Rental car firm must pay $9.5 million in Firestone tire case

TUCSON, Ariz. (Feb. 6)—The Tucson Superior Court has ordered APS Rent-a-Car Inc. to pay $9.5 million to the family of Arecili Naranjo, a 6-year-old girl killed when a Firestone F-570 tire on her parents' Chevy Astro rental van allegedly lost its tread, causing the vehicle to roll over. The jury found APS liable for putting a defective product on the road and failing to tell the Naranjos of a previous tire failure on the van. An associate of Steven Copple, the Naranjos' attorney, said she didn't know why the family didn't pursue a claim against Bridgestone/Firestone. Meanwhile, the tire maker said in a statement that it wasn't allowed to present its side of the story at the trial. "We now know this tire was damaged due to misuse, underinflation and misapplication," it said.