A common cause of truck and van accidents is tire blowouts. Due to their high center of gravity, if one of these vehicles is traveling at high speed and has a tire blowout, it is more likely to roll over than a car. Michelin North America recently recalled a large number of tires in the United States.

The voluntary recall is for 1.2 million tires because the treads on the tire might come apart, and the tire may experience a rapid loss of air. The tire being recalled is a specific size of the Michelin LTX M/S tire. The number is: LTX M/S LT 225/75R16 115/112R LRE, and it was manufactured between Jan. 10, 2010, and June 23, 2012. The tires were mostly made for Ford E-series vans, some large pickup trucks and small recreational vehicles.

According to a Ford spokesperson, Ford used the tires as original equipment on the 2010 through 2013 models of the E-Series vans. Previously known as the Econoline, the E-Series is a full-size commercial van that is often used as an airport shuttle.

According to reports, Michelin said it had come across the problem through warranty claims, and there were 20 claims from consumers requesting reimbursement for damage to their vehicles. However, there were no reports of injuries.

Drivers should be very careful now that the holidays are coming up, and there will be many people on the roads. Defective tires and tread defects can cause a blowout that can result in a fatal rollover accident or crash. It is very important to take the tires in and get them replaced, which is free.

The recall campaign will officially start Jan. 6, 2014. Owners of vehicles originally equipped with these tires will be contacted by mail.

If a person is involved in an accident and injured due to tire failure, they should make every effort to keep the tire and the vehicle. This will preserve evidence that an attorney will need to build a personal injury case.

Source:  nytimes.com, “Michelin Recalls 1.2 Million Tires” Christopher Jensen, Dec. 14, 2013