Global Tire Manufacturing Ramps Up Amid Concern About Quality Control, Dangerous Tread Defects

Tire defect experts call for product safety vigilance

As global tire manufacturing ramps back up after  COVID-19 pandemic closings, trial lawyers at Kaster, Lynch, Farrar & Ball (KLF&B) are calling on the industry to be vigilant about quality control and urging regulators and consumers to be on the lookout for defective tires entering the market.

Tire manufacturing depends on precise temperature and humidity settings that affect chemical reactions, as well as complex mechanical adjustments, and any changes in those variables can result in dangerous tread defects, said trial lawyer Wes Ball.

“Tire manufacturing is a complicated process with no room for error,” said Mr. Ball. “These companies have learned that government oversight only goes so far. We fight to hold them accountable when they fail to keep dangerous products out of the marketplace.”

KLF&B attorneys are authorities on litigation involving accidents caused by defective tire treads, including high-profile lawsuits against manufacturers in China, South Korea, Japan and other countries. That work includes obtaining closely guarded internal company documents that have revealed details about design and manufacturing defects. KLF&B is the only U.S. law firm to have secured court orders to inspect Asian tire manufacturing facilities and the only one to actually conduct an inspection of such tire-making plants.

“I am proud to be part of this team of talented lawyers and paralegals who continue to break new ground in uncovering tire defects and their causes,” said firm co-founder Skip Lynch.

In a recent lawsuit against China-based Sailun Jinyu Group, the firm represented the family of a Florida man who died in a truck crash caused by the catastrophic tread failure of a Hercules/Sailun tire. The KLF&B team obtained extensive internal documents and secured a court order allowing inspections of Sailun’s manufacturing facilities. The inspection order was on appeal by Sailun when the case settled.

Material obtained in that lawsuit is being used in litigation on behalf of others injured by defective Sailun tires, including a similar case in Philadelphia.

“These manufacturers operate under a lax regulatory environment that too often allows defective tires to enter the marketplace unnoticed,” said KLF&B trial lawyer Kyle Farrar. “Too often, consumers are left in the dark about product recalls. When these companies fail consumers, we make sure they’re held accountable.”

Category: Featured, Fleet Maintenance, General Update, News, Safety, Wheels & Tires