Pep Boys Tire Lawsuits
Pep Boys, while known primarily as a service center, has, in tandem with Cooper Tire, manufactured tires as well. In March of 2009, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a recall for the Definity Dakota H/T. Cooper Tire both designed and manufactured these tires to be sold exclusively through Pep Boys outlets. The NHTSA ordered the recall after finding that these tires did not comply with federal standards.
Specifically, the NHTSA said these tires failed endurance tests when the tire was slightly under-inflated or the inflation pressure lower than it optimal. The NHTSA sets standards for performance under conditions that a typical driver could reasonably expect their tire to perform well in.
They found that the tire treads were prone to “chunking” and this led to an increased risk of tread separation and a potential blowout. High-speed blowouts often have tragic results.
Pep Boys v. Montilla
This lawsuit involved the tread separation of a Pep Boys tire. The two individuals who were in the front seats of the car both died when the back tire blew out. The driver attempted to compensate by turning the wheel in the opposite direction. This resulted in the car rolling over, ejecting both the driver and the other front-seat passenger out of the car. Neither were wearing seatbelts at the time. Three children who were in the back seat were either in child safety seats or wearing seatbelts. Their injuries did not result in permanent impairments.
Hill v. Ford
While this lawsuit got most of its press from a defective roof that was crushed in a rollover accident, it was a Cooper tire that blew out causing the roof to become crushed in the first place. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit, who were bringing a wrongful death action against the company on behalf of their parents, settled with Cooper Tire quietly before taking on Ford.
Ford disputed their culpability in the fatal accident that led to an emotional exchange on the stand. When defense attorneys for Ford asked Hill about settling with Cooper, he responded with a scathing indictment of Ford.
Ramos v. Cooper Tire et al
Pep Boys and Cooper Tire were also targeted in an accident that took the lives of Salvador Ramos and his wife Maria. A rear tread separation was blamed for the accident that took their lives. Pep Boys, Cooper Tire, and Ford were all targeted in the lawsuit.
Contact a Tire Litigation Attorney Today
If you or someone you love has been injured or killed in an auto accident that was caused by tire blowout or tread separation, the personal injury attorneys at Halpern, Santos & Pinkert can help you file a lawsuit against the company that manufactured the defective tire. In some cases, something went wrong during the manufacturing process of the tire. In other cases, there is a defect in the design of the tire. Regardless of which applies to your case, we will fight tirelessly for your right to hold those who produced the product responsible.
Give us a call or talk to us online and we can begin discussing your options today.
