Michelin Tire Company Slammed By Jury with $11.96 Million Dollar Verdict after Finding That a Defective Tire Caused a Wreck That Killed Six People and Left a 12-Year-Old Boy Paralyzed
In 2006, a 2002 Ford F-250 pickup truck was driven by the family of then 10-year-old Jesus Guzman. The left front tire separated from its tread causing the vehicle to swerve into oncoming traffic whereupon the truck collided with a Chevrolet Suburban head on killing all six passengers inside the Suburban. The jury determined that a manufacturing flaw in a Goodrich tire made by South Carolina-based Michelin North America substantially contributed to the 2006 crash. The F-250 pickup was riding on B.F. Goodrich All Terrain T/A tires manufactured during the 24th week of 2004 at the Tuscaloosa, Alabama B. F. Goodrich plant. Attorneys argued that leaks in the roof of the Tuscaloosa manufacturing plant damaged machinery used to make hundreds of tires, resulting in a faulty manufacture of the tire of the Guzman family’s F-250 truck. Plaintiffs successfully proved to the jury that there was a manufacturing and product defect in the tire and that the driver of the F-250 truck was not negligent.
Unfortunately defective tires are responsible for thousands of traffic accidents and resulting catastrophic injuries and deaths every year in the United States. Tire failures are one of the most likely causes of vehicle rollovers, particularly when they occur on vehicles with a high center of gravity such as many popular SUVs. Many tire design defects that contribute to tread separation include deficient skim stock and the lack of nylon overlays. Improving the skim stock can lead to better adhesion or bonding of the rubber to the steel, making tread separation less likely. Many times tire defects are a result of both design and manufacturing defects and are often frequently traced to poor bonding or adhesion of the tire components during manufacturing when moisture, impurities, and other foreign materials enter into the mix getting cured into the tire.
If you have suffered an accident caused by a defective tire due to a manufacturing tire defect, it is important to contact an experienced defective tire or defective product lawyer. The Pennsylvania vehicle accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily have experience in the field of tire and automotive defect law. For a free no obligation consultation, please contact one of our experienced automotive defect and tire defect lawyers at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.
