Multi- Piece wheels have been killing and injuring people who work on them as well as bystanders for years. Each multi-piece wheel is unique and has different issues that can make it dangerous for people working on the wheels to take them apart and reassemble them safely. The manufacturers of multi-piece wheels have tried through OSHA regulations to put the fault on the user of the wheel when the fault lies with the wheel’s design.
On January 17, 2011, A 29-year-old man is in critical condition after an accident while inflating a dump truck tire. It happened at Best Auto Repair in Arnold. Tim Jacobs, who runs Auto Bodies Unlimited next door, said he heard an explosion and everyone in his business went running over.
It was the sound of a wheel blowing apart, the rusted rim of a dump truck turning into a projectile. A 29-year-old employee was struck and critically injured.
“The rim had rusted in half through the center, and the whole outer half of the wheel came out and hit him in the head,” Jacobs said.
“The force and the concussion of that explosion knocked him back several feet and the man sustained extensive damage, serious injuries to his face and his head,” said Ron Harder of the Rock Community Fire Protection District.
Witnesses said he was just supposed to be filling up the tires when this happened. They said it’s something no one could have predicted.
Still, Jacobs said these so-called split rims are notoriously dangerous. He said people used to work on them in protective cages because there was often a problem with explosions. They are rarely used now, but some older trucks, still have them.
“It should have been made a law, I think, that all of them would be taken off of the trucks, that anybody with a truck with them had a certain amount of time to have them changed out,” Jacobs said. The victim in this case was rushed to St. Anthony’s Medical Center. And all friends can do now is wait for news.
Carey, Danis & Lowe has a special focus on lawsuits involving defective or dangerous products, or failure to warn about a product’s danger, including multi-piece wheels. In May 2000 Jeff Lowe was one of the lead attorneys that obtained a 105 Million Dollar verdict against Firestone for a defective multi-piece wheel. This area of the law applies to almost any consumer goods – clothing, toys, food, prescription and over-the-counter drugs, household furnishings and much more. Federal regulators are responsible for regulating the safety of many of these products, but unfortunately, they aren’t always ahead of the companies they regulate. And even when they do take action, people who have already been hurt by a defective product cannot benefit. Our southern Illinois dangerous product attorneys help clients recover compensation for the costs and pain of their injuries. That includes medical costs and lost income as well as compensation for pain, suffering and any death or disability.
If you or someone you love was seriously hurt by a defective product in Missouri or Illinois, Carey, Danis & Lowe can help. To learn more about us or set up a free consultation, send us a message online or call toll-free at 1-877-678-3400.
