January 2011

The Nevada Supreme Court has, once again, rejected Goodyear's attempts to overturn a $32.2 million defective tire verdict, which was levied against the tire company after three individuals, Andres Torres, Evangelina Tapia, and Frank Enriquez, were killed in a 2004 Utah 15 passenger van crash. The case was filed by three surviving family members of the individuals killed, who claim that the fatal auto accident was caused by a tire blowout, which forced the vehicle to overturn on route I-70.

Seven other individuals were injured during the crash.

This latest attempt to overturn the sizable verdict follows Goodyear's last attempt to overturn the Nevada court ruling last year by arguing that they were not given due process in court. Goodyear claims that they had not been dealt with fairly during trial, since the district judge trying the case took away Goodyear's ability to defend itself against the civil complaint after finding that its attorneys were using stalling tactics and acted in bad faith. The district judge then told the jury to determine damages without hearing the facts of the case. Outraged, Goodyear appealed the verdict, but the Nevada Supreme Court refused to review its decision.

 

Not the First Suit Filed Against Goodyear

Dozens of defective tire lawsuits have been filed against Goodyear's Load Range "E" tires, which were manufactured between 1991 and 2000. According to ABC News, 1,500 of these tires, which are especially designed for pickup trucks, sports utility vehicles, and vans, have experienced tread separation between 1991 and 2000. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were reports of 87 crashes involving these tires during this time period, with 50% of these collisions causing at least 158 injuries and 18 deaths.