Ford, Firestone settle with rollover victim

DETROIT (Jan. 2)—Ford Motor Co. and Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. have settled a rollover case in a Michigan circuit court for an undisclosed amount. Chuck Burt, 26, of White Lake, Mich., was paralyzed in June 2000 when his Ford Explorer equipped with Firestone tires suffered a tread separation and rolled over. Burt's wife, who was driving, and his daughter were not seriously injured. A Ford spokeswoman noted that Burt wasn't wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, unlike his wife and daughter. "Seat belts can prevent injury only when people wear them," she said.