BATO, which is Bridgestone America’s Tire Operation, says it isn’t responsible for the Illinois bus crash last year that left one dead and dozens injured in Litchfield. The double-decker bus accident happened on August 2, 2012 when a tire blowout caused the Megabus vehicle to leave I-55 and crash into the support pillar of a concrete bridge.
Killed in the deadly traffic crash was 24-year-old Aditi R. Avhad from India. USA Today reported that at least 38 people, almost half the number of passengers, were transported to trauma centers and hospitals.
Media reports said that the bus driver, 25-year-old Preston L. Taylor, was a rookie operator who had his trainer with him that day. Taylor is also a defendant in this bus crash lawsuit, as are Coach Leasing and Megabus. The plaintiffs, Francisco Mirando and Maurine Stellhorn, were two of the passengers on the bus.
Mirando says he sustained permanent injuries to his spine, back, shoulders, neck, face, head, brain, back, and torso. Stellhorn says she sustained injuries to her face, head, arms, jaw, hands, wrists, knees, legs, torso, and ankles. The two of them claim that they still suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder from the bus accident.
The plaintiffs are contending that there were tire defects, including inadequate belt edge protection, insufficient bonding, inadequate warnings, risk of tread separation, improper testing, and unreasonable risk of deflation and puncture. BATO, however, denies the product defect allegations. The tire manufacturer is accusing the plaintiffs of not getting the proper medical care for their injuries right away.
Tire Defects
Tire blowouts can cause serious traffic crash, resulting in catastrophic
injuries for those involved. While tire blowouts can happen because a
tire got punctured or lost air for some other reason, they can also occure
because a tire was defective to begin with or because it was improperly
manufactured or had some other flaw.
Common tire defects that may lead to a blowout:
• Poor construction
• Tread separation
• Design defects
• Tire-shredding
• Adhesion failures
• De-treading
You want to work with a tire defects law firm that knows how to prove negligence and pursue recovery.
With tire failures causing thousands of car accidents annually, this is not a safety issue that can go unremedied.
Also, while a tire blowout can be deadly when any auto is involved, there are certain vehicles, including SUVs and 15-passengers vans that may be more susceptible to a rollover when tire failure happens. Because these vehicles tend to carry more occupants than a regular vehicle, the chances of more casualties and injuries are higher—as is the case when a tire blowout impacts a large bus.
As the plaintiff of a tire defect case, you may have reason to pursue claims not only against the tire maker, but also there may be grounds for a auto products liability lawsuit against the automaker and others that were involved, which is why it is so important that you work with a tire blowout law firm that understands the nature of such incidents and where liability should lie.
