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Did Your Vehicle’s “Shoes,” (Your Tires) Cause Your Rollover Accident?
The weight of your car or truck on the tire presses its’ surface into a flat spot when it comes in contact with the road. This area where “the rubber meets the road” is known as the “contact patch.” As the round shape of the tire bends in response to the road surface, the contact patch becomes compressed. This compression produces energy that is released in the form of heat on the tire’s surface. A rule of simple physics states that whenever energy is released due to any sort of physical activity, it produces heat. With tires, that heat can be very high.
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This rolling tire compression’s heat combines with even more heat that is generated inside your tire, which is another source of friction that is caused by compression of the air inside the tire itself under the weight of the vehicle as the tire rolls over the road. So the combined heat generated by a rolling tire and the weight it must bear as your vehicle moves, forces a drastic change, and increased stress on your tire’s rubber outer structure. This combined stress is bad enough during the winter. But in summer, the typical Texas heat can make a tire’s surface absolutely brutal. Some hot summer afternoon after you’ve driven your car for a few hours and then park it, touch one of your tires. Its surface heat can be as high as 400 degrees Fahrenheit. You could fry an egg on the surface of your tires. We guarantee your hand won’t be there for longer than a nanosecond.
Understanding the properties that govern tire performance is important. A tire’s many characteristics, the numerous different stresses they are subjected to, how durable they are meant to be, and how defects in the way they are made, mounted or maintained, along with whether the tires you have are the right ones for your car, minivan or pickup, all directly or indirectly contribute to a serious defective tire rollover accident.
When thinking about all of these different elements and considering that the contact patches on four tires are little more than three or four cubic feet, you can better-appreciate just how crucial the tire is in terms of safe handling and supporting a two, three or four thousand pound auto. So in addition to tire durability, it is also the job of your car’s manufacturer to perform the right calculations to determine the best tire for each vehicle. And sometimes the manufacturer or the store that sold you the tires simply makes the wrong choice. Maybe such a mistake was made to yours. Sometimes in a tire retailer’s effort to give you a price you will accept, they might sell you the wrong tire just to make the sale.
For over 30 years our Law Firm has helped many victims, and their families, of a defective tire, or a blowout or rollover accident. If you or a loved one has suffered from such an accident, it is best for you to call us today to arrange a free consultation with one of our experienced accident injury lawyers. We answer all of your questions and explain the ramifications from the specific details of your case. If we agree to work together, we can help you on the road to recovery by relieving you of the vital task of winning the rightful damage compensation you need and give justice and peace of mind to you and your family.