Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. says it is recalling approximately 41,000
Wrangler Silent Armor tires because it is worried that some of them might
tear, causing tread separation and potentially deadly collisions. The
tire manufacturer says that six sizes, which were made in 2009, are affected.
Approximately 27,000 of the recalled tires are thought to be in use. They
can be found on vans, pickup trucks, SUVs, and for off-road use at construction
areas Goodyear says that severe conditions might cause partial tire tread
separation, which could result in a car crash and/or vehicle damage. According
to the tire maker, two people were killed in a Texas rollover accident
last year involving a motor vehicle that used the now-recalled tires.
Tread separation occurs when a tire’s tread comes off its body or
casing. This can lead to a tire blowout, which can cause a driver to lose
control of the vehicle, resulting in a rollover accident and/or a collision
with other vehicles. Vehicles with high gravity centers are especially
prone to rollover due to tread separation.
Unfortunately, tire blowouts and tread separation have resulted in many
injuries and deaths over the years. While there are steps that a motorist
can take to prevent both, including regular maintenance, checking tire
pressure to make sure that they aren’t overinflated or underinflated,
and replacing tires when they are worn, it is still up to the manufacturer
to make sure that the tires that they put out are free of any defects
that could cause them to fail. Common causes of tread separation include
manufacture defects and design defects, including poor bonding, inadequate
quality control, over aged skim stock, using certain solvents on tire
parts, inadequate inspection, and insufficient nylon overlays.
If you or someone you love was injured in a tire defect crash, you should
contact an experienced auto products liability law firm right away. While
going after a large manufacturer can seem like an intimidating task, with
the right tread separation law firm standing by you, you increase your
chances of financial recovery.
In December 2010, the Nevada Supreme Court upheld a $32.2 million tire
blowout verdict against Goodyear over a Utah 15-passenger van accident
that killed three family members in 2004. Ford Motor Co. and Valley View
Hitch and Truck Rental Company also settled the wrongful deaths claims
filed by surviving relatives.
The year before, a 12-year-old boy was awarded a $12 million auto products
liability verdict after he was paralyzed in a 2006 motor vehicle crash
in Mexico. Michelin & Cie had manufactured the Goodrich tire that
failed, causing the driver of the pickup to collide into a Chevy suburban.
All of the people in the SUV, including four kids younger than 14, died.
Guzman and others in the pickup sustained injuries. His spinal cord injury
has left him paralyzed.
Goodyear Recalls Wrangler Silent Armor Tires, Fox Business/Reuters, February 27, 2012
More Blog Posts:
$32.2M Goodyear Tire Blowout Verdict Upheld by the Nevada Supreme Court
in Deadly 2004 Utah 15-Passenger Van Crash–Again, Product Liability
Law Blog, January 11, 2012
12-Year-Old Awarded $12 Million Tire Defect Verdict Against Michelin,
Product Liability Law Blog, September 29, 2009
Recently Recalled Honda Civic Blamed in Georgia Air Bag Defect Lawsuit,
Product Liability Law Blog, December 31, 2011
Our tire defect law firm represents clients with civil cases against tire manufacturers. Contact The Gilbert Law Group® today.
