Expert witness says Firestone tires had faulty design

McALLEN, Texas (Aug. 20)—The Firestone tires that were original equipment on Ford Explorers were poorly designed, and that was a factor in Explorer rollovers, an expert witness for the family of Dr. Joel Rodriguez testified in a personal injury trial in the federal district court in McAllen. Robert Ochs, a former engineer for Michelin North America Inc., said the Firestone tires were faulty because their treads failed and they lacked nylon cap plies. Defense attorney Scott Edwards, however, presented testimony from Ochs in previous trials in which he said tread failures and the absence of cap plies don't make for defective tires, the Associated Press reported. Rodriguez, his brother Jorge, wife Marisa and son Joelito were injured in an Explorer rollover accident in Mexico in March 2000; Rodriguez seeks up to $1 billion in damages.