When a massive truck loses a tire at highway speed, the driver may have only seconds to respond before losing control entirely. For the drivers and passengers in nearby vehicles, those seconds determine everything.
If you were hurt in a tire blowout accident in Rockford, Illinois, Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys is prepared to pursue compensation on your behalf. We have decades of experience and work on a contingency fee basis, so you owe us nothing unless we win. Contact our Rockford tractor-trailer tire blowout lawyers today at (815) 662-0330 for a free consultation.
How Can Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys Help After a Tire Blowout Accident in Rockford, IL?
Tire blowout cases depend on documented evidence. Trucking companies know this, and they move quickly to control that evidence after a crash. That is why our Rockford truck accident lawyers immediately begin working on your case.
Here is what our team at Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys can do for you:
- Conduct an independent investigation
- Obtain maintenance logs, inspection reports, and tire replacement history
- Work with accident reconstruction and tire failure experts
- Identify all liable parties
- Calculate the full value of your damages
- Handle all negotiations and pursue trial if a fair settlement cannot be reached
Evidence in these cases disappears fast. Tires get replaced and records get lost. The sooner you involve our legal team, the stronger your case will be.
What Federal Regulations Apply to Tractor-Trailer Tires?
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration sets specific standards for commercial truck tires.
These regulations require the following:
- No truck may operate on tires with exposed belts
- Tread must meet minimum depth requirements
- Tires must be free of bulges, cuts, or other visible damage
- Drivers must inspect tires before each trip
- Trucking companies must retain tire maintenance records for at least one year
When these requirements go unmet, the company has violated federal law, and that violation is evidence of negligence in your case.
What Causes Tractor-Trailer Tire Blowouts?
Most tire blowouts on tractor-trailers are caused by maintenance failures that were identifiable and preventable.
Common causes include:
- Severely worn or bald tires
- Underinflation
- Overloading beyond weight capacity
- Tires with visible damage
- Failure to inspect tires before or during a trip
- Manufacturing defects
In cases involving a manufacturing defect, the tire manufacturer may share liability alongside the trucking company.
How Dangerous Are Tractor-Trailer Tire Blowouts?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that in a recent year, tire problems were responsible for nearly 650 deaths.
When a tire fails on a loaded tractor-trailer, the consequences for other drivers are severe. The truck may jackknife, cross the centerline, or tip over entirely. Debris from a disintegrating tire can strike vehicles behind the truck at high speed. Drivers in the immediate vicinity often have no time to react.
What Injuries Commonly Occur in Tire Blowout Accidents?
When a truck loses control, it can crush, overturn, or collide with multiple vehicles before coming to a stop.
Common injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal fractures and paralysis
- Multiple broken bones
- Internal bleeding and organ damage
- Burn injuries
Survivors of these accidents frequently require extensive surgery, hospitalization, and long-term rehabilitation. These expenses are steep, and the trucking company whose negligence caused them should be the one paying for them.
What Compensation Is Available to Me?
Illinois law allows you to seek full compensation from all parties whose negligence contributed to the accident. In tractor-trailer cases, that can include the driver, the trucking company, and the tire manufacturer.
Depending on the circumstances, you may be entitled to recover:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages and diminished earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Costs of long-term care
- Property damage
If a family member was killed in a tire blowout accident, Illinois law allows surviving family members to bring a wrongful death claim.
Illinois also allows punitive damages in cases where the conduct was particularly reckless.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit?
Under Illinois law, you have two years from the date of your accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. This deadline is strictly enforced. Missing it ends your right to compensation.
Trucking companies are required to retain maintenance records for only one year. After that, records may be destroyed, and key evidence may be gone permanently.
Contact Our Rockford Tractor-Trailer Tire Blowout Lawyers
Trucking companies have legal teams and insurance adjusters responding to accidents like yours from the moment the crash is reported. You deserve representation that is just as prepared.
At Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys, we have the experience, resources, and proven results you need.
Call us today for a free consultation with a Rockford tractor-trailer tire blowout attorney.
