Tire defects and resulting injuries have become so extensive in the United States that the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), has developed a Website. The website is called safercar.gov, so that consumers can search current and past NHTSA tire and other suspected faulty automobile equipment failures, such as seat back failure, which has resulted in numerous injuries and subsequent paralysis of auto accident victims.

According to Dr. Georges Desjardins, M.D., FRCPC, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, University of Miami (Florida) Trauma Services, trauma evaluation of the cervical spine and related spinal cord injuries post automobile accident is imperative to the management, and prevention of secondary spinal cord injury complications like hemiplegia, paralysis, and paraplegia. These injuries can result from the velocity and force of severe trauma to the spine and spinal cord post accident. The recovery process is extensive and a great deal of time must be invested in quality spinal cord rehabilitation.

Few injuries have greater potential for causing death or devastating the effects to the quality of daily life than spinal cord trauma. Spine injuries occur in 1.5 – 3% of all major trauma cases. (1) Motor vehicle accidents contribute a whopping 50 – 70% of this figure. Twenty to 75% of spinal fractures are considered unstable and 30 – 70% of these have associated neurological injuries to the spinal cord itself. There is progressive loss of function after the initial impact from trauma to the spinal cord for the first 24 – 72 hours due to associated secondary complications to the site of injury. Many of these secondary complications can be temporary in nature, however over the days following initial trauma. The amount and extent of permanent deficits will reveal themselves and at that point in time, steps toward rehabilitation and extended care can begin to be worked toward.

This is particularly devastating when such a traumatic injury strikes a child. According to research by neurosurgeons Joel MacDonald, M.D. and Michael Finn, M.D.. children and youths under 20 years in age are disproportionately affected by spinal cord injury resulting from accidents, comprising 42% of the head and spine traumas reviewed in their study. Children are at enormous risk of injury because of their underdeveloped motor coordination and physical strength. This can be verified by review of a recent landmark Missouri auto accident case of a 2-year-old girl who was partially paralyzed in a 2007 auto accident where the rear-end collision triggered a secondary seat-back failure. (2) The results of an instant in time will last for the rest of that little girl’s life.

Driving on defective tires can be explained similar to trying to negotiate a sharp curve on a roadway, which has been covered in black ice. It spells trouble and disaster. While regular routine tire maintenance is always a positive step, in the case of defective tires, the tire structure itself may outwardly show no signs of extraordinary wear or tear.

Many times the tire defect manifests itself in the form of a blowout. When a blowout occurs, the tire structure either implodes or explodes and this eliminates any measure of control over the automobile. Without proper control of the vehicle, in many cases the operator hits another vehicle or structure, or in severe cases a vehicle rollover may be experienced.

During such a traumatic crash, spinal cord injury may occur as a result of a secondary impact, as with seat back failure, or the impact itself along with the velocity and unmarked trajectory of the vehicle. It is similar to taking a tender plant and placing it in a wind tunnel. It is nearly impossible for the plant to maintain its alignment under the stress of the wind and its root system, in our case the human spine, may be broken apart or uprooted.

A seat back failure occurs due to rearward collapse of the automobile seat back by, in part, the impact upon the body mass of the occupant. In reviewing U.S. Safety data for nearly every U.S. Automaker in the current market, most have complaints on file relating to seat back failures experienced during or immediately following an automobile accident.

If you have been in an accident and have suffered a spinal cord injury, or are concerned that tire defects may have played a part in your automobile accident, seek out the council of a qualified spinal cord injury lawyer. A spinal cord lawyer will guide you through claims filing and ensure you know your rights and that your rights will be protected.

(1) Trauma.org resource sharing tool used for verification of data.

(2) Family of Aaliyah George – vs – Johnson Controls, Inc., State of Missouri database for verification.

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The Invisible Danger of Aging Tires - AV Rated Injury Lawyer Robert Ammons probes the physical difficulties and the legal process surrounding aging tire cases in this free publication.

Tires That Kill: Tread Defects - How could such a defect be missed during production? Were the victims of these tread defect accidents able to restore their lives after the corporation's deadly oversight? Can it be prevented from happening again? Robert Ammons explores these serious issues and more in this free publication from the Ammons Law Firm.