A tire failure on a commercial truck can send rubber and debris across the road or cause the driver to lose control without warning. If you were injured in the resulting crash, a truck tire blowout accident lawyer in Cumming can investigate why the tire failed and who may be responsible.
Van Sant Law handles serious commercial vehicle claims and understands the questions that can arise after this type of collision. Founder David M. Van Sant previously represented a large insurance firm, giving our team insight into how insurers may evaluate and challenge an injury claim.
Our Cumming truck accident lawyers can begin preserving relevant evidence, deal with the insurers, and help you understand what happens next.
How a Cumming Truck Tire Blowout Lawyer Investigates the Failure
Our Cumming personal injury lawyers will look beyond the fact that a tire blew out. The important question is why it failed and whether the driver, trucking company, maintenance provider, manufacturer, or another party could have prevented the crash.
Federal tire requirements can become an important part of that investigation. Under 49 C.F.R. § 393.75, commercial vehicles may not operate on tires with certain defects, including exposed belt material or tread and sidewall separation. The regulation also addresses tread depth, tire loading, and inflation pressure.
That does not mean every tire blowout proves negligence. We’ll compare the condition of the tire with maintenance records, inspection information, vehicle data, photographs, and the circumstances leading up to the crash.
Evidence That May Explain Why the Tire Failed
The tire itself can tell us a lot about what happened. We may look at the remaining tread, the point where it separated, signs of unusual wear, and damage that appears to have been present before the crash.
We can then compare those findings with the truck’s maintenance and inspection history. Records showing when the tires were checked, repaired, or replaced may reveal whether a developing problem had already been noticed. Cargo records can also matter if there is a question about excessive weight.
Other evidence can help fill in what happened around the blowout. Onboard data may show the truck’s speed or braking, while dashcam footage, nearby video, and witness accounts can show how the vehicle behaved once the tire failed. Preserving that material early gives us a better chance of piecing together the cause.
What Can Cause a Commercial Truck Tire Blowout?
A truck tire can fail for a few different reasons, and sometimes more than one problem is involved. The tire may have been underinflated, badly worn, damaged, or carrying more weight than it should.
Maintenance records can help show whether there were warning signs before the crash. Federal rules cover things like tread depth, tire condition, load limits, and inflation, so those records may become important when working out whether the truck should have been on the road.
Not every blowout comes down to poor maintenance. A defective tire or road debris may also be responsible, which is why your truck tire blowout accident attorney serving Cumming needs to look at the evidence before deciding where liability may fall.
Maintenance and Inspections Can Matter
The condition of the tire before the trip can be particularly important.
Federal rules require commercial drivers to be satisfied that their vehicles are in safe operating condition before driving. When an inspection or maintenance record shows that a tire problem had already been identified, that information may become relevant to your claim.
Van Sant Law can compare those records with the physical tire evidence to see whether warning signs were missed or repairs were delayed.
Who May Be Responsible for a Tire Blowout Crash?
Responsibility depends on what caused the tire to fail.
A motor carrier may be involved if an inadequate inspection or maintenance contributed to the problem. The driver could also bear responsibility if an obvious tire issue was ignored or the truck continued operating when it was unsafe to do so.
Other cases may involve a maintenance company that performed faulty work or a tire manufacturer that created a defective product. If excessive cargo weight contributed to the problem, the companies responsible for loading or operating the truck may also need to be investigated.
Your Cumming truck tire blowout lawyer will look at those relationships before deciding which parties should be included in the claim.
What Compensation May Be Available After a Blowout Crash?
A truck collision can leave you dealing with medical treatment at the same time that your injuries keep you away from work.
A claim may include emergency care, hospital treatment, surgery, rehabilitation, medication, lost income, reduced future earning ability, and damage to your vehicle or other property.
Compensation may also account for physical pain, emotional distress, disability, scarring, and other ways the injuries have affected your everyday life.
Looking Beyond the Bills You Have Today
Your financial losses may not be clear immediately after the crash.
If your doctors expect you to need further treatment or your injuries affect the work you can perform, those future consequences may also need to be considered.
Van Sant Law will use medical records, employment information, bills, and other evidence to understand the effect the collision has had on you rather than basing the claim only on the expenses you have already received.
Georgia’s Deadline for Filing a Truck Accident Lawsuit
Georgia generally allows you two years to bring a personal injury claim under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33, although the exact deadline can vary depending on what happened in your case.
Waiting can create problems long before that deadline arrives. The damaged tire may be thrown away, repairs can change the condition of the truck, and footage or other records may become harder to track down.
Van Sant Law can work out which deadline applies while taking steps to preserve the evidence that could matter later.
Why Work With Van Sant Law?
David M. Van Sant’s previous work representing an insurance company gives our team experience looking at injury claims from both sides. We’ll use that background to anticipate the questions an insurer may raise and prepare the evidence accordingly.
Van Sant Law has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for injured clients and has represented truck accident victims in the Cumming area since 2008.
We will investigate the collision, preserve relevant records, communicate with the insurers, and keep you informed while your case moves forward.
Speak With a Truck Tire Blowout Accident Lawyer in Cumming
A tire blowout does not automatically tell you why the crash happened. The tire itself, maintenance history, loading records, vehicle data, and actions of the driver may all help answer that question.
Van Sant Law can investigate the failure, preserve relevant evidence, identify the parties who may be responsible, and document the losses caused by your injuries.
Contact Van Sant Law for a free consultation. A truck tire blowout accident lawyer in Cumming can review what happened and explain your next steps.
