Bridgestone L315 Blamed for Tragic Accident

A tragic accident in which one man lost his arm and his infant daughter had to have her leg amputated resulted in a lawsuit that targeted multiple defendants. In this case, the tire in question was a Bridgestone L315 which was reportedly a retread. Bridgestone settled the lawsuit independently claiming that their tire is safe and has an immaculate track record. According to Bridgestone, they settled the lawsuit to avoid the expense of a protracted trial.

According to the plaintiff, however, claimed the retread tire on a Silvi Concrete Products truck lost its tread causing the terrible accident. The tire was retreaded using Michelin Bandag technology.

Tallying the Defendants 

Michelin was among a number of named defendants in this lawsuit that included the company that owned the truck and the shop that retread the tire. The last defendant to settle was Silvi Concrete Products who a jury found liable to the tune of $11.7 million.

Companies that own large trucks and deploy them for business purposes are tasked with the duty to inspect their trucks before they let them out on the road. In cases where a tire is beginning to have a tread issue, there are telltale signs that any person with a basic knowledge of tire would recognize. For that reason, they were liable for the injuries that occurred.

Are Retreads Safe? 

Retread tires have about an equivalent safety ratio as newly manufactured tires. The problem, of course, is that the process of retreading is prone to human error. But so is the process of manufacturing. In cases like the one mentioned above, it’s difficult to assess if there was a problem with the tire or the company that retread the tire.

Indeed, Bridgestone is correct that the L315 has a good safety record. It’s also true that retreads are no less safe than tires that are manufactured new. But defects in the process of manufacturing or retreading a tire can produce tragic results. And that was the case here.

The Anatomy of a Successful Tire Liability Lawsuit 

Tire liability suits are product liability suits. In most kinds of injury lawsuits, a plaintiff must show that a defendant was negligent. That is not, however, the case with a product liability suit. In a product liability suit, a plaintiff need only show that they were using the product as intended and the product failed and caused their injuries. In response, the company can blame someone else, including the plaintiff, for their injuries. When truck tire accidents occur, there will always be a question of what the trucking company did or did not do to protect the safety of other motorists. In this case, the lawsuit succeeded in targeting the concrete company for failing in their duty to ensure the truck was safe before going out on the road.

Talk to a Tire Litigation Attorney Today 

If you have been injured in an accident related to a defective tire, talk to the Coral Gables tire litigation attorneys at Halpern, Santos & Pinkert, P.A. We have recovered millions in damages for our clients and can do the same for you. Give us a call or talk to us online to set up a free initial consultation.

Resource:

rubbernews.com/article/20181016/NEWS/181019953/jury-issues-117-million-verdict-in-tire-product-liability-case

https://www.tiredefectattorney.com/goodyear-settles-lawsuit-alleging-motorcycle-tire-failure/