Family launches $1 billion suit against Firestone

[JeffreyLebowski]

the scoop



<< The Herrera family were traveling home from Disney World at Orlando on May 30, 2000, when their 1997 Ford Explorer crashed and overturned on the Florida Turnpike. Edelio Herrera, the driver, and his wife Norma, the front-seat passenger, were thrown from the vehicle and suffered fatal injuries. >>



I'm no physics major but doesn't being thrown out of a vehicle mean you weren't wearing a seat belt?

Also if a tire seperates the way it does, unless you're going extremely fast around a corner I don't see how it would make a 2 ton truck flip over. I've had a tire seperate the tread on a back drive wheel and it was just like getting a flat.


Firestone/BridgeStone's defence should be based on that the driver and passangers were not wearing seatbelts, and they would have survived the crash had they been following that state law.


Anybody have any comments?
Do you think the lawsuit has merrit?

 

[HansHurt]

Let me get this clear.....you are defending the Company here?


You think it's unjustified right?

Not as much as the tobbacco guy, or the hot coffee guy...IMO

 

[WordSmith2000]

It was not their fault that they:
Were not wearing safety belts.
That they were probably going too fast for conditions.
That the guy did not know how to fscking drive a car.

Emphasis on the last one.

 

[HansHurt]

I may be going out on a limb here, but does the name have anything to do w/ your assumptions?


&quot;The Herrera family &quot;

 

[kag]

on car and driver the other week, they got an old explorer and they went on a racing track... they had some machine that was deflating the tire, and they didn't had ANY trouble

 

[Urinal Mint]

Having a Hispanic name has jack sh1t to do with this.

1. No seatbelts... &quot;Hi, I'd like to die from my own stupidity thanks&quot;
2. Improper vehicle handling &quot;We can take this corner at 75, no sweat&quot;

Yeah, it's tragic that this had to happen, but jesus h christ, why do we always have to blame the companies for something when it's the consumer that can't use the product properly? Time to grow up and be accountable, drivers.

 

[loup garou]

one BILLION dollars?!?! Thats just insane. It's sad that 2 people died, but a BILLION dollars?!?

 

[StageLeft]

Its silly. $1 billion? Silly.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

There is no way to prove that the tires were directly responsible for the deaths so I really dont see the basis for the suit.

&quot;He (Herrera) added he never would have traveled in a Ford Explorer with Firestone tires had he known there was a danger in doing so.&quot;
- Oh please, there is no way someone was unaware of this issue - especially for an owner of the affected cars.

&quot;...which attorneys said was caused by the separation of the right rear tire tread.&quot;
- family wins lawsuit and attorneys make $$$... coincidence?

I could keep ranting but for me it boils down to this: I am sick of these type of lawsuits that attempt to replace loss due to bad decision making (tobacco), irresponsibility (driving on dangerous tires), or just bad luck (there is no guarantee these tires are going to fail). This is a very unfortunate incident, but milking major corporations for money just because they have it is not going to change anything.

 

[HansHurt]

Did the tire seperate or not??? That will make all the diff. here.

More info, please?