State Farm, Allstate seek reimbursement from Ford, Bridgestone/Firestone

WASHINGTON (Aug. 7)—Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. declined comment and Ford Motor Co. officials couldn't be reached for comment on a news report that State Farm Insurance and Allstate Insurance Co. are asking both firms to reimburse them for claims based on Ford Explorers and recalled Firestone tires on the vehicles. "Allstate's aggressively attempting to recover the costs of claims from both companies," a spokeswoman for the insurance firm said. "We have not filed any litigation to date, but we have submitted claims to both companies." The spokeswoman could not say how many claims or how much money is involved, or whether Allstate has set a deadline for Ford and Bridgestone/Firestone to pay the claims before lawsuits are filed.