September 03, 2010
/24-7PressRelease/ -- On July 30, 2010, a jury in Pasco County awarded a $5.6 million judgment to a couple whose RV, equipped with G159 tires manufactured and marketed by the defendant Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., overheated causing the RV to crash in 2004 and cause serious injuries. The judge claimed that because Goodyear improperly marketed the G159 tires to RV manufacturers, they are responsible for the foreseeable factors that resulted from their use on recreational vehicles.
Specifically, the G159 tires were only intended for use on delivery vehicles, maximum speed rates of 65 mph, and continuous year-round use. This is because if the tires were used on vehicles that had extended travel times, increased speeds and prolonged idle periods -- consistent with typical RV use -- then the tires were found to overheat, triggering their treads to separate and cause accidents.
However, despite the company's awareness of the G159 overheating hazards, Goodyear failed to issue a recall informing the public that the tires were not viable for use on RV's. In 2006, a Goodyear marketing communications manager even acknowledged in Fleet Owner magazine that the G159 tire had not been designed for RV use. Furthermore, the manufacturer even increased the maximum speed rate acceptable for the tires to 75 mph.
Over the years, Goodyear has confidentially settled roughly 12 individual cases involving the G159 tires, however, the recent public personal injury judgment awarded against the manufacturer in Pasco County is the first.
Article provided by Law Offices of Mathys & Schneid
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