Jury found no evidence of design or manufacturing defect in the BFGoodrich® Rugged Trail T/A tire
GREENVILLE, S.C., Feb. 8, 2018 — A jury in Weatherford, Texas, has ruled unanimously in favor of Michelin North America, Inc., in a product liability lawsuit. The case involved claims by multiple plaintiffs stemming from an accident that occurred in 2014.
At trial, evidence showed that the subject tire, a BFGoodrich® Rugged Trail T/A, manufactured by Michelin North America, had more than 80,000 miles of service and sustained impact damage some time before the accident.
Michelin respects the work of the jury in reaching this decision. While the Company sympathizes with the families involved in this tragic accident, the evidence presented over the two-week trial clearly showed that the tire was not defective. Michelin will continue to aggressively defend the world-class quality and safety of its products in these types of cases.
The jury’s decision marks the latest in a series of victories obtained by Michelin North America in product liability lawsuits brought against the Company. Since 2015, Michelin North America has won three consecutive complete defense verdicts in cases that were submitted to juries for decision.
The plaintiffs filed the lawsuit in 2015 in the 43rd District Court of Parker County, Texas (Witt et al v. Michelin North America, Inc., et al, case no. CV14-1833), alleging the subject tire had a design and manufacturing defect.