Faulty Tire Was Likely to Blame for Texas Pickup Crash that Killed 15

A faulty tire appears to have caused a crash that claimed the lives of 15 victims in a pickup truck crash in south Texas.

The victims were illegal immigrants. Officials said 23 people were packed into the pickup truck when it crashed off the highway and hit trees near Goliad, about 90 miles southeast of San Antonio.

Our experienced San Antonio accident injury lawyers reported on the crash this week when 13 people had died. The death toll has now risen to 15, Fox News reported.

"More than likely the crash was caused by front right tire separation," Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Gerald Bryant said, according to the Fox report.

A pickup truck's front tire apparently came apart. Bryant would not say if the tire was worn or if there was a manufacturing issue.

As a Texas defective products injury attorney I have reported before on how faulty tires have led to a loss of life before in Texas, although not on this scale. A manufacturer could be liable or a mechanic who serviced a vehicle.

Earlier this year March 2012 Goodyear announced a recall of more than 41,000 tires over a tread sep­a­ra­tion prob­lem linked to a death in Texas.The recall involved almost 42,000 Wran­gler Silent Armor tires. Goodyear claimed it became aware of the prob­lem after war­ranty claims involv­ing the tires rose in 2010. The tires were man­u­fac­tured in 2009.
In August, 2011 a Silent Armor tire on a Ford F-150 pickup de-treaded at speed, caus­ing a pick-up to skid and rollover in Texas. The acci­dent claimed the lives of Matthew Smith and his pas­sen­ger Ker­ry­beth Hall.

More than a decade ago the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 119 fatalities associated with Firestone tires that were later recalled.

When a tire suddenly blows out or the tire belt peels off and separates, the vehicle may go out of control, especially at high speeds. These accidents are usually single vehicle crashes, although there can be other victims involved.  More than 10,000 people die each year in rollover crashes.

Faulty tires have led to lawsuits. Attorneys act­ing for a cou­ple from Indiana who were killed due to a defec­tive tire seven years ago in Geor­gia, said the tire man­u­fac­turer, Bridge­stone Corp., had made a payout earlier this year.
The couple was killed when a Fire­stone tire on a pickup dri­ven by William Chas­tain exploded in 2005, send­ing his vehi­cle across a median and into their car.

If you have questions about an injury you suffered as a passenger or if a family member was killed, please complete our online contact form or call us at (713) 888-8888 or (281) 888-8888. We provide a free consultation.