Adairsville, Georgia – Georgia State Troopers reported a fatal crash that occurred on Wednesday evening in Adairsville. The incident took place at approximately 12:44 pm on Interstate 75 northbound near mile marker 307 in Bartow County. Preliminary reports indicate that the crash involved an 18-wheeler and resulted in the loss of life.
According to the initial findings, troopers responded to the scene of a single-vehicle fatality crash involving a tractor-trailer hauling a yellow CAT 336GC excavator. It was determined that the driver of the tractor-trailer experienced a tire failure, leading the vehicle to veer off the right shoulder of the roadway. The tractor-trailer continued its course, crashing through the guardrail before descending down an embankment and colliding with a billboard support pole.
The driver of the tractor-trailer was pronounced deceased at the scene. At the time of this report, the authorities have not yet released the driver’s identity, as they are working to notify the next of kin.
The tire manufacturer may be responsible for this death if a defect caused this tire to fail.
I am saddened to learn of another innocent life lost due to a tire blowout. Tire blowouts on 18-wheelers are happening all over the country, resulting in fatal crashes such as this one.
Steer axle tires are arguably the most important tire on any vehicle on the road. When a trucker experiences a sudden steer axle tire failure, the truck may pull and crash into other motorists or crash off the roadway and roll over. This appears to be the case here.
We are currently investigating many similar crashes involving the same tires produced by the same manufacturers. In one such case, our client was hauling in a 2013 Kenworth through Arizona when his truck suffered a front steer axle tire failure. The truck pulled hard and crashed off the roadway, rolling into a ravine, where it caught fire. The man died, leaving behind a grieving family.
In another similar case, a young man was traveling in a 1999 Mack on a two-lane highway when the truck’s front-left steer axle tire failed. The driver lost control of the truck and rolled into oncoming traffic, where it smashed another vehicle, killing the driver. The deceased leaves behind grieving parents looking for answers.
In another such case, our client was driving a 2015 Freightliner from California, headed through Arizona. When the truck’s front steer axle tire failed, the driver lost control, crashing through the guardrail where the truck rolled over. Our client miraculously survived the crash but suffered life-threatening injuries that have changed his life forever.
These are only a few of many we are currently handling for families suffering from the sudden loss of life of a loved one. These are tragic, devastating crashes, that are unjust. Manufacturers cannot escape liability.
Truckers and other motorists injured or killed by a steer axle tire failure should have the crash investigated to determine if the blowout was caused by factors or conditions outside the driver’s control. If a third-party company or manufacturer is the cause of the blowout, the surviving family has a right to bring a lawsuit, hold the company responsible, and recover the much-needed compensation to move forward. While this will not bring back a loved one, it does help prevent similar accidents from occurring, protecting other families from the same suffering.
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The Ammons Law Firm represents clients nationwide in catastrophic injury and wrongful death litigation, with extensive experience in complex auto/tire defect and commercial vehicle cases.
Disclaimer: This post is not legal advice. Information contained in this blog was compiled from third-party sources or is the opinion of the author. Please inform us immediately if false or misleading information is contained in this post.
