Kansas City Tire Defects Lawyer

According to figures published by the National Highway Transportation Association (NHTSA), there are more than eight thousand accidents per year involving serious personal injury or death resulting from tire failures.  Many of these accidents were caused by tires with design defects or manufacturing defects.  Others were caused by the tire manufacturer’s failure to properly warn end users regarding the limited uses or applications of the tire or the limited service life of the tire.  Any vehicle crash which appears to have been precipitated by a tire failure must be carefully investigated for the existence of a crash causing tire defect. 

Tread Separation

While there are potentially many different defects which can lead to tire failure, the most common tire failure mode is a tread separation.  This failure mode was brought to the forefront of public awareness through the Ford / Firestone cases of the last decade.  A tread separation usually refers to a separation between the two steel belts of the tire.  This often results in the tire tread coming free from the tire which, in many cases, causes the driver to lose control of the vehicle.  Tread separations can be caused by the failure of the manufacturer to incorporate any one of a number of safety features known to reduce the incidence of tread separation.  Tread separations can also be the result of bad “skim stock” or a defect introduced to the tire during the manufacturing process.

Aging Tires

Tires have a limited life regardless of tread depth and use.  In June of 2008, NHTSA issued a consumer advisory regarding the use of old tires, stating that aged tires, regardless of tread depth, are subject to greater stress, thereby increasing the likelihood of catastrophic failure.  The general rule of thumb for aged tires is that unused tires over six years old should not be put into use and all tires should be replaced before ten years from the date of their manufacture.  Tire age can be determined by decoding the DOT number on the side of the tire.