The Ford Motor company may ultimately be culpable for the rash of accidents and deaths it initially blamed on Bridgestone-Firestone tires. The Washington Pose published a report showing that Ford Explorers with Goodyear tires also have a very high incidence of rollovers that have been linked to over 100 deaths. Regardless of tire maker, the Ford Explorer SUV is considered far more likely to crash than other SUVs. Additionally, the report stipulated that no other SUV make or model had such a bad pattern of equipment failure as the Ford Explorer.
As the Ford Explorer rollover scandal has progressed, the finger pointing between the two companies has been consistent and recent studies and testimony seem to be tipping the culpability scale away from Bridgestone-Firestone. Although Bridgestone Corp., the manufacturer of the recalled and potentially dangerous Firestone tires agreed to pay Ford $240 million to settle claims, Ford appears to be losing ground in the courts.
In a case in November of 2005 Ford was ordered to pay $61 million to the parents of a 17-year-old who died in a Ford Explorer rollover. Although Ford has always denied culpability and Ford executives, under oath, told Congress that rollover issues with older models of the Explorer SUV were linked to Firestone tires, both Kaster said Ford engineers testified that they were aware as early as1989 that the vehicle's chassis needed to be lower to the ground and substantially widened.
Moreover, recently, Ford was ordered to pay $29 million to a 22-year-old woman who was partially paralyzed after her Ford Explorer rolled over when her Firestone tire failed. In that case, plaintiff’s attorneys argued that the vehicle had a problem known as a rear axle "skate" which ultimately made it impossible for the driver to control the vehicle after the tired de-treaded. Also, attorneys alleged that Ford had a significant design role in Firestone tires.
The Washington Post study further stated that using two completely different methods of accident rate measurement; the Ford Explorer was three to four times more likely as other SUVs to have a tire blowout and rollover. Specifically, in 5,870 single vehicle accidents in Florida, the Explorer was 13% more likely to rollover than any other compact SUV. The Ford Explorer was also 53% more likely than other compact SUVs to roll over when equipment failure like faulty brakes, old and bald tires or tire blowouts initiated the accident.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a Ford rollover, precedent may be on your side. Ford continues to go to trial on these cases and continues to be found liable for compensatory damages when someone is injured because of their product design flaw. You may be able to secure compensation for your medical expenses, pain and suffering and any loss of income that may have occurred as a result of this type of auto accident. If you have had a major accident in a Ford Explorer, especially one with Firestone tires, you should contact an attorney.