Dallas Defective Tire, Airbag Failure and Seat Belt Lawyer

Texas defective tire and seat belt lawyer Kris Barber represents motor vehicle accident victims, their families and friends who have sustained and suffered serious bodily injuries because of the negligence of the manufacturers of defective tires, air bag defects and seat belts.

Seat belt injuries can occur when a defective seat belt fails to adequately protect a vehicle passenger of an automobile accident. There are thought to be two collisions in an auto accident. The first collision is the vehicle's impact with another vehicle or object. The second collision is the passenger's impact with the interior of the vehicle, or in cases of ejection, impact outside the vehicle. The purpose of a seat belt is to minimize the injuries and damage caused in a second collision by reducing or eliminating occupant contact with the vehicle's interior. Seat belt injuries often occur when there is a seat belt design, production, or installation defect.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that more than 2.9 million people suffered seat belt injuries in 2002. In that same year almost 43,000 people died as a result of seat belt injuries. The percentage of passengers who wear seat belts is at a record high in our nation at 79 percent. The number of people wearing their seat belt who suffer from serious seat injuries indicates that seat belt defectiveness is often the cause of damage in these accidents. In twenty percent of all rollover accidents seat belt failure is a main contributory factor to serious injury.

Seat belt injuries caused by defective seat belt design, production, or installation can be suspected under the following circumstances: serious and non-serious seat belt injuries were sustained by belted occupants in the same crash, the injured person is wearing a loose fitting seat belt, the occupant is found unbelted but insists that they engaged the seat belt prior to the accident, a belted occupant makes contact with the windshield during a collision, a belted victim suffers serious seat belt injuries with little vehicle structural damage, or the seat belt is found torn or ripped after an auto accident.

There are a number of seat belt design and manufacturing defects that can cause serious seat belt injuries. Faulty seat belts can cause inertial unlatching during an accident where a person is belted but the belt releases during an accident. False latching occurs when the belt feels and looks like it is engaged but comes loose in an accident. Material or weaving deficiencies can cause a seat belt to tear or rip, causing seat belt injuries in an auto accident. Seat belt retractor failure and faulty window shade belt design can result in excess seat belt “slack” during a collision which can cause seat belt injuries. Poor seat belt geometry, door mounted belts, and lap-only seat belt designs can also contribute to seat belt injuries. A number of vehicles have been recalled or investigated because of faulty seat belt design, production, or installation.

Tread separation is in the news a lot these days because of the recent Firestone tire recall. Tread separation, however, is not a new problem. Most tires manufactured today are steel belted radial tires, and tread separation is the most common type of failure in steel belted radial tires. When the tread separates from the tire carcass or the inner plies, it can frequently cause a blowout. Tread separation can also cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle, resulting in collisions and rollovers. Loss of control is especially likely in vehicles with a high center of gravity, such as many popular sport utility vehicles.

Tires are built in layers on a tire building machine. The tire is built in the green or uncured state, and the core or carcass of the tire is sometimes referred to as the “green tire.” During the manufacture of a steel belted radial tire, a layer of skim stock is applied to the green tire and then the steel belts are applied around the green tire. Another layer of skim stock is then applied and then the tread is applied around the belts. The entire tire is then subjected to high temperatures and pressures to cure the tire assembly. After it has been cured, the tire is mounted on a rim and permitted to cool. 

Tire tread belt separations are an inherent by-product of steel belted radial tires and can be caused by both design and manufacturing defects. While steel belted radial tires have the advantage of providing impact and puncture resistance, the use of steel belts is inherently problematic because rubber will not adhere to steel. To obtain adhesion of the rubber tread to the steel belts, tire makers coat the steel with brass. Rubber will adhere to brass, but brass has a tendency to break down quickly. 

In many tread separation incidents, the failure is at the first level of skim compound where the tread just peels off. In other incidents, the failure occurs at the level of the green tire. While failure at the level of the green tire may sometimes be referred to as a tire carcass failure, it can also be referred to as a tread separation. 

In any case involving tire tread separation, efforts should be made to inspect and photograph the tire and tread immediately. In a properly designed and manufactured tire, you should typically not see a bare wire surface. The presence of bare wire after a tread separation indicates that the tire was not properly cured and can indicate a manufacturing adhesion defect. The presence of brassy wire is also indicative of a defect since brassy wire indicates there was essentially no curing and no adhesion of the belt to the surrounding rubber. Corroded wire might reflect moisture contamination during manufacturing. Because the defense will likely argue that any corrosion occurred naturally during the post-accident period, early photographs are particularly important in addressing corrosion issues. 

Dallas defective tire and seat belt injury lawyer Kris Barber will represent you for injuries that include, but are not limited to:

1) Injuries requiring surgery, sutures, staples;

2) Traumatic Brain Injury, including those caused by oxygen deprivation;

3) Severe burns resulting in significant and permanent scarring;

4) Mental anguish and emotional distress, death; and

5) Those injuries caused by a collision with a driver that is drunk, impaired or otherwise under the influence of narcotics or drugs.

After a collision with another party it is imperative to call the police to the accident scene and seek immediate medical treatment. It is then important to seek legal counsel to protect your legal rights.

If you wish to discuss your accident with a car accident lawyer Dallas, Texas – Kris Barber, click here for a free case evaluation. If our law firm agrees to handle your case, we will normally work on a contingent fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery. In almost all cases, a lawsuit must be filed within a certain amount of time from the date of the accident. If you intend to pursue a claim, you should contact a car accident lawyer Dallas Texas right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.

Se habla inglés y español. Llame Kris Barber,  Texas abogado de accidentes.