Treading Dangerously

In our last blog, we included information on the dangers of tire delamination. One of Berglund & Johnson's attorneys experienced tire failure first hand:

After hearing a rhythmic, whirring comping from his vehicle while driving, he checked his tires to see if they were causing the noise, but they looked fine. The tires were farily new, properly inflated and had good tread. To be safe, he took his vehicle to a reputable tire expert who examined his tires and found that the tread had begun to separate, known as delamination. Luckily, he caught this in time as accidents resulting from tire delamination have caused severe injuries and death.

One important lesson from all of this: Tires over six years old are dangerous as they begin to dry out, putting them at risk of delamination. It's been reported that many tire dealers have sold tires that have been sitting on the shelf for more than six years.

When purchasing tires, ask the dealer when the tires were manufactured. You can also check a tire's age--those manufactured in the U.S.--by looking for a ecoded manufacturing date, located on either the outside or inside sidewall. Note, that the date printed represents the number of the week and the year the tire was manufactured. For example "4202" means the tire was manufactured the 42nd week of 2002. The number 2391 means it was manufactured the 23rd week of 1991.

Berglund & Johnson attorneys have handled many cases involving tire delamination. If you or someone you know experiences an injury accident caused by tire failure, call us at 1-800-4-IF-HURT ; 1-800-443-4878.