Tire Defects and Legal Assistance

In 2001, following the death of 271 people and more than 700 injuries attributed to defective tire separation, the U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ("NHTSA") ordered Bridgestone/Firestone Corp. to recall 6.5 million Firestone ATX and Wilderness tires.

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation found Firestone's ATX and Wilderness tires, which were predominately used as original equipment on Ford Explorer SUVs, to be "dangerously defective." Firestone's tires were found to have inferior belt wedge thickness, poor shoulder design and inadequate belt adhesion levels. Further analysis by outside experts found that the rubber used to manufacture the tires may have been contaminated and/or substandard.

In response to the Firestone tire recall in 2000, Congress adopted the Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation (TREAD) Act. Among its provision, the TREAD Act requires that all new passenger vehicles must be equipped with tire monitoring systems beginning with a phased implementation in 2004. The TREAD Act also redefined and expanded what constitutes a recall. Unfortunately, thousands of vehicles are probably still equipped with recalled Firestone tires, and fatalities and injuries continue to occur.

Ordinarily, the fatigue life of a tire should exceed its tread life by a substantial design/safety margin. However, manufacturing and design defects cause shorter fatigue life and can lead to catastrophic accidents, injuries and death long before a tire's tread is worn out and long before a tire’s useful life should be over.

Link Between Tire Failure, Tread Separation and Car and SUV Accidents

Belt-leaving-belt tread separations, whether or not accompanied by a loss of air from the tire, drastically reduce the ability of a driver to control a vehicle. This is particularly true when the failure occurs on a rear wheel and at a high rate of speed.

When the tread and belt separate from the body of a tire, the driver often hears a loud thumping noise before the vehicle goes out of control. The events following a tire failure occur so rapidly and unexpectedly that it is virtually impossible for even the best drivers to avoid accidents in high-speed situations.

National Tire Defect Accident Attorneys/Lawyers

Persons who have been injured in accidents involving defective tires, or family members of loved ones who have died in such accidents who would like to learn more about their legal rights, are welcome to contact an attorney at Lieff Cabraser by clicking here. There is no charge or obligation for our review of your case.

Alternatively, you may call Lieff Cabraser toll-free at 1-800-541-7358 and ask to speak to partner Fabrice Vincent.