How Truck Tire Blowouts Cause Accidents

Friday, June 20, 2025

How Truck Tire Blowouts Cause Accidents

Written by Malman Law, reviewed by Steve J. Malman.

Truck tire blowouts are often preventable. Yet, truck drivers and trucking companies fail to take the necessary steps to prevent them. When their negligence cause harm to an innocent motorist or passenger, they deserve compensation.

Semi-trucks are a staple of the American economy. Whether they know it or not, people rely on them to have local goods available to purchase and receive their mail. For as much benefit as they provide, big rigs are also dangerous. They are much larger and weigh more than most other vehicles on the road. As such, they require more time and distance to stop. If they can’t stop in time, they typically do more damage and cause more severe injuries than if they were a passenger vehicle.

One of many common causes of truck accidents is tire blowouts. If you were recently in an accident, it’s essential to seek legal help. An experienced Chicago truck accident lawyer can investigate the cause of your accident to help you pursue compensation for your injuries.

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What Causes a Truck Tire Blowout?

Poor Tire Maintenance

Neglecting proper maintenance is one of the leading causes of truck tire blowouts. When tires are not regularly inspected, rotated, or replaced, they become vulnerable to sudden failure, especially under the intense demands of long-haul trucking. 

Maintenance lapses such as failing to monitor air pressure, ignoring signs of tread wear, or skipping manufacturer-recommended servicing intervals significantly increase the risk of a blowout. Common maintenance-related contributors include:

• Under-inflated or over-inflated tires
• Worn or uneven tread
• Overloading the truck beyond manufacturer recommendations
• Failure to replace aging tires
• Lack of routine inspections

Truck companies and drivers are legally obligated to inspect tires before and after every long-haul route. When they cut corners, they risk lives, and the consequences can quickly escalate into a serious truck tire blowout accident that endangers everyone on the roadway.

Road Hazards & Potholes

Road conditions play a pivotal role in many blowout cases. In Illinois, heavy snowfall, salt, and seasonal temperature fluctuations contribute to the formation of potholes. When a truck tire strikes a sharp or deep pothole, especially at high speeds, it may rupture instantly. These events often result in a dangerous truck tire blowout accident that can cause a truck to veer unpredictably, endangering nearby vehicles and pedestrians. Damaged roads may also be littered with debris or hidden hazards, increasing the risk of sudden tire failure.

In cases involving road maintenance issues, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) outlines that liability for a road hazard only applies if the agency had prior notice and a reasonable amount of time to fix or warn of the issue.

How Blowouts Lead to Accidents

Immediately after a truck tire blowout, several things can happen to cause an accident. Parts of the tire and other debris can become obstacles in the road or impede vision and cause other drivers to crash. The truck driver can lose control of the big rig and hit another vehicle. It might also cause the truck to swerve into another lane, into oncoming traffic, or even roll over.

Who is Liable for a Truck Tire Blowout Accident?

Liability can fall on multiple parties depending on the circumstances of the accident. In some instances, a truck driver may be found negligent for not performing routine inspections. According to the IDOT, a trucking company could also be liable for failing to maintain its fleet or for improperly training its staff. Furthermore:

• Tire manufacturers might be accountable if the tire was found to be defective.
• Cargo handlers may share responsibility if uneven or excessive loading contributed to the tire failure.
• Government entities such as the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) could be held partially liable if poor road conditions played a role. However, according to IDOT and the Illinois Court of Claims, the agency is not a general insurer of drivers. IDOT can only be held responsible if it had prior notice of the road hazard and sufficient time to fix or warn about the issue.

Each claim must be carefully analyzed using evidence like vehicle maintenance records, crash scene analysis, and electronic data to determine responsibility.

How to Prove Liability After a Truck Accident Caused by a Tire Blowout

Proving fault in a truck tire blowout crash involves collecting multiple layers of evidence. Legal teams typically initiate investigations immediately after the incident to preserve critical documentation and ensure witnesses’ memories remain fresh. The complexity of truck accidents requires a coordinated approach to identify negligence accurately.

Key evidence includes:

• Driver logs and inspection reports that reveal if safety checks were properly conducted.
• Maintenance records from the trucking company, which may expose systemic neglect or falsified logs.
• Eyewitness statements corroborating the driver’s behavior and road conditions.
• Surveillance or dashcam footage showing tire failure, swerving, or impact sequences.
• Data from the truck’s electronic control module (ECM), often used to verify speed, braking, and mechanical alerts.
• Tire residue analysis and high-resolution scene photographs for forensic review.

Legal professionals also obtain expert evaluations from forensic tire engineers, accident reconstructionists, and compliance specialists. These experts assess whether the tire suffered a manufacturing defect, whether maintenance schedules were followed, and how the load balance impacted pressure or tread wear.

In some cases, attorneys issue a litigation hold (preservation letter) to prevent the trucking company from destroying key evidence, such as digital recordings or internal records. 

Prompt legal action is essential to avoid spoliation of evidence, as many systems auto-delete or overwrite data after short intervals. The ability to reconstruct the sequence of events with accuracy is often what tips the scales in a liability dispute.

Malman Law’s founder Attorney Steven Malman has over 30 years of experience handling personal injury, nursing home, medical malpractice, premises liability, construction and workers’ compensation cases.

STEVE J. MALMAN

Founding Attorney

What Compensation Can You Recover After a Truck Tire Blowout Crash?

Victims of truck tire blowout crashes may be entitled to substantial compensation. The amount and type of damages available depend on the extent of injury, loss, and long-term impact. Potential recovery includes:

• Medical expenses (emergency care, surgery, rehabilitation)
• Lost income and reduced earning potential
• Pain and suffering
• Property damage
• Disability or disfigurement
• Emotional trauma
• Loss of consortium (companionship, spousal support)

Beyond the more apparent physical injuries sustained in a truck tire blowout accident, victims frequently experience long-term impacts that affect their emotional well-being, independence, and day-to-day quality of life. 

Compensation may be available for chronic pain, ongoing psychological treatment, mobility restrictions, and diminished capacity to enjoy activities or return to one’s profession. 

When the crash severely alters daily functioning, legal claims can also account for vocational rehabilitation costs and home modifications. These types of non-economic damages are crucial to restoring a sense of stability after a traumatic accident.

How Long Do I Have to File a Claim in Illinois?

In Illinois, individuals pursuing compensation for personal injury typically have a two-year statute of limitations. This period begins on the date the injury occurred and applies to both personal injury and wrongful death claims. Missing this legal window typically results in a forfeiture of the right to file. 

This legal timeframe is clearly stated in Illinois Compiled Statutes (735 ILCS 5/13-202). Consulting with an experienced attorney early ensures that your claim is filed properly and on time. Legal counsel can also evaluate whether any exceptions may apply to your case, such as delayed discovery of injury, mental incapacity, or claims involving public entities where shorter deadlines may apply.

If you or someone you love was injured in a truck tire blowout accident, it is especially critical to act within this timeframe. The opportunity to hold the responsible party accountable and recover damages could be permanently lost if the deadline passes.

Did a Tire Blowout Cause Your Accident? Contact an Experienced Chicago Truck Lawyer

At Malman Law, we know how devastating truck accident injuries can be. Our skilled truck attorneys work hard to seek justice on behalf of our clients and ensure that they seek and receive a fair amount of compensation that covers their losses. Schedule your free consultation by calling (312) 629-0099 or using our online contact form.