Bridgestone/Firestone, Ford fight class action certification

CHICAGO (April 18)—The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments April 17 for and against the motions of Bridgestone/Firestone and Ford Motor Co. to overturn an Indianapolis federal judge's certification of a class action against both companies. The multidistrict litigation, certified in November, involves as many as 3 million Ford Explorer owners and 15 million Firestone tire owners. "The issues involved are way too varied to justify class action certification," a Bridgestone/Firestone spokeswoman said. "They make the process less manageable, which is the opposite of what an MDL is supposed to do." The appeals court will rule at its discretion, and it's hard to say when its decision will come down, the spokeswoman said.