Posted on Tuesday, March 5th, 2024 at 1:56 pm
A tire blowout accident involving a truck can be a frightening and dangerous experience. The sheer size and weight of commercial trucks make them particularly hazardous when a tire fails, potentially causing the driver to lose control and collide with other vehicles or structures. What should you do if you have a tire blowout accident with a truck? It’s crucial to know what steps to take to protect your health, safety, and legal rights.
Contact us online or call Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C. at (770) 205-8827 to speak to a Georgia truck accident lawyer. Our legal team of personal injury lawyers can help you get the compensation that you deserve from the at-fault party or their insurer.
Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C. has helped clients get awards from $150,000 to $1,650,000 for truck tire blowout victims. And since we work on a contingency fee basis, you pay nothing unless your case is a success.
What Is a Truck Tire Blowout Accident?
A truck tire blowout involves a truck tire suddenly bursting. This can cause a truck driver to lose control of the vehicle. Anyone nearby may be at risk of getting injured as a result.
Drivers may be harmed even if a trucker doesn’t lose control of their vehicle. For example, a tire blowout may result in debris on the road. Such hazards significantly increase the odds of wrecks occurring.
What Should You Do If You Have a Tire Blowout Accident With a Truck?
Taking proper steps immediately after a tire blowout accident is key to your safety. Taking such steps may also improve your chances of receiving compensation.
Steps to take include:
- Checking yourself thoroughly for injuries
- Immediately tending to injuries requiring urgent attention
- Relocating to a safe spot away from traffic
- Seeing if anyone else involved in the wreck needs assistance
- Calling 911 to report the crash
- Exchanging contact and insurance information with the other drivers involved in the wreck
- Taking pictures of the crash scene
- Photographing your injuries
- Getting witnesses’ names and contact information (and recording witnesses’ statements at the scene if they agree to give statements)
- Seeing a doctor on the day of the wreck, even if you don’t believe you’re hurt
Don’t tell anyone you’re “fine” when they ask if you’re hurt after a crash. Even if you don’t notice any symptoms, you might be injured without realizing it.
Only take the above steps when you’re able to. For example, if your injuries are very severe, you need urgent care. Receiving treatment is more important than documenting the scene in these circumstances.
Contact the insurance company shortly after receiving medical treatment. However, be wary of working directly with insurance adjusters when negotiating a settlement. They may try to convince you to settle for less than your claim is worth.
What Causes a Tire Blowout?
A truck tire blowout can occur for many potential reasons. Common causes of such wrecks include:
- Overloading a truck’s trailer
- Underinflating or overinflating tires
- Lack of proper maintenance
- Tire defects
These examples indicate how tire blowout wrecks are often the result of someone’s actions or negligence. For example, the company responsible for overloading a truck may be liable after a blowout wreck.
Determining who caused a blowout crash is essential for injured parties. An injured party may seek compensation for medical bills and related losses by filing a claim with the liable party’s insurance.
What Kind of Damage Can a Tire Blowout Cause?
The injuries someone might sustain as a result of a tire blowout wreck can be fairly wide-ranging. Numerous factors can influence the types of injuries a tire blowout crash may cause. Examples of common injuries resulting from such wrecks include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal organ injuries
- Amputation
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Paralysis
- Death
Pursuing compensation after a truck crash is often a complex process. This is partially because severe truck wreck injuries can leave a victim in need of long-term care. Such injuries might also prevent a victim from ever returning to work.
You may need to estimate the “value” of future losses when seeking compensation after a truck tire blowout accident. In addition, you may have to apply specialized formulas to assign dollar values to intangible losses like pain and suffering.
Don’t wait to take legal action after a truck crash. Per Georgia’s statute of limitations O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33, you have two years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit.
Contact a Georgia Truck Tire Blowout Accident Lawyer
You don’t have to navigate the claims process alone after being hurt in a truck tire blowout wreck. At Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C., a truck tire blowout accident lawyer can assist with such tasks as investigating the wreck to gather evidence of negligence and filing a claim. They can also represent you in court if you go to trial to seek damages.
A truck wreck can affect your life for years to come. We may be able to help by pursuing the compensation you deserve. At Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C., a Georgia truck tire blowout accident lawyer can handle all aspects of your case while you focus on your recovery. Contact us online today or call us at (770) 205-8827 for a free case review. We work on a contingency fee basis, you pay nothing unless your case is a success.
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