Truck Tire Failure Lawsuit in Michigan

Michigan highways and job-site routes see heavy commercial truck traffic year-round—from I-75 and I-94 to industrial corridors, construction zones, and two-lane routes that connect plants, warehouses, and work sites. With that volume of tractor-trailers, dump trucks, box trucks, and flatbeds, tire-related failures aren’t rare—and when they happen at speed, the results can be devastating.

A sudden tire failure can cause a violent loss of control, debris strikes, rollovers, and chain-reaction crashes. One moment traffic is moving normally; the next, a blowout or tread separation sends a truck drifting into adjacent lanes, jackknifing across traffic, or shedding heavy debris that other drivers can’t avoid. Passenger vehicles don’t stand a chance against the weight and momentum of a commercial rig—especially when the crash unfolds without warning.

When a tire blowout or tread separation is preventable, accountability may extend beyond the truck driver. Tire failure cases often involve bigger questions: Was the tire worn past safe limits? Was it underinflated, overloaded, improperly repaired, or incorrectly installed? Did a maintenance provider miss obvious warning signs? Was the tire or retread defective? Identifying the true cause matters—because it determines who is responsible and which insurance or corporate defendants may be on the hook.

Who Can Be Liable in a Michigan Truck Tire Failure Lawsuit?

The Truck Driver

A driver may share responsibility when the failure followed warning signs that were ignored or basic safety checks weren’t done, such as:

• Failure to inspect tires during required walkarounds 
• Ignoring vibration/handling warnings or continuing to drive after a tire shows clear signs of danger
• Unsafe driving after warning signs, including excessive speed, aggressive lane changes, or continuing operation when a tire is clearly compromised

The Trucking Company / Motor Carrier

In many cases, the motor carrier’s decisions set the stage for failure. The trucking company may be liable for:

• Negligent maintenance policies (delaying replacements, stretching service intervals, ignoring known tire problems)
• Unrealistic schedules that pressure drivers to keep moving instead of addressing equipment issues
• Training failures (not training drivers to identify warning signs or to take unsafe equipment out of service)
• Hiring/retention issues and compliance gaps, including failures to enforce inspection and maintenance programs

Maintenance Provider / Repair Shop

Tire failure cases commonly involve third-party shops that mounted, repaired, or inspected the tires. Liability may exist for:

• Negligent inspection (missing obvious defects or failing to identify unsafe conditions)
• Improper mounting (bead seating issues, wrong tire size, rim problems)
• Bad repairs (unsafe patching/plugging, failure to address casing damage)
• Missed defects that a competent shop should have caught before the truck returned to the road

Tire Manufacturer

If the failure is tied to a defect, the manufacturer may be responsible under product liability theories, including:

• Design defect
• Manufacturing defect
• Inadequate warnings/instructions 

Distributor / Seller 

Depending on the facts, other entities in the chain of distribution may also be involved:

• Sale of a defective tire
• Responsibility tied to product distribution and supply 

Retread Company

Retreads are common in commercial trucking and can be safe when done properly—but failures can occur if the retread process is defective. A retread company may be liable for:

• Defective retread process
• Casing inspection failures 
• Bonding defects that lead to tread separation

Trailer Owner / Equipment Lessor

In trucking, equipment ownership is often split: one entity owns the tractor, another owns the trailer, another leases equipment. Liability can be shared when:

• The trailer owner controls maintenance
• An equipment lessor is responsible for inspection and upkeep
• Maintenance responsibilities are divided by contract (and not followed)

Shipper / Loader 

Overloading and improper loading can overstress tires and contribute to failure. In certain cases, a shipper or loader may share responsibility for:

• Overloading
• Improper loading or weight distribution that increases tire heat and stress

Key Safety Rules and Standards That Often Matter

Federal Tire Safety Rules for Commercial Vehicles

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations include specific tire requirements for commercial vehicles, including inflation, condition, and defect prohibitions under 49 CFR § 393.75. 

This regulation addresses issues such as:

• Operating a vehicle with tire inflation pressure below what’s required for the load
• Prohibited tire conditions (such as exposed belt material/body ply)
• Minimum tread depth requirements (including 4/32 inch on front tires of trucks/truck tractors and 2/32 inch on other positions) 

Inspection and Maintenance Expectations

Federal rules also emphasize inspection—because a dangerous tire condition is often visible before it becomes catastrophic.

• Pre-trip inspection duty (driver): Drivers must be satisfied the vehicle is in safe operating condition and review prior inspection reports under 49 CFR § 396.13. 
• Post-trip/DVIR reporting (driver): Drivers must prepare a written inspection report at the end of the day identifying defects that could affect safety or cause breakdown under 49 CFR § 396.11, with certain exceptions. 
• Carrier responsibility: FMCSA guidance explains that the motor carrier (or agent) must certify repairs for defects listed on inspection reports or certify that immediate repair is unnecessary. 

Industry Standards and Best Practices

Beyond minimum federal requirements, trucking and tire safety also rely on common industry practices that help prevent blowouts and tread separations, such as:

• Tire age/condition policies (removal thresholds, casing inspection standards, replacement intervals)
• Torque specifications and proper installation practices (to reduce mounting/bead issues)
• Rotation and alignment practices (to prevent uneven wear and heat buildup)
• Load/inflation charts and load rating compliance (matching tire pressure to axle weight and conditions)

Evidence That Can Make or Break a Truck Tire Failure Lawsuit

Preserve the Tire and Wheel Assembly Immediately

This is the single most important step.

• Spoliation risk: the tire is the key piece of evidence. If it’s destroyed, repaired, or discarded, proving defect vs. maintenance failure becomes far harder.
• Chain of custody and secure storage: the tire (and often the wheel/rim, valve, and related components) should be preserved in a way that can be documented—who had it, where it was stored, and that it wasn’t altered.

Scene Evidence

The crash scene often tells the first chapter of the story—how the failure unfolded and what it caused.

• Photos/videos of:
  
  • Debris field
  • Skid marks and yaw marks 
  • Gouge marks and impact points
  • Vehicle damage and final positions
  • Road conditions
• Dashcam footage
• Nearby business/traffic camera footage
• Witness statements documenting what they saw: sudden tread shedding, the truck swerving, debris striking vehicles, or the chain reaction that followed

. Truck Records and Electronic Data

Commercial trucks generate paper trails—and those records often show what was missed.

• Maintenance/inspection logs and service history
• Tire purchase and retread records
• Repair invoices and mounting documentation
• Driver inspection reports 
• Load tickets, bills of lading, trip documents 
• ELD/telematics and other electronic data

Expert Inspection and Testing

In many tire failure cases, experts are what turn “it blew” into “here’s why it blew.”

• Tire forensics to identify failure mode
• Metallurgical/material analysis when belts, beads, rims, or components are involved
• Accident reconstruction to connect the tire failure to the crash mechanics

Damages You May Be Able to Recover

Economic Losses

These are the measurable financial costs, including:

• Medical expenses (past and future): ER care, surgery, hospitalization, imaging, specialist care, physical therapy, medication, and future treatment needs
• Rehabilitation and assistive care: PT/OT, home health assistance, mobility devices
• Lost wages and loss of earning capacity if injuries reduce your ability to work now or in the future
• Out-of-pocket costs: prescriptions, transportation to care, medical equipment
• Home modifications when injuries require accessibility changes

Non-Economic Harms

These reflect the human cost beyond bills:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress and trauma, including PTSD symptoms after a catastrophic crash
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Scarring and disfigurement, when the crash causes permanent visible injury

Wrongful Death Damages

When a tire failure crash is fatal, damages may include:

• Loss of companionship and support
• Death-related losses tied to the preventable nature of the event and its impact on the family

Start a Michigan Truck Tire Failure Investigation Now

Tire-failure cases are evidence-driven—preserving the tire, records, and electronic data early can change the outcome. In the days after a crash, the most important proof can disappear: the blown tire may be discarded, the wheel assembly may be separated, maintenance logs can “go missing,” and electronic data may be overwritten. Trucking companies, maintenance vendors, and insurers often move fast after a serious incident, and the story can get framed as an unavoidable “road hazard” unless the evidence is secured and the cause is properly investigated.

If you were injured—or lost a loved one—in a crash tied to a truck tire blowout, tread separation, or road gator debris, you deserve clear answers and a team prepared to pursue every responsible party. These cases can involve more than a driver: motor carriers, repair shops, retread companies, tire manufacturers, and others may share responsibility depending on what failed and why. The right legal approach starts with immediate preservation and a thorough, detail-driven investigation that follows the evidence wherever it leads.

Call Today to Preserve Evidence and Protect Your Rights

Contact Liss, Shapero & Mitnick
2695 Coolidge Highway
Berkley, MI 48072
Phone: 248-584-1300
Toll Free: 1-855-LISS-LAW (1-855-547-7529)
Fax: 248-584-1323

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