777.

Types of Commercial Trucks

There’s a range of different types of commercial vehicles you see daily on the roadways. Some are more common than others, but all of them can become dangerous to unsuspecting motorists when careless drivers or trucking companies fail to take the proper measures to prevent a tire blowout.

Here are some of the most common types of trucks on the road:

18-wheeler
Dump truck
Firetruck
Semi-truck
Tractor-trailer
Big rig
Garbage truck
Flatbed
Refrigerator truck
Box truck

Why Do Tire Blowout Accidents Occur?

Like a passenger vehicle, all commercial trucks must have safe tires free from defects or damage. If there’s a problem with the tire and the truck driver or trucking company fails to fix it, they could be liable for the other driver’s losses.

Vehicles like 18-wheelers and tractor-trailers are massive in size and weight. When they collide with a small car, the result is catastrophic. In addition to the initial impact, vehicle parts, cargo, and debris create a hazardous situation for all drivers.

The tires on a large truck can blow out for many reasons. Besides high temperatures and driving at excessive speeds, the most common factors contributing to a tire blowout truck crash include the following:

Improperly installed tires
Over or underinflated tires
Incorrect tire size for the truck type
Overloaded or uneven cargo
Wear and tear or damage
A recalled tire the trucking company didn’t replace
Braking too hard wears out the tire tread

When a tire blowout occurs, rubber pieces can fly all over, damage other vehicles, or injure another driver or passenger. When the tire explodes, it can cause the truck to roll over, jackknife, or result in the driver losing control of the vehicle. Any issues could lead to traumatic physical and emotional harm that takes a long time to heal.

How the Driver’s Negligence Contributes to a Tire Blowout Accident

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration holds truck drivers to a high standard. The regulations are supposed to keep all motorists safe on the roadways and prevent bodily injury and property damage.

Unfortunately, some truckers don’t follow those regulations and hurt someone. The FMCSA regulations a truck driver must follow include the following:

Carry a valid commercial driver’s license (CDL)
Undergo training and education to operate a truck
Report any tire damage or defects for prompt repair or replacement
Take a 30-minute break after the first 8 hours on the road
Perform inspections on the commercial vehicle during every driving shift
Ensure cargo doesn’t exceed the maximum weight and size limits and is secured and evenly loaded
Drive no more than 11 hours during one shift after spending 10 hours off duty

An inexperienced driver can easily cause a tire blowout accident. If they don’t have the proper skills and training, they won’t know the protocol for inspecting their truck for any problems or how to handle an emergency. An 80,000-pound vehicle can cause massive damage to anything or anyone that gets in its path. If the driver follows federal and state laws, it will create a safer situation for everyone sharing the road with them.

How the Trucking Company’s Negligence Contributes to a Tire Blowout Accident

Trucking companies should also follow federal and state laws set forth by the FMCSA. Their failure to adhere to these requirements can justify an injured victim to pursue legal action against them.

The regulations every trucking company must follow include:

Provide training for employees
Perform routine maintenance and repairs on all trucks
Monitor the hours of each trucker’s shift
Perform background checks on all new truck drivers
Ensure the drivers have a clean driving record
Load the cargo on the commercial vehicle correctly

Even though the truck driver is responsible for what happens during their shift, the employer must ensure safety standards are met before each driver’s shift. If they fail to follow FMCSA regulations and a tire blowout crash occurs, they can suffer the financial consequences of an injured individual’s losses.

How The Benton Law Firm Will Handle Your Tire Blowout Accident Claim

If you choose to pursue compensation from the liable party, you can do so by filing an insurance claim. Our Dallas tire blowout truck accident attorneys will take care of each step of the process to ensure you receive the maximum settlement available. Our personal injury law firm will:

Perform an investigation. We will investigate the crash site and collect relevant evidence that proves the truck driver or employer caused the crash. Some of the evidence we’ll obtain include:

Witness statements
Photos of vehicle damage
Truck’s electronic data recorder (black box)
Trucker’s cell phone records
Police reports
Driver toxicology test results
Liability insurance policies
Video surveillance
Trucking company’s maintenance, repair, and driver logs
Truck driver’s traffic and criminal background

Speak with experts. We’ll talk to individuals with experience within the trucking industry to confirm the cause of the accident and the injuries you sustained.

These individuals include:

Engineers and mechanics
Medical experts
Compliance and safety experts
Accident reconstruction experts
Driver training experts

Ensure all available evidence doesn’t get destroyed or lost over time by sending all involved parties a notice letter requesting that they preserve all relevant evidence regarding the crash.

File an insurance claim on your behalf with the liability insurance company. Along with filing the claim, we’ll submit appropriate evidence for the adjuster to review to determine if they agree with our assessment of fault. If they approve the claim, we’ll negotiate a settlement we believe is fair. We can file a lawsuit against the insurance company and at-fault party if they deny your claim.

Refer you for treatment. You can seek medical care from doctors of your choosing or get referrals from us. We have endless resources at our disposal, including professional relationships with physicians specializing in the type of injury you have. If you don’t know who to go to, we can help you decide.

Factors that Determine the Value of Your Case

There are various contributing factors to consider when you’re trying to calculate the amount of money you should receive from the liable trucker or trucking company. Those factors are known as damages. Damages are all expenses and losses an injured person incurs after an accident.

You can pursue three categories of damages in a tire blowout truck accident case: economic, non-economic, and punitive.

The economic damages available may include:

Medical costs
Out-of-pocket expenses
Loss of earnings and future wages
Medical and assistive device bills
Travel reimbursement for doctor appointments
Rehabilitation costs
Car repairs
Psychological counseling

The non-economic damages available may include:

Emotional anguish
Loss of personal and household assistance
Disability or disfigurement
Pain and suffering
Loss of consortium
Loss of enjoyment of life

Punitive damages aren’t reimbursement for expenses or losses. Instead, they punish the party responsible for the tire blowout accident and attempt to deter similar reckless behavior from happening again. Typically, punitive damages are rare, result from egregious behavior, such as drunk driving, and come from the at-fault party’s pocket in a lawsuit.

What if the Truck Driver Doesn’t Carry Insurance?

Despite Texas laws requiring all motorists to carry liability insurance, some truck drivers let their policy lapse and don’t have coverage at the time of the crash. If that happens, you can pursue compensation from your auto insurance.

UM, uninsured/underinsured motorist, coverage isn’t a requirement for Texas drivers; however, insurance carriers must offer it as optional coverage. If you purchase it on your policy, you could file a UM claim to cover your damages. UM, insurance reimburses medical bills, lost wages, and out-of-pocket expenses. You can also seek compensation for your non-economic damages.

Speak to an Experienced Dallas Tire Blowout Truck Accident Attorney

At The Benton Law Firm, we care about our clients and will make you and your case a priority. You suffered enough and deserve financial compensation for the injuries someone else caused. You shouldn’t be responsible for your expensive medical bills and out-of-pocket costs that resulted from the accident.

Our Dallas truck accident attorneys will meet with you for a free consultation. There’s no risk in discussing your case’s details and your rights under Texas laws. We’ll explain the process and your options for pursuing the money owed to you.

If you were the victim of a tire blowout truck crash and want to find out how The Benton Law Firm can help you recover a favorable settlement, call (214) 777-7777 to schedule your free consultation.