NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Oct. 7)—A federal district judge has thrown out two shareholder lawsuits that accused Bridgestone Corp. of deliberately withholding information about product defects at its Bridgestone/Firestone subsidiary to inflate stock value. Judge Robert Echols of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee ruled that plaintiffs "failed to produce a strong inference" that Bridgestone knowingly lied about alleged defects that led to the recall of 6.5 million Firestone tires in August 2000. A BFS spokesman called Echols' decision "well-reasoned and sound." George Barrett, a Nashville attorney representing the plaintiffs, said "the probability is high" that they will appeal.
Judge dismisses shareholder suits against Bridgestone
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