UNION COUNTY, N.J. — John Morales, a 47-year-old Guttenberg man, died Oct. 18 after a dump truck he was driving crashed off Interstate 78 in the township of Berkeley Heights.
Morales was westbound when the truck experienced a tire failure that caused it to cross the roadway median, strike a guardrail and overturn, according to a local news report. The truck continued through the median into eastbound lanes.
Morales was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. No passengers or additional vehicles were involved in the crash, which remains under investigation.
COMMENTARY ON TIRE BLOWOUT ACCIDENTS
I am disheartened to learn of the fatal accident of John Morales. This man’s life has been unexpectedly cut short in his prime, due once again to a tire failure.
Tire failure accidents are far too common on our roadways, claiming the lives of many of our citizens. The description of the accident in this report is very similar to a number of other cases my firm is currently working on. In one case, I represent the family of a truck driver from McAllen, Texas, whose tire tread separated causing a fatal accident.
In another case, a Los Angeles truck driver lost a tire while hauling through Arizona, causing him to lose control, pull into the median, and hit a bridge abutment. This man left behind a wife of 30 years and a wonderful family.
In both of these cases, the tires were in good condition with plenty of tread depth. There were no nail holes in the tires, and no road conditions that caused the tires to fail. There was also evidence of good tire maintenance.
These are just two of hundreds of tire failure cases that my firm has worked on. On another occasion, our firm tried one of these tire failure cases and obtained a record-setting verdict.
Tire failure accidents on bigger trucks seem to be on the rise in recent years. There is something wrong that is causing tires to fail in similar ways with remarkably similar outcomes. Our firm continues to investigate these cases to establish the cause of the tire failure and to do what we can to raise public awareness about this issue.
Keeping the tire for inspection, and any tire tread pieces that may have separated from the tire, is imperative to determining whether the tire failure was a result of manufacturer flaw or defect. In my opinion, there is at least one tire manufacturer that has a recurring significant problem that warrants recall.
My sincere condolences go out to the family of Mr. John Morales.
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.
