The Ammons Law Firm has successfully negotiated the settlement of a wrongful death case against Michelin and Ford on behalf of the wife, adult children and mother of a 54-year-old California man killed in a horrific crash and whose injuries they witnessed. A settlement was also reached on behalf of one of the adult children who was seriously injured in the crash but survived.
While traveling on an Arizona highway, the Michelin LTX A/T2 tire positioned at the left front of a 2002 Ford F-250 failed through tread separation, causing the vehicle to pull left. The driver applied the brakes and attempted to steer the vehicle back into the lane, but the vehicle did not respond to the steering input and entered the oncoming traffic lanes where it was struck by an 18-wheeler.
In their lawsuit, the Plaintiffs alleged that the tire failed because Michelin assembled it improperly with irregular spacing between the steel belts, inadequate bonding between the steel and rubber components, the tire had a poor belt width to tread ratio, and the tire’s design did not include a full nylon cap ply, which has proven effective in preventing tread separation failures.
With respect to the F-250, Plaintiffs alleged that Ford had equipped the pickup with a braking system known as “hydroboost” which, in emergency maneuver situations where the operator of a hydroboost-equipped vehicle is compelled to apply the brakes while at the same time steering in order to avoid a crash, the system directs a disproportionate amount of available power to the brakes to the detriment of the steering. The driver in this case found himself behind the useless wheel of a pickup he could not control in a crisis situation. The Plaintiffs additionally contended that the F-250 was not crashworthy because the rear center seat occupant was provided only with a lap belt which did not restrain his torso and allowed his body to move in such a way that he sustained critical abdominal injuries.
Rob Ammons is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, in addition to being Board Certified in Civil Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Rob Ammons’ law practice, The Ammons Law Firm, is located in Houston, Texas. The Ammons Law Firm’s practice is exclusively personal injury law, handling such cases as tire defects, oil rig explosions, truck accidents, plant explosions, refinery accidents, wrongful death, post-collision fires, seat belt defects, airbag defects, SUV rollovers, and workplace negligence.