More Deaths Reported in Tire Probe
Twenty-nine more deaths have been reported in the government’s investigation into the safety of Firestone tires, including four fatalities that occurred in accidents since the tire maker’s August recall.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reports of 148 deaths involving tread separations, blowouts and other problems involving Firestone tires. That’s up from 119 deaths as of Oct. 17, the last time NHTSA updated the numbers.
A NHTSA spokesman said Wednesday there have been more than 4,300 complaints about the tires, including more than 525 injuries.
Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. recalled 6.5 million ATX, ATX II and Wilderness AT tires Aug. 9 as reports of accidents involving tire failures mounted. The latest summary includes the first reports of deaths since the recall--three reported to NHTSA by the company and one collected by the agency.
Not all the reported deaths involve the recalled tires. Five of the latest fatalities reportedly involve tires included in a consumer advisory issued by the agency, but not under recall by the company.
NHTSA investigators issued the advisory Sept. 1, warning consumers that 1.4 million Firestone tires not under recall had a high failure rate and could pose a safety problem. Bridgestone/Firestone has agreed to replace those tires at no cost for customers who ask, but they are not included in the safety recall.
Bridgestone/Firestone officials were not available for comment.
Most of the tires under recall were original equipment on the Ford Explorer, and many of the deaths occurred when the tires failed and the Explorers rolled over.
Ford, Bridgestone/Firestone and NHTSA are investigating what can cause the tread to peel off the tire, sometimes as the vehicle is traveling at highway speeds, but have yet to announce their conclusions.
Separately, Bridgestone/Firestone and Ford lawyers held a preliminary meeting with plaintiffs’ attorneys to discuss settling lawsuits stemming from tire safety problems.
Lawyers for both sides told U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker at a hearing Wednesday in Indianapolis that they don’t want a third party to mediate negotiations aimed at settling the more than 150 cases consolidated in her court for evidence-gathering. Barker told them to plan for that possibility anyway.
Ford and Bridgestone/Firestone lawyers said prospects for a settlement are premature. Although the companies have settled scores of personal-injury suits, both say they will fight class-action product liability cases in which there were no injuries. Shares of Tokyo-based Bridgestone Corp., parent of Bridge- stone/Firestone, fell 25% in the last two days over liability concerns.
Plaintiffs’ lawyers say a broader settlement is inevitable.
More than 90 potential class-action cases and about 75 personal-injury cases have been consolidated before Barker. The companies also say they face about 200 personal-injury suits in state courts.
*
The Associated Press and Bloomberg News were used in compiling this report.
