BANCROFT TOWNSHIP, Minn. – The Minnesota State Patrol has released information about a fatal crash that occurred in Bancroft Township, resulting in the untimely death of a 51-year-old woman.
Michelle Bermel of Albertville was driving a Sterling straight truck westbound on I-90 around 9:15 a.m., according to the incident report. Unfortunately, a tire blew out, causing the truck to run off the road. It collided with an embankment before coming to a rest in the north ditch, partially submerged in a creek.
Tragically, Bermel was pronounced dead at the scene. It was reported that she was wearing her seatbelt, and the road conditions were dry at the time of the accident.
Authorities are currently investigating the crash to determine the exact cause of this heartbreaking incident.
The Tire That Failed and Caused This Crash May Have Been Defective
I am saddened to learn of another life lost due to a tire failure on a straight truck. We have been seeing this very crash happening across the nation, consistently resulting in serious injuries and death. It is important for the family left behind to understand that this tire could have failed for reasons completely outside of their loved one’s control.
We are handling multiple tire failure crashes on similar-sized trucks caused by defective tires. In one case, our client was traveling next to a truck when the truck’s front right tire blew out, causing the driver to lose control. The truck pulled hard right and crashed into our client’s vehicle, smashing it into the left guardrail. When we inspected the accident and vehicles, it was apparent that the failed tire was defective. We are currently suing the manufacturer for the serious injuries suffered in the crash.
In another case, our client was driving a commercial truck through Arizona when the front left tire on the truck failed. Our client was unable to control the vehicle and crashed through a guardrail, rolled to the left, and slid into a ravine. Miraculously, our client survived but suffered severe, life-changing injuries. An Arizona-based law firm referred the man to our firm to investigate the crash. We determined that the tire failed due to a defect, and we are suing the manufacturer on our client’s behalf.
In another similar crash, our client was driving his truck in South Carolina when the front right tire failed, causing the truck to pull hard to the right and crash into an embankment. The man did not survive the crash, leaving behind a grieving wife and multiple children. The wife was referred to our firm, and we investigated the crash. After determining that the tire was defective, we brought a lawsuit against the manufacturer to help the surviving family hold the manufacturer responsible.
All three of these tires were produced by the same manufacturer. And, alarmingly, this is only a few of the hundreds we have handled over the past several years involving the same manufacturers.
When a tire blows out and causes a driver to lose control, it indicates the tire may have failed because of a defect in the tire. Tire defect failures are catastrophic and cause a vehicle to pull hard to one side. This crash will need to be investigated to determine exactly what happened. If the tire is defective, or alternatively, if it was negligently installed or maintained by a tire company, the family will have a choice whether they want to bring a claim against the responsible company and hold it accountable for their loss.
Until then, I offer my deepest condolences to the friends and family affected by the unexpected passing of their loved one.
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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.
