Michelin Tires Blamed in $12 million lawsuit

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Posted on 11th September 2009 by gjohnson in Uncategorized

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Every trial lawyer has known the frustration of the potential client with catastrophic injuries in a one car accident or an accident where there was no adequate insurance. The driver of the car is either the actual victim or is insufficiently insured to compensate the injured person or persons. But before the lawyer closes that file, he must ask where does the actual fault lie? In thousands of cases, its the tires. In only a few does someone think to look, or look at all of the right issues.

For the victims of Michelin’s negligence in Brownsville, Texas, the lawyer got it right. According to the Brownsville Herald, a jury has ordered Michelin to pay nearly $12 million after finding that faulty tires caused a wreck that killed six people. http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/raymondville-102219-jury-tire.html According to this story:

A Willacy County jury returned an $11.96 million judgment against the nation’s largest tire maker Thursday, after finding defective tires caused a wreck that killed six people and left a 12-year-old boy paralyzed.

The panel found that a manufacturing flaw in a Goodrich tire — made by South Carolina-based Michelin North America — substantially contributed to the New Year’s Eve 2006 crash that occurred just outside Matamoros.

The tire on a 2002 Ford F-250 pickup truck driven by the family of then 10-year-old Jesus Guzman separated from its tread, causing the vehicle to swerve into oncoming traffic, according to court documents. The truck collided with a Chevrolet Suburban killing all six passengers inside the SUV.
Always look at the tires in every severe motor vehicle wreck case. We have written on this many times before including our entire webpage about hydroplaning accidents at http://fishtail.tv The true fault may lie with the tires – “there is a lot riding on those tires”.

Church bus crash kills 1 in Miss.; 23 injured

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Posted on 13th July 2009 by gjohnson in Uncategorized

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It is an old advertising slogan “so much is riding on your tires.” The below story of a Mississippi fatal bus crash proves that point.

We have often blogged on this topic, but buses are not just tragic for the death that flows from them, but also the high probability of brain injury in such wrecks. No seat belts, no airbags, none of the safety engineering that has reduced the risk of brain injury so dramatically in passenger cars. We pray that those attending the injured do more than push pain killers and look for the obvious injury, but also ask probing questions of memory and cognitive function, so that any subtle brain injury is identified.

Attorney Gordon Johnson
http://fishtail.tv
http://subtlebraininjury.com

Date: 7/12/2009 7:27 PM


MERIDIAN, Miss. (AP) — A bus carrying a church youth group from Louisiana to Georgia flipped Sunday on Interstate 20 in Mississippi, killing one person and injuring 23 others, a coroner said.

The bus, from First Baptist Church in Shreveport, La., rolled three times around 10:20 a.m. near Meridian and trapped at least two people underneath, Lauderdale County Coroner Clayton Cobler III said.

“It had a blowout,” Cobler said.

At least two passengers were trapped underneath the bus. A group of National Guard soldiers was on the highway at the time and helped extricate the injured.

“The National Guardsmen actually picked the bus up off the two people and got them out,” Cobler said.

An 18-year-old male was pronounced dead at a hospital, Cobler said. His name was not released.

Three people were airlifted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, including one with severe head injuries, while the others were being treated at three hospitals in Meridian, the coroner said.

Cobler said injuries ranged from severe pelvic, back, and chest injuries to scrapes and scratches.

An official at Regency Hospital of Meridian said six people were taken there and another official at Rush Foundation Hospital said 13 people were being treated there, but neither would release the conditions of the crash victims.

Church officials told The Shreveport Times newspaper that the bus was headed to a weeklong youth event near Atlanta called “Passport.”

Phone messages left with the Mississippi Highway Patrol and Birmingham, Ala.-based Passport Inc. were not immediately returned.

The congregation learned of the accident shortly before Sunday morning worship and used the occasion to rally together in prayer.

“Our congregation is leaning on our faith and confidence in God,” First Baptist senior pastor Greg Hunt said.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.

Government investigating Ford tire valves

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Posted on 22nd October 2008 by gjohnson in Uncategorized

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Date: 10/21/2008 4:41 PM

By KEN THOMAS
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) _ The government is investigating more than 1 million Ford Motor Co. vehicles after receiving reports of tires leaking from faulty valve stems made by a Chinese company.

Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood said Tuesday the investigation involves vehicles with the tire valves, including 12 vehicles from the 2007 model year cited by the government. Ford has received some complaints but no reports of crashes or injuries.

The valves are used on most new Ford vehicles except for certain types of F-Series Super Duty Trucks and Econoline vans, Sherwood said.

“We’ve seen reports of cracking and leaking. We have not identified a risk to motor vehicle safety,” Sherwood said.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it has received 37 complaints of faulty valve stems but no crashes or injuries have been reported. In 23 of the complaints, the vehicle had more than one valve that was “severely cracked or cracked and leaking” and needed replacement.

Eleven complaints said the valves led to lost tire inflation and required the tire to be replaced.

The vehicles with the valve stems include the Ford F-150, Mustang, Edge, Fusion, Expedition, Explorer, Focus and Escape, and the Mercury Grand Marquis, MKX, MKZ, and Milan. The valves are made by Topseal Automotive, a subsidiary of Shanghai Baolong Automotive Corp.

NHTSA said it has opened a preliminary evaluation to “assess the scope, frequency and safety consequences” of the alleged defect in the Ford tires. Defect investigations can lead to vehicle recalls.

The highway safety agency opened a separate investigation in May into 23 million valve stems manufactured by Shanghai Baolong in 2006. NHTSA said more than 4,700 complaints have been filed because of the valve stems, including allegations of a fatal rollover crash involving a 1998 Ford Explorer in November 2007.

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On the Net:

Ford Motor Co.: http://www.ford.com/

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.

New database has info on auto deaths, injuries

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Posted on 23rd September 2008 by gjohnson in Uncategorized

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Date: 9/10/2008 6:59 PM

By KEN THOMAS
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) _ The government unveiled a new public database Wednesday that will enable consumers to look up the number of alleged deaths, injuries and cases of property damage involving passenger vehicles.

Consumer groups have sought the information, which was part of legislation passed by Congress after the massive recall of Firestone tires in 2000. The law required manufacturers to provide data on numerous safety complaints and was devised to help the government quickly detect potential problems.

The so-called “early warning” data was released because of a ruling by a federal appeals court in July that barred the government from withholding key data reported by manufacturers. Some data was allowed to remain confidential, including warranty claims and field reports submitted by the manufacturer.

The data, which goes back to 2003, is reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration by automakers, tire makers, motorcycle companies and child seat manufacturers on a quarterly basis. The public database now provides information from 21 automakers.

During the first three months of 2008, the most recent data available, General Motors Corp. reported receiving complaints of 52 deaths and 610 injuries, according to an analysis by The Associated Press. Ford Motor Co. said it had received reports of 40 deaths and 340 injuries and Chrysler LLC reported receiving complaints of 23 deaths and 149 injuries during the span.

In the same period, Toyota Motor Corp. advised NHTSA of 8 deaths and 106 injuries, Nissan Motor Corp. said it had allegations of 7 deaths and 34 injuries and Honda Motor Co. reported 3 deaths and 22 injuries.

Wade Newton, a spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, cautioned that the data often includes unsubstantiated claims and could not be used to confirm a safety problem.

He said a company with a large global presence reports data from foreign countries in addition to the United States and a manufacturer’s size and vehicle sales would play a large role in the data set.

Consumer groups said it would be useful information to car buyers. Joan Claybrook, president of Public Citizen, a consumer watchdog group that sued to have the data made available, called it a “smashing success for consumers.”

She recommended that owners and car shoppers use the database to learn more about specific vehicles.

NHTSA said they had been using the data since December 2003 as a supplement to the estimated 40,000 consumer complaints they receive each year. Through the end of August, NHTSA said it had used the early warning data in 84 defect investigations, which can sometimes lead to vehicle recalls.

About 100 manufacturers, mostly tire companies, have asked NHTSA to keep their data private because they contend it includes confidential business information.

Dan Zielinski, a spokesman for the Rubber Manufacturers Association, which represents tire makers, said the data included “accusations and people who review this database should keep that in mind.”

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On the Net:

The early warning reports can be found at: http://www.safercar.gov

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.