Product Liability / Bridgestone/Firestone

Posted in on September 4, 2017 - Confidential

Leonard And Randall Heavrin V. Bridgestone/firestone, Et Al, State Court Of Walker County, Georgia. On November 10, 2005 Leonard and Nancy Heavrin were killed when a Firestone Steeltex Radial R4S II tire on another vehicle suffered a belt/tread separation and then exploded, causing the vehicle to go out of control, cross the median and strike the Heavrin vehicle head-on, decapitating both Mr. and Mrs. Heavrin, who were on their way to visit family members in Florida. The striking vehicle was an F-250 pickup truck which was traveling on Interstate 24 near Manchester, Tennessee when the wreck occurred.

The Firestone Steeltex tires at issue were manufactured at Firestone’s now-closed Decatur, Illinois plant. Other tires manufactured at the Decatur, Illinois plant were recalled by Firestone and the plant was shut down shortly after the tire at issue was manufactured due to quality problems. In addition to manufacturing defects, one of the design defects claimed by Plaintiffs was Bridgestone/Firestone’s failure to include a nylon cap in the design of the tire. The case settled for a confidential amount.