Figure 1. Right rear tie rod. (Photo: C. Roberts)
Drivers frequently claim that their vehicle suddenly lurched to one side, resulting in an accident. On occasion, the cause may not be the fault of the driver. This case study illustrates that point. According to the insured, she was driving at the speed limit when suddenly her vehicle lurched to one side, causing a loss of control and striking a wall head-on.
During an inspection in the body shop, there was severe damage to the front of the vehicle but no damage to the rear. It was discovered that the right rear tie rod that controls the alignment of the right rear wheel, as shown in Figure 1, had parted from its normal position (arrow). There was no evidence of an impact causing the tie rod, which controls the toe adjustment of the right rear wheel, to become detached. This can cause severe misalignment and loss of control that was consistent with that reported by the driver.
Figure 2: View of a properly installed rear wheel tie rod on the same vehicle. (Photo: C. Roberts) Want to continue reading?
Become a Free PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader
Your access to unlimited PropertyCasualty360 content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- Breaking insurance news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Weekly Insurance Speak podcast featuring exclusive interviews with industry leaders
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical converage of the employee benefits and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, BenefitsPRO and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
