Firestone Tires
On August 9, 2000, Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. announced a recall of nearly 7,000,000 Firestone ATX, Firestone ATX II, and Wilderness AT tires linked to more than 200 deaths and 700 injuries in the United States. Many of these deaths and injuries involved rollovers of Ford Explorers, which used the recalled tires as standard equipment. Firestone claims that the design of the Explorer is a factor in the tire failures while Ford insists that the Explorer is safe and the Firestone tires are to blame. Firestone insists that it identified and remedied the problem with the recall last summer. However, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ("NHTSA") recently completed a year-long investigation into the safety and performance of Firestone tires not included in the recall and now recommends that Firestone recall additional tires. It appears that similar design problems exist for other Firestone tires, including certain steel belted small trucks.
Over 200 cases filed in federal court were recently transferred to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana before Judge Sarah Evans Baker for coordination of pretrial proceedings pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §1407. In a recent victory for Firestone, on July 27, 2001, Judge Baker refused to grant an injunction that would have expanded the recall by several million tires.
Firestone continues to battle both plaintiffs and Ford Motor Company. However, it was recently reported that Firestone has now settled roughly 40% of the claims against it with regard to the recalled tires.
If you or a loved one is in need of legal assistance, please call Kleinpeter & Schwartzberg, L.L.C. at (225) 926-4130 or toll free (800) 548-6130 anytime during regular business hours, Monday-Friday (8:00 AM to 5:30 PM), or submit an online questionnaire. The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to handle your case, we will usually work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if we recover money for you. Remember, if a lawsuit is not filed within the time limit set by law, all rights may be lost forever. Only an attorney, based on the factual information provided by the client, can determine for sure the applicable prescription period (time limit). Please do not delay in seeking legal assistance to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.
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