Blog Topic

Potential Danger Arises from China-Made Defective Tires
June 19, 2008

You can add another name to the long list of China-made goods entering the country that have the potential to cause harm, or have already injured people, and this time the potential for injuries and fatalities is huge. In fact, according the Christian Science Monitor, the summer driving season could pose a great risk to millions of Americans who are at risk of injury.

The product is a tire valve stem, that rubber shaft in your tire that allows it to be filled with air. Automakers are choosing to outsource manufacturing to China, and the bad news is that there are defects in the tire valve, and that there are millions of cars fitted with such defective tires around the country.

It hasn't received the public outcry that greeted the reports of lead paint in toys or poisonous pet food made in China, but a recent lawsuit in the case of a Florida driver who was killed by a defective tire like this has put the focus on the next line of worrisome products from abroad. At least one American importer has recalled its tires, while the NHTSA has already set up an investigation into the tire defects.

This means that any clarification into the extent of the problem - an estimated 36 million defective tires could be fitted in vehicles on the streets - will have to come after the NHTSA completes its investigation. In the meantime time, it's summer, and American families will take to the freeways in record numbers...possibly in cars that come with defective tire valves.

In November, Robert Monk of Orlando Florida was killed when his car rolled over after the tire valve on its tire failed. His widow brought a lawsuit against Dill Air Controls Products, the company that distributes the tire valves, and blamed the defective tire valves for the accident. Soon after the lawsuit was filed, the company notified the NHTSA of a possible tire defect. In May, the company issued a technical bulletin to its customers that warned of cracks in the surface of the rubber, and asked all of them to check the valve stem when vehicles came in for servicing.

Unfortunately, a technical bulletin doesn't do much to raise public awareness, especially during the busy summer season. Attorneys for Monk's widow say that while attention is being placed on the defective tires, more needs to be done to raise awareness of the magnitude of the problem. Add to that the fact that the tire valve cracks are expected to begin developing as soon as six months after beginning use, and you have a potential serious problem that's looming on the horizon.

For now, the NHTSA has not felt the need for a national alert. The Consumer Products Safety Commission is still not empowered to warn of unsafe products before investigations confirm their defects. After the outrage over the China-made lead-coated toys last year, Congress acted quickly to assuage public concern to enhance the power of the CPSC to enable it to issue warnings on defective products. But the bill has not been passed yet.

And while these bureaucratic hurdles are stalling progress, millions are right now are packing up their gear and settling down for long cross-country drives, in vehicles that have defective tires that are prone to failing.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of defective tires. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

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