Does my car insurance cover damage caused by a blown tire?

Every year, blown tires and other tire malfunctions cause thousands of car crashes. Tire blowouts occur when your vehicle’s tire explodes or when there’s a very fast loss of your tire’s air pressure.

This typically results in a driver losing control of the car as they drive, often leading to a crash with another vehicle or an object. Even if you manage to get your car safely to the side of the road, your car may still sustain damage to your car’s rims and other components. That’s where your car insurance comes in.

How a tire blowout is viewed by your car insurance policy is based on your specific circumstances. If you’re wondering, “Does my car insurance cover damage caused by a blown tire?” the answer unfortunately varies on a case-by-case basis.

Here’s what you need to know about how to correctly handle a car accident caused by a blown tire, what car insurance companies look for, and how to navigate a tire blowout both on the road and when dealing with your car insurance provider.

How to Prevent and Manage a Blown Tire

Tire blowouts can be scary. There are a few things you can do to lower your risks of a tire blowout, and safely navigate to the side of the road if your tire rapidly loses pressure.

Tire Blowout Prevention

The top causes of a tire blowout include:

• Inadequate tire maintenance: Regular car maintenance, including properly inflating your tires and getting your tires rotated and balanced according to your car manufacturer’s recommendations, will extend the life of your tire.
• Poor tread: Your tire’s tread refers to the actual rubber surface that meets the asphalt. As you lose tread, you’re at an increased risk of a blowout. Every tire is different, but in most cases, tires need to be replaced when the tread is worn down to 2/32 of an inch.
• Tire size: Your vehicle’s manual will indicate the right tire size for your car. When replacing tires, always buy tires that are the correct size.

Even if you take preventative steps, you may still experience a blown tire. But taking the proper steps after a tire blowout can help keep you safe.

Steps to Take When Experiencing a Tire Blowout

What should you do if you have a tire blowout will vary based on the circumstances and the road conditions, but the NHTSA suggests a few basic steps:

• Keep both of your hands on your steering wheel
• Don’t break suddenly, but instead, slowly take your foot off of the accelerator
• Stabilize your car to maintain control, then steer slowly to the side of the road when it’s safe to pull over

Once you’ve pulled over safely, it’s time to ask the pertinent question: Does my car insurance cover damage caused by a blown tire?

This is a different question than, “Does car insurance cover mechanical failure?” In most cases, mechanical breakdown policies deal mainly with issues with your car’s drive train, engine, etc. However, your car insurance may cover damage caused by a blown tire in a few scenarios.

When does my car insurance cover damage caused by a blown tire?

Depending on your state, mandatory car insurance requirements and manufacturer warranties may include:

• Comprehensive car insurance: This covers car damage caused by anything other than a collision, such as weather damage or vandalism.
• Injury insurance: The best personal injury protection (PIP) car insurance companies and the best bodily injury liability (BI) car insurance companies cover any medical bills for you or a third party.
• Collision insurance: The best collision coverage car insurance companies will cover any damages caused to your car if you’re hit by another vehicle.
• Manufacturer’s warranties: If your car or your tires are still covered by the original manufacturer’s warranties, you’re protected from any defects caused by the factory.

Read more: Does my car insurance cover damage caused by a manufacturer’s defect?

Exactly how these different insurance policies affect your blown tire varies based on the coverage you have.

Does comprehensive car insurance cover damage caused by a blown tire?

Comprehensive car insurance may cover damage caused by a blown tire in cases where no other vehicles are involved. For example, if you lose control of your vehicle and hit a median, or if your rims are damaged from driving after a blowout, this insurance policy may help.

However, comprehensive car insurance typically does not pay for any repairs or replacements of the tire itself.

Does personal injury or bodily injury liability insurance cover damage caused by a blown tire?

In many states, PIP and BI insurance is required. BI is a type of liability insurance covers the cost of damage to other parties due to your blown tire and any resulting accidents.

In contrast, PI insurance will help pay for any medical bills that you incur due to a tire blowout-related accident.

Does collision insurance cover damage caused by a blown tire?

In some cases, you may experience a blowout because you were hit by another vehicle. If you have collision coverage, this insurance policy may help to cover the costs of fixing or replacing your damaged tire.

Does a manufacturer’s warranty cover damage caused by a blown tire?

Sometimes, a tire may lose pressure suddenly or explode due to a problem with the tire’s manufacturing and construction. If the tire itself was defective and that led to a blowout, you may be covered by the warranty from the manufacturer.

Case Studies: Car Insurance Coverage for Damage Caused by Blown Tires

Case Study 1: Comprehensive Coverage for Post-Blowout Damages

John was driving on the highway when his tire suddenly blew out, causing him to lose control of his vehicle and collide with the guardrail. Fortunately, John had comprehensive car insurance coverage that included coverage for damages caused by a blown tire. His insurance company covered the costs of repairing the damage to his car’s rims and other components.

Case Study 2: Liability Coverage for Tire Blowout Accidents

Lisa’s tire blew out while she was driving, causing her to veer into the adjacent lane and collide with another vehicle. As a result of the accident, the other driver sustained injuries and his car was damaged. Lisa’s bodily injury liability insurance, as required by her state, covered the medical expenses of the injured driver and the property damage to the other vehicle.

Case Study 3: Manufacturer’s Warranty for Defective Tires

David experienced a tire blowout due to a manufacturing defect in his tire. His vehicle’s tire was still under the manufacturer’s warranty, which covered any damages resulting from such defects. David contacted the tire manufacturer, who replaced his blown tire and covered the costs associated with the damage caused by the blowout.

The Bottom Line on When Car Insurance Covers a Blown Tire

Now that you know how and when does your car insurance cover damage caused by a blown tire, talk to your insurer about the best policies to proactively protect you against costly tire-related accidents and damages.

If you do experience an unfortunate blown tire, notify your car insurance company as soon as possible to see how your existing coverage applies to your incident.