An M&T truck driver was critically injured yesterday when a tractor trailer tire burst and struck him in the face and head. According to the Watertown Daily Times, the driver was waiting at the M&T garage while a mechanic filled the tire to 120 pounds and, following OSHA guidelines, placed the tire in a cage for approximately two hours. After the tire was removed from the cage, but before it was placed on the tractor trailer, the driver re-checked the pressure. At that time, the tire exploded. The driver, who was knocked unconscious in the explosion, was transported by South Jefferson Ambulance to Upstate Hospital in Syracuse where he is receiving treatment for head and face injuries.
Police believe that the tire exploded because the bead around the rim of the tire had not sealed. The accident is under investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
According to the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration, more than five hundred non-crash related car fatalities occur each year. The number nine cause of death on the list is tire explosions. Also on the list are carbon monoxide poisoning, vehicle fires, hyperthermia, hypothermia, vehicle window asphyxia, electrocution, and drowning.
The trial lawyers at Bottar Law, PLLC, have decades of experience investigating, prosecuting and trying to verdict all types of product liability and explosion cases, including cases involving overinflated tires, tires with defective steel belting and tires manufactured with poor quality rubber. If your or a loved one have been injured by a defective product, such as a burst tire, you and/or your family may be entitled to compensation for lifelong health care, medical expenses, medical bills, loss of income, and pain and suffering.
To discuss your case or concerns with an experienced Central New York product liability and unsafe product attorney, contact Bottar Law, PLLC now at (315) 422-3466, (800) 336-LAWS, or by e-mail at info@bottarleone.com.