Rs Law Offices/Our blog/What Causes Truck Tire Blowouts and What to Do When a Truck Tire Hits Your Car

What Causes Truck Tire Blowouts and What to Do When a Truck Tire Hits Your Car

01/02/2021

18-wheeler trucks and other commercial vehicles are the backbone of our economy. They deliver nearly 70% of all freight transported annually, and account for over 700 billion of the country’s revenue annually. 

Just because they’re critical to our economy, it doesn’t make them less dangerous. For instance, although it’s not as bad as a truck collision, a truck tire blowout can total your car and leave you nursing serious injuries. This article will explore what to do when a truck blow out tire hits your car. 

What Causes Truck Tire Blowouts?

Before we address what to do when a truck blow out tire hits your car, checkout what causes these blowouts in the first place: 

  • Old, worn out tires: When car tires wear out, they no longer expand or contract as they should to pressure and temperature changes. This makes them susceptible to blow outs. Unfortunately, due to the loads they carry and the many miles they travel every day, truck tires tend to wear out fast compared to passenger car tires. This explains why trucks are more prone to blowouts. 
  • Overloading: Too much weight puts too much pressure on the tires consequently causing blowouts. The risk of a blowout is even higher if the tires are worn out. Again, unfortunately, some trucking companies tend to overload their fleets so they can reap as much profits as possible. 
  • Low Tire Pressure: When a truck tire has low pressure, it stretches beyond its elastic limits. This causes the rubber to overheat, and lose its bond to the internal materials that reinforce it, and as a result, it blows out. 
  • Mechanical problems: Bent axles, loose wheel bearings, and other mechanical alignment issues may also cause truck tire blowouts. 
  • Impact damage: Running over something, it could be a stone, or any other debris lying on the road might also cause a truck tire blowout. In some instances, the tire may blow out immediately, while in other, it might take a while before it does. 

What to Do When a Truck Blowout Tire Hits Your Car

Truck tire blowouts can cause significant damage to your car and might even be fatal depending on the speed of the tire. Here’s what you should do when a truck blowout tire hits your car: 

Stay calm 

When hit by anything on the road, the first thing most people do is either hit the brakes, accelerate, or try to swerve. Although these are natural reflexes, they only put you in danger. For instance, you may crash into the car in front if you accelerate, or have an oncoming car crash into you when you swerve. When hit by a truck tire blowout, stay calm, and maintain the vehicle’s speed until safe to slow down or stop. Once you stop, check you and other passengers for injuries. 

Document the Accident Scene and Collect Witness Info

If everyone is okay, document the scene. Take photos of the damages done to your car and the scene as well. Also collect witness information and if the truck is nearby, exchange contact and insurer information. This’ll help you build a stronger case. 

Contact an Attorney 

Once you finish the above, ensure you contact a truck accident attorney as soon as possible. The sooner you do it, the easier it’ll be to get compensated. 

Let Our Attorneys Help

Being hit by a truck blow out tire can be as traumatic as being involved in any other accident. If you or those you were with were injured, such an incident can have an even more significant impact not only on your wellbeing, but also finances, due to medical bills and car repair costs.

Contact us, so an experienced truck accident lawyer can help you secure your rightful compensation. 

blogs

You might like

Clearing Up Workers Compensation Misconceptions

If we hear the term “workers comp,” we probably feel like we understand the basics – if you get hurt on the job, you file for workers comp, you get time off to heal and hopefully a little extra something along with your salary to make it all easier. In an ideal world, sure, it […]

18/11/2022
Read more

How Truck Accidents are Different from Car Crashes

Even though all types of auto accident are dangerous and have the potential to cause life-altering injuries, truck accidents are nearly, if not always catastrophic or fatal. Unfortunately, they’re becoming quite common. According to the Truck Safety Coalition, about 5,000 people died in truck crashes last year, marking a 46% increase in truck crash deaths […]

18/01/2021
Read more

Top 5 Causes of Pedestrian Accidents

A vehicle hitting a pedestrian can be termed one of the most traumatic accidents one could ever experience. Yet, it happens so regularly. According to the CDC, over 5,000 pedestrians die in car accidents annually, while an estimated 137,000 others visit the ER for non-fatal accidents. This makes one wonder, what spurs pedestrian accidents? Read […]

10/11/2020
Read more

Five Things to Check Before a Car Trip

Before a long car ride, we are talking anywhere from 100 miles and up, there are things to check out. Having a good mechanic is key if you are lucky enough to find one. But it is also essential to have some idea of what makes your car run safely, at a basic level. We […]

15/11/2021
Read more

Commercial Truck Accidents

While it may not seem like it, there are bigger differences when dealing with a truck accident than just the size of the vehicle. Although they are well insured, companies with commercial trucks will fire back at you with a whole legal team to avoid paying out for damage, injury, or even death. This is […]

02/06/2021
Read more

Types of Damages in a Motorcycle Accident

Motorcycles are an easy, exhilarating way to get around. No getting stuck in traffic and you can hit the gas pedal to the max. Exciting, right? Well, here’s the catch; although exciting, motorcycles are incredibly dangerous.  A report by the Insurance Information Institute shows motorcyclists are usually 27 times more likely to lose their lives […]

05/04/2021
Read more

Ridesharing and Car Accidents

Ridesharing services like Uberpool and Lyft are a pretty popular way to get around. According to surveys, the ridesharing industry will reportedly have a market value of over $220 by 2025. However, this increasing popularity is no surprise, as ridesharing services are convenient and cheap.  However, while convenient, ridesharing services are not all sunshine and […]

19/10/2020
Read more

Car Accident Compensation Laws in California

Every year, careless and reckless drivers cause many accidents leading to severe injuries and death countrywide. In California, car accidents are due to the state’s large population and a high number of vehicles. On numerous occasions, irresponsible drivers always get away with their mistakes. Luckily, there are compensation laws in California aimed to hold at-fault […]

21/09/2020
Read more

What to Know About Arizona’s Lemon Law

Like many other states, Arizona has a Lemon Law in place to help protect consumers who buy faulty vehicles from being stuck with them with no recourse. Arizona’s lemon law, though, is a little different from other states, with certain restrictions in place that are specific to Arizona. Here are a few basic guidelines to […]

16/05/2022
Read more

More Apps for Increased Rideshare Safety

If every ride you take is just you and an unknown driver, it doesn’t hurt to look into your safety options. And while any unsure situation could potentially turn dangerous, you can do yourself a favor by finding helpful methods for letting people know where you are and where you’re going to be, and generally […]

09/02/2023
Read more

contact form

Get in touch

By providing your phone number, you agree to receive text messages from RS Law Offices. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. View our Privacy Policy.