Callahan County, Texas – Sharon Berry Smith, 80, of Lake Kiowa, Texas, was killed in an RV crash after the RV’s tire suddenly failed and caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
The vehicle was traveling eastbound on Interstate 20 near mile marker 295 when the tire had a sudden blowout. The exact cause of the blowout was not immediately apparent and will require further investigation to determine.
Authorities reported that Ms. Smith was on the couch when the accident occurred and sustained fatal injuries because of the crash.
No other occupants of the vehicle were injured. No further information was immediately available.
The cause of the tire blowout must be determined so the responsible party of the crash can be held accountable
The facts of this case strongly suggest that someone failed to do their job, and a woman lost her life as a result. It remains to be seen where the ball was dropped, but an investigation of the tire and the accident will make sure the family receives this answer, and the appropriate party is held responsible.
Tires do not fail for no reason. Either the tire was not properly maintained, was defective when it left the manufacturer, was not correctly installed on the vehicle, or was damaged by road conditions. However, the fact that the driver lost control of the vehicle indicates that the tire blowout was sudden and catastrophic. Because of this, it is likely that the tire was defective at the time it left the manufacturer or was not properly installed on the vehicle.
Most of the catastrophic accidents we handle are caused by a tire defects. Tire defects are conditions in the tire that render the tire dangerous for road use. These conditions usually go unnoticed because they are within the structure of the tire. Because of this, we will need to investigate the accident and the remaining tire to determine if an error within the tire itself was the cause of this crash. We perform this investigation for free to ensure the family can hold the manufacturer of the tire responsible in the event the tire is defective.
It is also possible that the tire failed because the tire was not properly maintained or the tire was not designed for the RV. Repair shops have a duty to install tires that are designed for the vehicle requested. Installing a tire that was not designed for the RV will lead to premature blowouts. Alternatively, repairing a tire that should be replaced will also lead to premature blowouts. Both of these situations require a detailed investigation of past service and maintenance records, inspection reports, and the tires themselves.
While the official investigation has determined that this accident was likely caused by a tire blowout, that information alone is not enough to identify the party responsible for the accident. However, it is unfair to hold the driver responsible for such a terrible crash when the cause of the blowout very well could have been caused by another party’s actions. Our firm is one of the leading tire accident firms in the country and knows exactly what needs to be done to get the answers this family needs.
Until then, we offer our condolences to the Smith family during this difficult time and pray they may have peace as they grieve the loss of their loved one.
