Judah Baldwin Injured in Tire Blowout Crash on Frankford Ave in Lubbock, TX
Lubbock, TX — June 21, 2022, Judah Baldwin was injured in a tire blowout accident on North Frankford Avenue in Lubbock.
According to reports the incident happened Tuesday along North Frankford. Baldwin was reportedly headed home from work when a tire on his car blew for unknown reasons. The car swerved into a telephone pole, heavily damaging it.
Nearby onlookers ran to the scene and found Baldwin had been ejected in the crash. He was lying unconscious nearby with serious injuries, but was alive. He was transported to an area hospital for treatment.
No further information is currently available.
Commentary on Judah Baldwin Accident in Lubbock
People have an unfortunate tendency to write tire blowout accidents off. The general assumption is that something in the road--vehicle debris, a loose nail--kicked up and not much can be done about holding anyone responsible for that. However, that isn't the only possible explanation. What if the tire was defective?
It's one thing if something on the road punched through the tire, but it's another entirely if it failed due to poor design or fabrication by its makers. Under those circumstances the tire's manufacturer may be liable for a crash caused by their faulty product. Such defects aren't particularly common, but they do happen and are often overlooked by investigators who don't know how to recognize their signs.
Distinguishing a defect from a typical tire blowout can be pretty complex and requires certain tools and forensic training. Police rarely prioritize tire reconstruction, though, and don't often train street-level officers to make heads or tails of why a tire gave way. When that happens and the cause isn't clear, I often suggest letting independent experts with the right equipment and know-how have a closer look.
If a defective tire was at the root of this crash, its maker may have a duty to help the person hurt by it. Beyond that, the manufacturer might also need to recall other tires from that production run or else risk thousands of other vehicles crashing in the same way. Hopefully appropriate care will be taken to learn the whole story and the right steps be taken once the facts are in.
