Firestone Settles Tire Separation Case

Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. has settled, for an undisclosed amount, the next lawsuit scheduled for trial over a tire separation on a Ford Explorer that rolled over, a spokeswoman confirmed.

Sources said only that the settlement was for several million dollars in the case, which involved the death of Margarita Gonzalez and injury of her son Alfredo during a crash last year near Kerrville, Texas. Trial was set for Sept. 10 in Brownsville, Texas.

The plaintiffs and their lawyer could not be reached for comment. Skip Rutherford, who was hired to handle media requests, would not confirm that a settlement had been reached. He said the family would have a statement today.

The settlement could leave Ford Motor Co. as the lone defendant--a reversal of the situation earlier this month in nearby McAllen, in which Bridgestone/Firestone went to trial and blamed Ford for an accident that left a woman paralyzed before settling. Ford also settled that case.