Tire Tread Separations

Dozens of people are seriously injured or killed in Texas each year in accidents and rollovers caused by sudden tire tread and steel belt separations. Tire tread and steel belt separation and blowouts are particularly dangerous when they occur on vehicles with a high center of gravity such as sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and some pickups which are prone to rollover.

Tire tread and steel belt separations can frequently be traced to poor bonding or adhesion of the steel belts. One problem inherent in steel-belted radial tires is that rubber will not adhere to steel. For this reason the steel wires that make up the belts are coated with brass, which will adhere to rubber. The brass-coated steel wires are run through a machine that applies a skim coat of rubber to both the top and bottom of the wires, which is pressed into the wire to achieve full coverage. However, changes in the rubber compound or mistakes in the manufacturing process can cause a lack of adhesion between the steel belts and the main body of the tire, causing catastrophic tire tread separation and blowout.

Tire Aging

Tires, like any other rubber product, have a limited service life regardless of use. When "new" tires that have remained in storage for several years are sold to unsuspecting consumers, the results can be catastrophic. Dozens of people are seriously injured or killed in Texas each year in sudden tire failures caused by tire aging. Tire age can be determined through the Department of Transportation (DOT) number molded into the side of a tire. Tire aging may sometimes also be identified by small cracks in the tire sidewall.

Tire aging is a little known problem outside of the tire industry. The British Rubber Manufacturers Association (BRMA) which includes the same tire manufacturers as the U.S. market -- recommends that unused and unsold tires should not be put into service if they are more than 6 years old. The BRMA also recommends that all tires should be replaced 10 years from the date of their manufacture, regardless of tire tread depth or appearance. Environmental conditions such as exposure to sunlight, coastal climates and poor storage can accelerate the aging process.

Roll Over Accidents

Most rollover crashes occur when a vehicle runs off the road and is tripped by a ditch, curb, soft soil, or other object causing it to roll over, but not all rollovers are caused in this manner. When a tire suddenly explodes, blows out, looses its tire tread, or the tire belt peels off and separates, the vehicle may go out of control—especially at highways speeds. These accidents are called single vehicle crashes because the crash did not involve a collision with another vehicle. More than 10,000 people die each year in rollover crashes. The rollover resistance rating, or a vehicle’s rollover propensity, essentially measures a vehicle’s center of gravity and track width to determine how "top-heavy" a vehicle is. The more "top-heavy" the vehicle, the more likely it is to roll over. While rollovers do not occur as frequently as other types of crashes, when they do occur, the result is often serious injury or death. Rollovers accounted for more than 10,000 fatalities in the United States in 1999, which is more than side and rear crash fatalities combined.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident caused by tire failure, call The Ghezzi Law Firm. We have the experience and financial resources to handle major tire tread separation injury and wrongful death cases that require extensive investigation, expert witnesses and knowledge of the tire industry.