3 years is the usual Michigan deadline to sue for a product-related injury, and yes - the worst-case version is that your business gets named in the lawsuit along with the tire manufacturer, the seller, and anyone who installed or serviced the tire.

That does not mean your company will end up paying.

In Michigan, a work-related crash usually puts the employee into workers' compensation first, and an auto crash also triggers Michigan no-fault PIP benefits through the proper insurer. For your employee, that can cover medical care and wage loss quickly even while fault is disputed.

On the product side, the main target is often the manufacturer if the tire was defectively designed or made, or if there was a recall and the product failed anyway. A seller or installer becomes more exposed if they did something specific wrong - mounted the wrong size tire, ignored visible damage, over-torqued components, failed to warn about a recall, or put an unsafe vehicle on the road.

What helps you most right now is evidence control:

• Do not let the tire or wheel get discarded
• Keep the vehicle, failed tire, wheel, TPMS data, repair invoices, and purchase records
• Get the police report if Michigan State Police or Detroit police responded
• Pull any fleet maintenance logs
• Check immediately for any NHTSA recall on the tire, rim, or related part
• Photograph tread separation, sidewall markings, DOT code, and the full vehicle

If the blowout happened during summer heat on I-94, I-75, or the Lodge, that does not automatically make it a road-hazard case. Heat can worsen a defect, but a bad repair, aging tire, overload, or underinflation may also be blamed.

If your company did not choose an unsafe tire, ignore a recall, or botch maintenance, the case often shifts away from the employer and toward the product chain.