'Accidental death' verdict after tyre explosion

The East Anglian Daily Times newspaper today reported on a three-day inquest at Ipswich into the death of 48-year old, father-of-two Gary Deaves, who died six weeks after a tyre that he was removing from a fork-lift truck exploded.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Dr Peter Dean, Greater Suffolk coroner, said Mr Deaves had died as a result of a bilateral broncho-pneumonia – inflammation in the lungs – and severe head injuries.

The inquest heard from a series of experts who supplied three possible causes for the multi-piece tyre exploding. These were summarised by Dr Dean, who said reports from the HSE suggested parts of the inner wheel had displaced or become partially displaced causing it to bulge at the sides. Then, when Mr Deaves began removing the tyre’s bolts, the pressure of the expanding wheel had eventually led to the explosion.

Other potential causes put forward were that issues surrounding the outer wheel of the tyre had been the problem while others believed that corrosion led to a great amount of pressure building up and that the explosion was a “sudden” occurrence.

A nine-person inquest jury took more than three hours to return an accidental death verdict.