Tire Troubles

It's happened to most of us-- we are driving along when we feel unexpected thumping, signaling a flat tire. It may be frightening at first, but often we maintain control of the car and pull safely onto the shoulder. Upon changing the tire, we find the usual culprits-a nail or other shard of debris wedged in the tread or wall.

There are times when a flat is caused by a defect: A delaminated tire, in which the tread flies off the tire. It is very difficult to maintain control when a tire delaminates. Often the vehicle swerves and then rolls over. One precaution you can take is to visually inspect your tires often and maintain proper air pressure in your tires. If you observe something about a tire that appears abnormal, such as uneven tread wear or lifting of tread, have all tires immediately inspected by a qualified tire professional and do not drive on them for an extended period of time and, especially, do not drive on them at highway speeds.

Also, please note that it is very dangerous to change a tire on the shoulder of a road or highway. Call an emergency roadside service if possible to change the tire. If you are unable to call a service, drive off of the road or highway where you are out of danger of other approaching motorists. It is better to drive on the shoulder to get off the road, and ruin the flattened tire, than to expose yourself to the dangers of other motorists passing by.

Berglund & Johnson is currently handling tire delamination cases that include very serious injuries and fatalities. If this has happened to you or someone you know, call us at 1-800-4-IF-HURT ; 1-800-443-4878. We can help.