Why Are There So Many Shredded Tires on the Highway?

Shredded tires litter most highways and are dangerous roadway obstructions.  They occur for various reasons, including retreading and underinflating tires, as well as overloading trucks with excessive cargo. Crashes due to shredded tires occur in an instant, without warning, and our lawyers can assist victims in the aftermath.

If a shredded tire causes your car accident, document the crash with the police. Shredded tires often come from commercial trucks, meaning you may be able to sue the commercial trucking company for damages, not just the driver. Your lawsuit can cover all the damages you incur, so let us start working on your case right away.

For a free case assessment from The Reiff Law Firm, call our Philadelphia car accident lawyers at (215) 709-6940.

What’s the Reason for So Many Shredded Tires on the Highway?

Trucks and other large vehicles are known for leaving shredded tires on highways, creating a high risk of accident and injury. There are several reasons why there are so many shredded and destroyed tires on the highway, and many boil down to negligence.

Retreading Tires

Trucking companies often “retread” tires to extend their lifespans. If not done properly, adding new treads to old tires increases the risk of major tire mishaps. Retreaded tires may shed layers more easily, especially if treads are not firmly adhered to an existing tire.

Underinflating Tires

Underinflated tires also pose serious safety concerns. Truck owners and drivers must monitor tire pressure and address low tire pressure promptly. Underinflated tires may deform while they roll, causing them to overheat and sustain excessive stress. This breaks down the glue that bonds layers of tire together, causing them to shed and become dangerous road debris.

Overloading Vehicles

Overloading trucks with too much weight might cause shredded tires as well. Exceeding weight limits also risks accidents for other reasons, as trucks may topple over on highways due to weight distribution issues.

Overusing Tires

Commercial trucks are constantly on the road and need new tires more often than passenger cars. Overusing tires to the point where the treads lose traction and crack can lead to them shredding, falling off trucks, and littering the highway, leaving hazards behind on the road.

Defective Tires

Tire defects due to poor production or design may cause shredded tires. Sudden, unexplainable tire issues may be due to defects, which our lawyers can determine after an investigation.

Tread separation, sidewall cracks, and bead failures are just some of the tire defects that cause tires to shed lawyers and leave dangerous debris behind.

Overinflating Tires

Overinflated tires contribute to the shredded tires on the highway, too. Exceeding the maximum tire pressure causes the centerline of the tire to bulge outward, reducing traction and increasing the risk of accidents. Overinflating tires, failing to change them, and exceeding weight limits can combine to cause shredded tires.

How Often Do Accidents Happen Because of Shredded Tires on the Highway?

Accidents often happen because of shredded tires on the highway. As a truck experiences a tire mishap, the driver may lose control, and a severe multi-vehicle accident may occur, resulting in numerous injuries.

Semi trucks travel fast on highways, so shredded tire accidents often happen at high speeds. This increases the risk of serious bodily injury or death for truck drivers, car drivers, and passengers.

Shredded tires left on the road pose serious hazards to drivers and often cause accidents, even if the vehicles they come from are long gone. The danger only increases at night when shredded tires become even harder to see.

Shredded tires might also cause single-vehicle accidents, so tell us if a tire defect caused your recent crash and you were the only driver involved. What might seem entirely accidental or coincidental could actually be due to design or production defects within the tire itself. Poor tire maintenance is also a possible cause that our lawyers can investigate further when handling your case.

What Should You Do if Shredded Tires Cause an Accident?

Shredded tire accidents often involve commercial trucks and other large vehicles and typically occur on highways, one of the most hazardous locations for a crash. How you respond can significantly impact your future case, so please take the following steps to the best of your ability.

Call the Police

The first thing to do after a car crash is call the police. A truck driver might want to avoid involving law enforcement, especially if they were on the clock during the collision. It benefits you as the victim to call 911, so don’t listen to the other driver if they ask you to keep the police out of it.

Tell officers what happened when they arrive, and say if you are injured and need medical attention. Do not leave the scene until you talk to the police and report the accident, even if the other involved party leaves.

Document All Damage

You should also document any damage from the accident. Photograph what’s left of the other driver’s tire and any shredded remnants or other debris on the road. You can take pictures of the other driver’s car, showing that its tire has shredded or is no longer there.

Photograph any other damage, like dents to your car, broken headlights, or shattered windows. Such evidence enables us to establish how the accident occurred, as well as the immediate consequences of the crash.

Get Medical Care

Shredded tire accidents can be chaotic, as drivers might suddenly lose all control, causing a major pile-up on the highway. Several vehicles might get involved, cars might get pushed into oncoming traffic, and victims’ vehicles might roll over after impact.

The risk of serious injury is high for any car or truck accident on the highway, and you should get medical care right away. Tell the 911 operator if you are injured and whether you need paramedics and an ambulance sent to the scene.

Never reject medical care after a car crash, as officers might note that in the police report, which could complicate a future compensation claim.

Call Our Lawyers

After an accident due to shredded tires on the highway, you may not realize someone else is liable. Call our car accident lawyers immediately to explain your case, and we can determine whether or not you have a lawsuit. We can then make sure to file that lawsuit within the statute of limitations. The filing deadline varies by state and is typically two years in Pennsylvania for most plaintiffs.

Who is Liable for Accidents Caused by Shredded Tires on the Highway?

Multiple parties may share some liability for a shredded tire accident. Tell us what you remember about the crash, and we can determine who is ultimately at fault and can be held accountable in a lawsuit.

Vehicle Drivers

Drivers who overload vehicles or ignore tire pressure issues may be liable for shredded tire accidents on the highway. Drivers whose negligence makes them ignore obvious hazards like shredded tires may be liable if they collide with them and injure someone else in the process.

Vehicle Owners

The vehicle owner and the driver of the vehicle are not always the same. Many shredded tire crashes involve trucks that are owned by commercial trucking companies, not the employed truckers who operate them. The trucking company is likely responsible for changing tires, inspecting vehicles, and maintaining trucks overall, making it liable for many accidents involving shredded tires.

Trucking companies are also responsible for the actions of their employees while they are working, making them liable if a driver overloads a truck and causes a shredded tire accident.

Tire Manufacturers

Highway shredded tire accidents due to product defects are the manufacturer’s fault, most likely making them the defendant in your personal injury lawsuit. Product liability claims follow the same two-year statute of limitations, so don’t waste any time reaching out about your case.

What if an Abandoned Shredded Tire Causes an Accident on the Highway?

If another driver didn’t see an abandoned shredded tire on the road, hit it, and struck you in the aftermath, they might be liable. While some obstructions are unavoidable, others are avoidable when drivers follow the rules of the road.

Eyewitness statements, video footage, and other evidence help prove that the other driver should have seen the abandoned tire but did not due to their negligence. Failure to act and avoid an obvious hazard is an example of negligence and may occur if a driver is speeding, distracted, or intoxicated.

Don’t assume you can’t file a lawsuit because an abandoned shredded tire was involved in your crash. Further investigation may reveal that the other driver was also negligent and should cover your damages as a result.

What Damages Can I Get from a Shredded Tire Accident?

Let us calculate your recoverable damages from a shredded tire accident on the highway. We can confirm the value of your claim and prove it during a lawsuit, ensuring you recover what you deserve.

Medical Damages

Shredded tire accidents often happen while vehicles are moving fast on the highway. This, and the fact that commercial trucks are often involved in shredded tire collisions, means that victims’ injuries are typically severe.

The lawsuit should cover all medical damages, starting with a trip to the emergency room. Send us copies of all bills you get from hospitals and providers, which we will use to prove your medical expenses exactly.

High-speed crashes sometimes mean long-lasting injuries. You may have ongoing medical damages from physical therapy sessions, prescription medications, or upcoming surgeries, and we can factor all of these costs into relief requests for your lawsuit.

Property Damage Costs

Your car might get damaged in any accident, no matter the cause. Property damage from single-vehicle or multi-vehicle shredded tire accidents is compensable. The cost to repair or replace your car should be covered, and you should get paid for any other personal property in the car that was destroyed during the crash.

Lost Wages

You may need to take time off work after a shredded tire accident on the highway, especially if you suffer broken bones, a head injury, back damage, or other serious and painful injuries. Take your physical recovery seriously, and do not resume working against doctors’ orders.

Tell us your income before the crash and give us income records that prove it. You may be unable to work again for an extended period, in which case we can calculate your future lost wages and demand compensation for them.

Non-Economic Damages

There are different standards to get non-economic damages in no-fault and choice no-fault states like Pennsylvania, where drivers can choose to purchase “limited tort” or “full tort” insurance. Limited tort insurance only lets you get non-economic damages from a lawsuit if you suffer a “serious injury,” which is likely during a shredded tire crash.

Serious injuries are listed under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1702 and include death, permanent serious disfigurement, and serious impairment of a body function. These are non-specific injuries, allowing many victims with limited tort insurance to recover non-economic damages in Pennsylvania.

Non-economic damages are the subjective harms you suffer from an accident. Some victims get PTSD, and others experience depression or anxiety. Bad burns, broken bones, and many other injuries cause intense physical pain. Some injuries cause chronic pain or permanent scarring, meaning long-term non-economic damages.

Your testimony helps prove non-economic damages. Though settling is common, our lawyers know you may claim greater damages by going to trial and can prepare you to testify in court.

Punitive Damages

Plaintiffs may get punitive damages when defendants injure victims through willful, wanton, or malicious conduct. Suppose that applies to your shredded tire car accident on the highway. In that case, we can specifically request punitive damages when filing the initial complaint.

Courts award punitive damages, so plaintiffs may only get them by going to trial and proving they are deserved. While some states limit punitive damages in car accident lawsuits, Pennsylvania does not, which favors plaintiffs who prove egregious misconduct in court.

Call Our Car Accident Attorneys for Help Today

For a free case review from The Reiff Law Firm, call our Aston, PA car accident lawyers at (215) 709-6940 today.