Defective Tire Accidents in California: Blowouts & Product Liability

Key Takeaways

• Strict Product Liability: Under California law, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers can be held strictly liable for injuries caused by defective tires without needing to prove direct manufacturer negligence.
• Three Product Defect Types: Tire defect claims generally stem from manufacturing defects (deviations from design specs during assembly), design defects (inherent flaws failing safety expectations or risk-benefit tests), or inadequate warnings/instructions (failure to warn of hazards or improper installation instructions).
• Significant Crash Cause: According to NHTSA statistics, approximately 35% of all vehicle crash issues stemming from mechanical failures are directly related to tire problems such as sudden blowouts or tread separation.
• Chain of Distribution Accountability: Legal claims can target multiple entities along the distribution chain, including tire manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, automotive dealerships, and maintenance shops.
• Statute of Limitations: California personal injury claims resulting from a defective tire blowout generally carry a two-year deadline from the date of the crash (Cal. Civ. Proc. § 335.1).

When you purchase tires, you expect them to have proper materials and design to avoid failure while you are driving. Unfortunately, some defective tires make it onto the market, and they can blow out or otherwise cause a driver to lose control and crash. If you believe this happened to you, a law firm handling defective products cases can assess your rights.

What is a Defect?

Under California law, a product can be found to be defective if there is a manufacturing defect, a provable flaw in the design, or the product’s instructions were not adequate to guide in the proper assembly or use of the product for the intended purpose.

1. Manufacturing Defect. A manufacturing defect is proven if by the time the product left the manufacturing facility or control, the product differed from the manufacturer’s design or specifications for the same product or the product differed from other typical units from the same product line.
2. Design Defect. Under California law, a product is defective in design if either the product fails to perform as safely as an ordinary user would expect, or the risk of danger inherent in the defective design outweighs the benefits of the design.
3. Inadequate Instructions or Warnings. Manufacturers are required to provide instructions that are adequately explained or illustrated for a consumer of a good or product to follow and safely assemble or use the product. They are also required to provide warnings of known hazards in the use of the product. If either or both are not done, then the manufacturer could be held liable under the product liability law.

Tire Defects and Accidents

An issue or failure of your car or truck tire can cause your vehicle to go out of control and possibly cause an auto accident with serious injuries or fatalities. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately 2% of all vehicle crashes are caused by issues or problems with the vehicle itself, and out of these, about 35% are related to tire issues or problems.

When a car or truck accident occurs due to a tire problem such as a blowout while the vehicle is being driven, one of the factors to be determined is whether the tire’s failure is the result of a defect in the tire manufacturing or design.

If there is evidence that the tire had a defect when it left the manufacturer’s control or that there is a defect in the design, then our experienced products liability lawyers can help in holding the manufacturer and those who made the tire available to the injured victim liable under the products liability law.

Even if there is no manufacturing defect or design found, the manufacturers and others on the chain from manufacturing to sales or distribution could be held liable if the instructions that came with the tire were not adequate to prevent unsafe installation or use of the tire.

A San Francisco, CA Tire Defect Lawyer Can Help

If you have been involved in an accident caused by a defective tire, Contact The Cartwright Law Firm at (415) 433-0444 for experienced guidance on your case and advice on how to best proceed to get proper compensation for your injuries.

awards and accolades

Elijah E.

I cannot recommend Cartwright Law Firm and Andrew Ratto highly enough. He helped me through a very difficult time in my life and I do not know how I would have managed to get through it without the firm's professional guidance and support.

Justin G.

Everyone at the Cartwright Firm is very likeable. The attorneys and staff are kind, thoughtful, and sincere. They helped walk me through the entire process and were patient when explaining the legal jargon I didn't understand. It is clear they not only really care about your claim, but care about making sure you understand whats going on. Can't recommend them enough!

Bill K.

I worked with the Cartwright law Firm over 20 years ago and on a recent trip to San Francisco I met with Rob and his team of Attorneys for over 2 hours to get an opinion on a legal matter. I was extremely impressed at the professional attitude and real caring I received from their office. Please feel free to watch my VIDEO review vid.us/57pftr

Jason H.

I did not even have to take one step into a court room! I had an amazing experience with Robert Cartwright and his team. They walked me through every step, kept me well informed along the way, and I definitely recommend them to anyone having legal issues.

Alex M.

I recently had a serious altercation with an Uber driver. The Cartwright Law Firm was able to quickly and efficiently evaluate the merits of my case. They are very polite and great to work with. I would recommend The Cartwright Law Firm to any person who needs an experienced, aggressive firm to assist them in their injury case.

Justin B.

They were willing to take my case after being denied by other law firms, and was able to get me a great settlement. I did not event have to take one step in the court room! Highly recommended for any of your legal needs.

Nicole T.

The Cartwright Law Firm is very professional and responsive to client needs. I recently had a personal injury case in which David Yen, and an associate from their firm, was able to obtain a fabulous result for me, and I never even had to step into the court room. Thank you again The Cartwright Law Firm!

View More Reviews on Google Maps and Yelp