EASTWOOD, Mo. – Dustin Dowdy was driving a Jeep Liberty on Friday afternoon when the vehicle experienced a tire blowout. The tire failure caused the Jeep to veer off the road and overturn.
Mr. Dowdy sustained serious injuries as a result of the crash, while his juvenile occupant suffered minor injuries. Both occupants were transported to the hospital.
Further details and updates will be made as they become available.
Thoughts on Tire Blowout Crashes
Each year, tire failure causes 10,000 serious injuries (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Report). Unfortunately, we have handled hundreds of serious and fatal tire accidents throughout the decades. Many times, when a tire accident happens, people tend to blame the driver and do not account for all the reasons why the tire could have failed outside the driver’s control. Tires fail for reasons outside the control of the driver all the time, and people injured in accidents involving a blown tire need answers as to what caused the tire to fail.
An investigation can reveal if a repair shop or the manufacturer of the tire is responsible for the crash. Sometimes, the tire in question had a recent repair or was replaced, and the technician who installed the tire failed to properly repair or install the tire before putting it on the vehicle. When this is the case, and serious injuries or deaths result, the maintenance company may be held liable for their negligent actions.
Sometimes, the tire is defective. A defective tire has a flawed design or is made with poor craftsmanship. These tires should never make it to production since they are a catastrophe ready to happen. This is such a common issue that we wrote the book on tire failures to help others recognize the dangers and protect themselves from faulty tires.
When products that pose a danger to people are placed on our roadways and cause serious injuries or deaths, the manufacturer needs to be held responsible for their inferior product.
I hope that Mr. Dowdy fully recovers, and if any wrongdoing is discovered, he and his occupant receive justice for what they have endured.
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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.
