Judge affirms class-action certification against Ford, Firestone

INDIANAPOLIS (Jan. 2)—An Indianapolis federal judge has affirmed her Nov. 28 decision to certify a class-action suit involving hundreds of thousands of potential product liability plaintiffs against Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. and Ford Motor Co. Judge Sarah Evans Barker explicitly rejected the arguments of both companies in a 67-page brief, including the claims that there is no commonality between the more than 280 tire models involved in the lawsuits and that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides better remedies for product liability complaints than the courts. "We still disagree with the ruling," said a Ford spokeswoman, who said the company will appeal Barker's decision.