Each year thousands of people die in traffic accidents involving large trucks, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. A number of factors can lead to truck accidents: driver fatigue, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, driving too fast, exercising poor judgment in bad weather, driving with an improperly secured load and poor truck maintenance, to name a few. Faulty tires are another common cause of truck accidents. Federal laws regulate the trucking industry and impose strict guidelines for proper tire maintenance. If you were injured in a truck accident in Denver and suspect negligence on the part of the trucking company or driver, you need to speak with a Denver personal injury attorney to explore your legal options.
Common Causes of Tire Failure
The most common causes of tire failure include:
- Failure to do tire inspections before driving. Trucking accidents can be caused by tire failure due to improper tire pressure or worn out tires. Improper tire pressure can cause a tire to deteriorate, and a deteriorated tire can blowout and throw the truck out of control. A driver who fails to inspect tires for tread and sidewall damage, air leakage and tread wear puts both him and other motorists at risk.
- Defective tires. A truck company or driver may knowingly or unsuspectingly be sold a defective tire by the tire manufacturer.
- Failure to perform proper tire maintenance. It is the responsibility of the trucking company to make sure tires are inspected and maintained regularly to ensure safe operation of the vehicle. Some trucking company fail to do this, allowing drivers to use tires that do not meet DOT tread depth requirements, mixing radial and bias tires on the same axle or using mismatched tire sizes or pairing tires with significantly different wear. All of these actions are a lawsuit and a potential accident waiting to happen.
Trucking Laws Regarding Tires
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations prohibits any motor vehicle operator to drive on tires with sidewall or tread separation, are flat or have audible leaks, are cut with the belt material or ply exposed or have belt material or body ply exposed through the sidewall or tread. The front wheels of a truck must have a 4/32-inch tread groove pattern depth when measured at any point on a major tread groove. Measurements cannot be made where fillets, humps or tie bars are located.
Re-grooved tires with a load-carrying capacity of more than 4,920 pounds cannot be used on the front wheels of a truck. No truck shall carry a weight greater than that marked on the tire sidewall. If the tire sidewall is unmarked, the truck may not carry a weight greater than that for tires in any of the publications of any of the organizations listed in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 119 (49 CFR 571.119, S5.1 (b)) unless the driver or trucking company has a special state-issued permit and the truck will be driven at a reduced speed, which shall not exceed 50 mph.
Need an Attorney?
The personal injury attorneys at the O’Connell Law Firm, P.C. have 40 years of legal and negotiating experience necessary for handling truck accident cases. These Denver personal injury attorneys strive to get truck accident victims the most compensation they can receive. With the O’Connell Law Firm, P.C., you will be represented by a Denver personal injury attorney who understands the legal strategies involved in truck accident cases, and who possesses a thorough knowledge of truck tire requirements, truck company regulations and truck driver training, requirements and regulations. You should contact them for a free initial consultation as soon as possible after your accident so one of their qualified personal injury attorneys can start working on your case immediately.
