Chalik & Chalik, P.A., is currently handling tire defect cases arising from the defective design and production of tires, which result in catastrophic injuries.

We recently settled a defective tire case involving a large vehicle manufacturer that sold its vehicle with a defective spare tire. That spare tire was placed in the driving position and within four months of being on the road, the tire suffered a tread belt separation which caused the vehicle to spin out of control and flip three times, landing upside down on a highway guardrail.

Tragically, the driver, a 23 year old man, suffered a catastrophic brain injury that has left him trapped in his own body. He is completely aware of his physical limitations, and communicates nonverbally with the use of a letter board. As a result of that defective tire, this young man is unable to walk, talk, or eat on his own.

Through aggressive litigation, and touch negotiation, the Florida tire defect lawyers at Chalik & Chalik settled with the vehicle manufacturer for a confidential sum that will allow this young man to continue receiving the care that he requires at the Florida Institute for Neurologic Rehabilitation (FINR) brain injury institute, where he has resided since October 2008. The case is still pending against the tire manufacturer.

In recent years, tread separation has caused the recall of, among others, defective Goodyear tires, defective Dunlop tires, and defective Michelin tires. Common tire defects include...

• Tire separation, where the tire tread separates from the tire
• Tire blowout
• Tire or rim explosion
• Non-uniformity of tires
• Tires that wear unevenly

Tire date coding and driving on aging tires are related consumer safety issues that Florida drivers may not know about. To learn more about determining the age of your tires, see our Tire Date Coding and Florida Driving Safety webpage.

The accounts of recent trials, verdicts and settlements contained in this Newsletter are intended to illustrate the experience of the firm in a variety of litigation areas. Each case is unique, and the results in one case do not necessarily indicate the quality or value of any other case.