Michelin and Tire Shop Pay After Old Tire Causes Wreck

The Ammons Law Firm has successfully negotiated the settlement of a product liability case against Michelin and a tire shop on behalf of the surviving wife, children and parents of a Florida man who was killed when his van rolled over.

The rollover was caused by the tread separation failure of a BF Goodrich Radial T/A tire that was over ten years old when it was installed on the man’s van by a local tire shop. The tire, manufactured by Michelin, had deteriorated and become brittle with age.

The lawsuit filed by Rob Ammons claimed the Radial T/A tire was manufactured using inadequate materials and processes and that it was designed without the features necessary to prevent a tread/belt separation. Ammons also claimed that despite knowing how age adversely affects a tire’s components, Michelin did nothing to warn consumers that older tires are dangerous.

Allegations against the tire shop centered on its sale and installation of the deteriorated tire that was unsafe to place into service due to its age.

According to Ammons, “The appearance of a tire has little to do with how safe it is. The components inside a tire degrade over time, even if the tire is not being used. To prevent crashes caused by tire failures, tire companies need to make tires more durable and sellers need to remove old tires from their inventories.”

Both Michelin and the tire shop required that the settlement amounts be kept confidential.

The Ammons Law Firm is located in Houston, Texas, and practices personal injury law, including cases involving: tire defects, oil rig explosions, truck accidents, plant explosions, refinery accidents, wrongful death, post-collision fires, seat belt defects, seatback defects, airbag defects, SUV rollovers, and workplace negligence.