ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — David John Paull, 60, tragically lost his life Aug. 25 in a fiery tractor-trailer accident on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Monroeville.
Paull, a Uniontown man, was the sole passenger in an eastbound tractor-trailer driven by 47-year-old Shawn E. McGregor, of Brownfield. After the front tire blew out, the tractor-trailer traveled through a guiderail on the south shoulder of the highway, down an embankment and caught on fire.
The vehicle came to rest on its side in a grassy area between exits 48 and 57. While the driver managed to escape before flames ignited, Paull sadly did not. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.
Additional information on the crash, including factors that may have contributed to the accident, were not immediately available.
The vehicle was owned and operated by N2 Solutions, according to a local news article.
COMMENTARY ON TIRE DEFECT ACCIDENTS BY ROB AMMONS
I have seen firsthand the impact an accident caused by tire failure has on the victim’s family.The description of this crash is very similar to several cases my firm is currently working on. In one case, I represent the widow and children of a truck driver from McAllen, Texas. My client’s husband was driving his 18-wheeler in Louisiana when the truck’s front tire tread separated, causing a fatal accident.In another similar case, a man from Los Angeles was driving his truck in Arizona when the left steer-axle tire failed, causing the vehicle to pull into the median where it hit a bridge abutment and caught fire. The man left behind a wonderful family, including a wife of over 30 years and several children. In both cases the tires were nearly new, there were no nail holes in the tires or other road hazards that caused the tires to fail, and there was a history of good tire maintenance.
These represent only two of many such tire failure cases. On another occasion, our firm tried one of these tire failure cases and obtained a record-setting verdict after a Texas community leader was tragically killed, leaving behind a widow and two children. The video below, capturing a vehicle another one of my clients was driving, shows what can happen when a tire fails on an 18-wheeler.
We are seeing more tire failures on big rigs than on passenger vehicles lately. Something is wrong, causing these tires to fail in a similar way with similar results. We are continuing to investigate many of these cases to determine the cause of the tire failures. Getting the tire tread pieces and the tire for inspection is critical to determining if the tire failure was due to a manufacturing flaw or defect. I believe that there is at least one manufacturer with a very significant and recurring problem that warrants a major recall. Ammons Law is dedicated to helping make our nation’s highways safer. Investigating tire failure accidents is one way to achieve that goal.
MEET ROB AMMONS
For over three decades Rob Ammons has concentrated his practice on tire and automotive defect claims, representing clients against tire manufacturers, automakers, tire retailers, and tire service centers. Mr. Ammons’ success against Michelin, BFGoodrich, Uniroyal, Cooper Tire, Goodyear, Dunlop, Bridgestone/Firestone, Continental/General Tire, Kumho Tire, and Yokohama has led to the recall of millions of tires across the country. If you or your loved one have been injured from a defective tire, reach out to Rob Ammons now for a no-cost consultation.
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.
