Lugnut Spikes Injury Claims

Whether you are on a highway or on the city streets, big rigs can be quite a harrowing sight. Not only are they ginormous, but they can also pose a threat to your physical safety. There is a troubling trend. Certain truck drivers are adding lugnut spikes to their wheels. These dangerous spikes pose a very real danger to other drivers on the road.

Dangerous Lugnut Spikes

Semi-trucks and larger pickup trucks are designed to carry heavy loads. Truck drivers have a duty to drive in a safe and responsible way. But, truckers are people too. They make mistakes while driving. That is why we find lugnut spikes so dangerous. What is their real purpose?

What Are Lugnut Covers?

Lugnut covers protect the bolts that attach the wheels to the vehicle. They protect the lugnuts from normal wear and tear. Lugnut covers are important for trucks. But, some truckers go beyond safety and find decorative or intimidating lugnut covers.

Purpose Of Lugnut Spikes

Lugnut spikes are an accessory to cover the lugs on the front wheels. While lugnut covers are nothing new, spikes are meant for more than to protect the lugs from dirt and moisture. Spikes are purely dangerous. Even at low speeds, plastic lugnut spikes can severely injure a person.

Here is everything you need to know about being injured by lugnut spikes:

Most people, truck drivers included, buy install lugnut spikes for decoration. As a driver, they don’t intend to hurt anyone. But, these drivers don’t think about the harm these spikes could cause in a crash. 

Lugnut Spikes Are Dangerous

Even decorative lugnut spikes can be incredibly dangerous. Not only are they dangerous to your vehicle, but they can also be dangerous to your physical body.

Reasons Drivers Install Lugnut Spikes

There are several reasons why a driver might install lugnut spikes on their vehicle.

Aesthetic Appeal

Some drivers just believe the spikes add to the visual appeal of their vehicle. They are aesthetically appealing and give an intimidating look to the tires. The spikes appear menacing and give a “tough” look to the vehicle.

Intimidation Device

Lugnut spikes are also installed as an intimidation device. They invoke an instinctual response to stay away from the vehicle. Some drivers think this will prevent accidents or aggressive lane-switching by other drivers.

What Are Lugnut Spikes Made Of?

Some lugnut spikes are made of lightweight plastic, coated in metallic paint. Other spikes are made with are made of aluminum alloy or forged steel. They are then coated to protect from corrosion and damage. Even plastic spikes can be harmful in a collision.

Damage from Lugnut Spikes

Not only are lugnut spikes dangerous to other cars, they are also dangerous to people! If you get into a collision with a vehicle with lugnut spikes, it can tear through the metal of your vehicle. The spikes can tear through your vehicle and hit you or your passengers. Additionally, they can pop tires and send you off of the road and injure you and your passengers.

Who Is Responsible?

Lugnut spikes have one true purpose, to injure and cause extra damage. Drivers with these spikes installed intend to do extra damage to anyone or anything that touches their vehicle. But, they also cause additional damage to anything they crash into.

If you are injured by lugnut spikes, the driver of the truck and the owner of the company may be liable. Independent truck drivers can also be held responsible for the damage the lugnut spikes cause.

Manufacturer Liability

The manufacturer of the lugnut spikes may also be liable. After all, the company is producing a product intended to do harm.

When To Talk To A Lawyer

If you have been injured in a collision with a truck driver, talk to an injury lawyer for advice. The other driver might be financially responsible for the harm caused by their lugnut spikes, even if you were at fault.

Semi Truck Accident Lawyer

If you or a loved one was injured in a semi truck accident, you may have a claim. The company and driver have a legal responsibility to keep other drivers safe. An experienced semi truck injury lawyer can help you.

At Haggerty & Silverman, we help people like you. Contact us for a free injury consultation. You don’t pay us anything unless we recover money for you.