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.