Louisville, Kentucky
A blowout can be a maintenance failure, a defective tire or a truck tire left on the road. Each tire blowout accident points to a different responsible party.
Reviewed by Larry Forman, Attorney.
A tire blowout at highway speed can send a car spinning across lanes or into a rollover. Sometimes your own tire fails; sometimes another driver’s does and they lose control; sometimes it’s a strip of truck tread lying in the road. Each scenario points to a different responsible party. Forman & Associates investigates blowout crashes across Kentucky.
Key takeaways

Kentucky’s product liability statutes govern claims against manufacturers and sellers (KRS 411.310, KRS 411.320, KRS 411.340). Some of those rules protect sellers that didn’t make the product, so identifying the manufacturer matters. See product liability lawyer.
Your own PIP coverage pays first, up to $10,000 for medical bills and lost wages regardless of fault, unless you rejected no-fault limits in writing (KRS 304.39-020). To claim pain and suffering from the at-fault driver, you generally need more than $1,000 in medical expenses or a qualifying injury (KRS 304.39-060). Kentucky’s pure comparative fault rule reduces, but doesn’t bar, recovery if you share some fault (KRS 411.182).
Most Kentucky motor vehicle injury claims must be filed within two years of the crash or the last PIP payment, whichever is later (KRS 304.39-230). Wrongful death and claims against government entities can follow different rules. Estimate your dates with our statute of limitations calculator, then confirm them with a lawyer.
Product liability claims against a tire maker may have different deadlines, so talk with a lawyer early.
Possibly, if the tire was defective or a shop made a mistake. PIP pays your medical bills regardless.
If the trucking company can be identified, it may be responsible for a poorly maintained tire. Your uninsured motorist coverage may help if it can’t.
Tires age even when unused. Many manufacturers give age-based replacement guidance. The DOT code shows the manufacture date.
Don’t give up the tire without making sure it will be preserved. Your lawyer can arrange secure storage and inspection.
Keep the tire, then call us. We find out why it failed.
Get a free case evaluation or call 502-931-6788.
This page is general information about Kentucky law as of October 2026, not legal advice. Every case is different.