Rollovers and Blowouts

Rollover and blowout accidents happen hourly across the United States. The Flynn Law Firm is an experienced auto defect law firm, and has been involved in litigation with the largest automobile manufacturers in the world.

The number of rollovers has gone up significantly as the total volume of pickup trucks, SUVs and passenger vans have flooded the market in the last 20 years.

SUVs account for the highest death toll in rollovers. Many of these accidents are due to some extent because of their poor suspension, tire tread failure, weak brakes, and tread separation. These top heavy vehicles don’t handle rapid maneuvers, such as sudden braking and other emergency highway situations, very well. The Flynn Law Firm is an auto defect law firm representing those injured in SUV rollovers, Ford E-350 Van rollovers, tire blowouts and tread separations, and all other types of automotive product cases.

Beyond the impact itself, the driver and others inside can face injuries from a crushed roof, defective seatbelts, unsafe windows, defective seats, fuel-induced fire, windshield glass and door latches and locks opening.

One of the most common causes of SUV rollovers is tire blowouts. Because of its top-heavy design and high center of gravity, an SUV is far more likely to roll over than a car if it has a tire blowout.

Ford recalled a large number of its Explorers in order to replace the Firestone tires that had been involved in multiple rollover accidents involving deaths and serious injuries. Numerous victims of the Ford Explorer rollover accidents have sued both Ford and Firestone for substantial damages.

In rollover and blowout lawsuits, the claims not only include design flaws in the vehicle, but also design flaws in the tires themselves. The design flaws outlined in most tire lawsuits involve tread separations and blowouts at high speeds and hot temperatures, which increases the likely possibility of a rollover.

The lawsuits said that the design imperfections were made worse by Ford’s recommendation for a low tire pressure. The pressure supposedly made the ride smoother ride, but increased the chances of a dangerous blowout.

The Ranger Ford Explorer, and F-Series are particularly prone to rollovers that involve a tread belt separation. When the tread separates from a tire, it reduces the ability of the driver to control the vehicle. It is even more dangerous when it happens on a rear tire at highway speeds.

In recent years, Cooper Tire, Michelin, and other tire makers have tried to blame drivers for the defective tires on their vehicles and the accidents those tires cause. The tire companies have even claimed under inflation causes tread separations—but it doesn’t. Negligently manufactured tires cause tread separations, not underinflation of a tire. It’s impossible to tell whether a tire is underinflated by looking at it, and placing the burden of tread separations on the driver is unjust.

Many times, clients do not know just how defective the vehicle they purchased was until they have been in a tragic accident. If you have been in an auto accident and think a car defect could be blamed for your injuries, contact the Flynn Law Firm for a free initial evaluation.