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The Facts About Defective Tires and Rollover Accidents

Tire and rollover defects garnered significant attention several years ago with the publicity surrounding the Ford Explorer and Firestone tires – and the resulting congressional hearings. However, defects related to tires and rollovers caused deaths and serious injuries for many years prior to those hearings.

Tire defects causing or contributing to accidents include both design and manufacturing flaws. Sometimes you may not know about these defects until delamination occurs at high speed, often with tragic consequences.

Also, you may not realize older tires can lose their ability to function properly due to aging, even when rarely used as spares. Only recently did some manufacturers begin warning consumers of the consequences of using such older tires that appear to be in good condition.

Rollover accidents often occur with taller vehicles such as sport utility vehicles (SUV) and vans. Whether caused by defective tires or the vehicle’s suspension system, center of gravity, or other factors, many rollover accidents are preventable through changes to the vehicle design or its components. Fifteen-passenger vans often used by school and church groups are particularly susceptible to rollovers due to their high center of gravity, especially when there are many passengers.

Design Characteristics That Reduce Your Injury Risk

Once a rollover occurs, several design characteristics can reduce your injury risk. These include installation of side curtain or canopy air bags, as well as a stronger vehicle structure that can significantly reduce roof crush during rollovers.

In certain cases, defects in door locks or door latches can cause vehicle doors to open during a rollover, further compromising the integrity of the vehicle’s safety cage and exposing you to unnecessary injury risk, even if you're wearing your seat belt. In the past, some manufacturers incorporated certain safety features on vehicles sold in foreign countries, without also installing them in vehicles sold in the United States.

Tire and rollover issues have been reported in all types of vehicles, including Acura, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, General Motors (GM), GMC, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Jeep, Kia, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Mercury, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Oldsmobile, Plymouth, Pontiac, Porsche, Saturn, Toyota, and Volkswagen (VW).

For answers to your questions about whether a tire defect or rollover/stability problem caused injuries to you or a loved one, please contact us today at (407) 804-1300 or (888) 834-5297.