2 injured in tire blowout accident on I-75

SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. — A 61-year-old Largo man suffered minor injuries Oct. 10, after a tire on his Ford 350 pick-up truck blew out in a southbound lane on I-75, north of State Road 50.

The driver was southbound with a 62-year-old at about 12:20 p.m. when the blow out caused him to lose control of the vehicle, according to a local news report. The Ford traveled crossed the center median and guardrail of the highway before striking a northbound tractor-trailer on its left side.

Both vehicles came to rest in the northbound lanes of I-75.

The 62-year-old Ford passenger also suffered minor injuries. The 50-year-old man driving the tractor-trailer and his 49-year-old female passenger were not injured.

No additional information on the accident was immediately available.

COMMENTARY ON TIRE DEFECT ACCIDENTS

Tragic accidents resulting in serious injury or death are far too common on our roadways. Those injured in this mishap are very fortunate to have sustained only minor injuries. I have represented hundreds of individuals in accidents very similar to this one whose injuries were critical, life-threatening, and unfortunately, for far too many, life-ending. I am relieved to assume that these individuals were able to walk away from the scene without debilitating or life-altering effects.

After decades of extensive research, tests, improvements, and establishment of safety standards, you would think the number of accidents due to tire failure would be a thing of the past. However, that is not the case. There are far more tire-failure accidents on today’s highways than there should be.

According to studies by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Tire-Related Factors in the Pre-Crash Phase, existing tire damage accounts for a large percentage of tire failure crashes. However, manufacturer defect continues to plague our roadways and is the cause of many of these types of accidents. It is important the remaining tire tread is preserved to determine the exact cause of this accident. 

Disclaimer: At Ammons Law, we are constantly seeking to improve the quality and safety of our roads and highways. We post these articles to help improve safety within our community. All of the information contained within this post was compiled from public sources or constitutes the opinion of the author. Please inform us immediately if you identify any false or misleading information.