Los Angeles, CA – Jeffrey Nadrich and The Law Offices of Nadrich & Cohen are currently reviewing potential tire separation and tire rollover lawsuits involving victims who have suffered serious injury or loss of life.
If you or a loved one has suffered as a result of a tire separation, or a rollover please contact The Law Offices of Nadrich & Cohen for a free consultation by calling a California car accident lawyer today at 1.800.718.4658. We are a contingency law firm so we only charge a fee after we obtain a recovery for you.
Tire Separation Common On Ford Explorer
There have been several thousand California tire separations and California tire de-tread cases involving the Ford Explorer. The Ford Explorer was first offered for sale in March 1990.
Ford sold more than 4 million Explorers from 1990-2001. Ford recently lost a $23 million judgment in San Bernardino, related to the de-treading of tires on a Ford Explorer.
During company tests prior to the Explorers introduction company engineers recommended changes to the design of the vehicle because of rollovers.
Aside from a few minor changes, the suspension and track width were not changed. Ford chose instead to remove air from the tires, lowering the recommended psi to 26.
The maximum pressure stamped into the sidewall of the tire was 35psi; however, tires should only be inflated to the pressure listed by the vehicle’s manufacturer.
The tire failures involved tread separation often followed by tire disintegration. When that happened, and the vehicle was running at high speed, it was very likely the vehicle would leave the roadway and roll over.
Rollovers Cause Over 250 Deaths
Rollovers cause serious injury and even death; it has been estimated that over 250 deaths and more than 3,000 serious injuries resulted from these failures.
If you have suffered injury or a death to a family member due to tire separation or rollover, contact an experienced car accident lawyer at The Law Offices of Nadrich & Cohen today at 1.800.718.4658 for a free consultation. We have 26 convenient office locations throughout California, including San Jose, Modesto, Palm Springs and more.
Ford and Firestone have been pointing fingers at each other, for the failures which have led to a split between the two companies. Firestone said they could find no fault in the design or manufacturing process of their tires, and that the failures were a result of Ford’s recommended tire pressure being too low and the Explorer’s design was deficient.
Ford, meanwhile, points out that Goodyear tires made to the same specification have a spotless safety record when installed on the Explorer, although an extra liner was included into the Goodyear design after recommendations to that effect were made to Ford.
Firestone included an extra liner in its product and this was then also used to replace tires on Ford Explorers.
Goodyear Tire Recall
The United States Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation of Goodyear. The investigation involves a tire which is no longer made and used to be mostly used on RVs.
The investigation involves G159 275/70R22.5 tires. Goodyear stopped making these in 2003.
A recall of the tires was requested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in February 2022. Goodyear recalled the tires in June 2022. The reason for the recall was the possibility of tire tread separations. These separations could occur when the tires were underinflated or when they were used on RVs which were too heavy. These separations could cause vehicles to lose control and crash.
The Justice Department investigation is regarding Goodyear’s handling of the recall. Federal prosecutors have tried to acquire depositions and company records from an Arizona lawyer which were from a civil lawsuit which was filed against the company years ago.
Government investigators say the tires have been linked to 69 injuries and eight deaths.
The NHTSA said it appears that Goodyear knew about the problem with the tires by 2002, but tried to fix the issue with customer educational campaigns and service bulletins instead of recalling the tires.
Goodyear, in statements made in court filings, said it has received over 600 property damage and personal injury claims with relation to the tires.
Contact Car Accident Lawyer For Free Consultation
At The Law Offices of Nadrich & Cohen Accident Injury Lawyers our Tire separation specialists are ready to answer all your questions. Let us help you preserve your rights, call now at 1.800.718.4658 for a free consultation and speak with a qualified Ca car accident lawyer, click here tire de-tread attorney for more information.