Lane County, Kansas — An accident occurred in Lane County just before 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, resulting in one individual requiring hospitalization.
The accident involved a Ford L3000 Grain Truck operated by Joel S. Herndon. Mr. Herndon was traveling southbound on Dodge Road when he lost control of the grain truck after the right rear tire experienced a blowout. This caused the vehicle to collide with a bridge rail before rolling off the bridge to the east.
Mr. Herndon is in the hospital. His condition is unknown at this time.
This tire needs to be inspected to determine if it is defective.
Following a tire failure accident, the tire must be inspected to determine if the tire failed for reasons outside the control of the injured motorist. We have seen an increasing number of tires failing across the nation due to manufacturing defects. This is primarily happening on large commercial vehicles. Oftentimes, the tires that are failing are brand new, well within the tire’s useful life.
We are currently handling two cases in Kansas that are very similar to this one. In one of the cases, the trucker could not maintain control of his truck after a sudden steer axle tire failure, resulting in a head-on crash with an oncoming motorist. The trucker was injured, and the motorist was killed.
In another Kansas case we are currently handling, a trucker suffered serious injuries after a sudden tire blowout caused him to lose control of his truck and rollover. Our client suffered injuries that will change his life forever.
This same scenario is playing out across the nation. This should be a concern for all motorists. When truck tires fail, the truck driver and all motorists near the truck are put in grave danger.
Manufacturers have a duty to supply products that are not unreasonably dangerous for their intended purpose. A tire that fails before its useful life has been reached, is clearly not suitable for consumer use. If a manufacturer says a tire should last for 10 years or a certain number of miles, then the tire should last for ten years and the specified number of miles. When a tire fails to do so, the manufacturer should be held responsible for the injuries and deaths that occur.
To determine if a tire is defective, it must be inspected by trained professionals. Defects in a tire are formed while the tire is being built. Thus, defects are within the tire and not visible to the untrained eye. Tire investigators use special tools such as X-rays to examine a tire’s internal structure and determine if defects were the cause of a blowout. When evidence suggests that a tire failed because a manufacturer made a mistake, the manufacturer can be held responsible for all injuries and damages, including medical expenses, loss of wages, and pain and suffering caused by the crash.
I am grateful to learn that Mr. Herndon survived this crash and hope that he can make a full and speedy recovery from the injuries he suffered.
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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.
