Tire Tread Separation: Attorney Explains the Risks

This video features Michael J. Warshauer, an Employment and Labor Law attorney based in Georgia.

Attorney Michael Warshauer | 888-981-5602 | Free Consult

“...a tire more than six years old will delaminate all by itself and when that happens we might have the kind of loss of control that could put us and our family and others in harm's way.”

Tire tread separation is a dangerous hazard to everyone on the road. If you’ve noticed the large scraps of rubber tires on the highway, you’re seeing the aftermath of tire tread separation.

In this interview about tire tread separation, attorney Michael Warshauer explains why it occurs and who might be liable for damages. Warshauer is a personal injury trial lawyer based in Atlanta with over three decades of experience handling injury claims. Warshauer is a lawyer with Warshauer Law Group, and he has been named a Georgia Super Lawyer for nine years running.

To learn more, contact the attorney directly by calling 888-981-5602 or by submitting a contact form on this page. There is no charge for the consultation, and you never owe any out-of-pocket attorney fees.

Key Takeaways From Michael Warshauer:

Tire tread separation can occur in any kind of tire when various parts of the tire come apart. Manufacturing defects, underinflated tires, and hazards on the road causing physical damage to the tire are three common causes of tire tread separation, which can result in a devastating loss of control for any vehicle.

When large trucks or big rigs suffer from tire tread separation on one of their many back tires, pieces of that tire could fly back and cause a loss of control and safety for the passenger car behind them. Suffice it to say, tire tread separation creates significant hazards for anyone on the road.

Tire tread separation is the most common failure of steel-belted tires.

Steel-belted tires are some of the most common on the road these days, so it’s not hard to see how tire tread separation has become a significant danger. Not only can tire tread separation result in a loss of control for the driver themself, but the swerving of that vehicle and rubber debris from damaged tires can also significantly affect the safety of any vehicles around them.

After an accident caused by tire tread separation, the first thing an attorney will do is look at the tire itself.

An attorney will need to first determine what caused the tire tread separation; a manufacturing defect, underinflation, or road hazard. Each of these causes are identifiable based on telltale signs which can be gathered from the tire itself. Depending on the decided cause of the tread separation, one of four entities could be held liable for resulting damages.

Typically one of four entities is responsible for allowing tire tread separation to occur.

In the case of tread separation in large trucks or 18 wheelers, an attorney will look at the trucking company or truck owner to determine if the tires they used were too old, had been retreaded too many times or improperly repaired. The driver may also be liable if in their routine safety checks they fail to identify or address issues in tread, inflation, and/or signs of wear on the tires. A repair facility could also be held liable if they were responsible for retreading a tire that either should not have been retreaded or was done so improperly. The manufacturer could be responsible if the tires or elements going into the manufacturing of that tire were defective or negligent, in which case the situation becomes an issue of product liability.

Even if a road hazard began the initial tread separation, actions following that hazard could still indicate liability.

Even if the tire tread separation was the result of contact with a road hazard outside of any of these parties’ control, the amount of time between contact with the hazard and the actual separation of the tire tread could indicate negligence in the repair process. Warshauer predicts there are many 18-wheelers on the road driving on underinflated tires at risk of tire tread separation.

He recommends everyone take the time to check the tires on their vehicles; if your tires are more than six years old, it’s time for new tires. If there are any signs of damage to your tires, it’s a good idea to have them checked out and repaired as soon as possible.

To learn more, contact Michael Warshauer directly by calling 888-981-5602 or by submitting a contact form on this page. There is no charge for the consultation, and you never owe any out-of-pocket attorney fees.

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