Personal Injury Law

$12 Million Verdict in Raymondville Tire Maker Court Case

By Beth Janicek

A Willacy County jury returned an $11.96 million judgment against Michelin North America on Thursday, after finding defective tires caused a wreck that killed six people and left a 12-year-old boy paralyzed.

A manufacturing flaw in a Goodrich tire, made by Michelin North America, substantially contributed to a New Year's Eve 2006 crash just outside of Matamoros. The tire on a 2002 Ford F-250 pickup truck separated from its tread, causing the vehicle to swerve into oncoming traffic colliding with a Chevrolet Suburban, killing all six passengers in the SUV.

The company has maintained that the bumpers on the Guzman family's Ford scraped off the top of the tire, but attorneys for both families argued that leaks in the roof of a Tuscaloosa, Ala., manufacturing plant damaged the machinery used to make hundreds of tires. The faulty tire on Guzman's F-250 was among that batch.

This verdict will considerably help Jesus Guzman, who was left paralyzed in the accident, and will have significant medical bills for the rest of his life. While no amount of money will bring back the families loved ones, I am glad that they got the compensation that they deserve.

Full post as published by San Antonio Personal Injury Lawyer on September 15, 2009 (boomark / email).