As you’ve traveled along the interstate, you may have seen tire treads scattered along the roadway or shoulder. What you may not stop to think about when you see a piece of a tire on the ground is what happened to the vehicle that lost the tire and what, if anything, happened to those following closely behind it.
The truth is that countless motorists are either injured or killed when tire fragments are sent flying in the air after they blow out on our interstates every year. In some cases, the entire wheel may become separated from the vehicle if the lug nuts aren’t properly tightened.
Since motorist travel at accelerated rates on interstates, the force that a tire can generate can be deadly. There are countless stories of pieces of flying rubber breaking windshields, wheels landing on and crushing the roofs of cars or knocking over bystanders. While some people get out of the way just in time, there are those few instances in which people aren’t as fortunate.
If all motorists were to stop and take their time to inspect their tires before getting into their cars, they would potentially notice that one side of its tread is completely worn down and vulnerable to a blowout.
As for a wheel completely falling off, this is most apt to occur after a car has been taken to the shop to be serviced. It often occurs because the wheels weren’t put back on properly or fully tightened. They can become loose over time with driving as well.
Much like tire treads, when a motorist is traveling at an increased rate of speed, any tire that comes loose is apt to go traveling hard and fast to its destination. This can result in serious injury crashes.
While many incidents that involve tires are caused by a motorist’s negligence, in recent years, a number of individuals have been hurt by poorly manufactured tires. Many tires have been recalled because of this. Victims have won billions of dollars in compensation for their injuries and wrongful deaths because of this. A Sacramento personal injury attorney can guide you through securing compensation for your own injuries also.
