Judge sends Steeltex suit back to state court

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 7)—A federal judge has ruled preliminarily to remand a class action lawsuit against Bridgestone Corp. and Bridgestone/Firestone to the local court, sidestepping temporarily Bridgestone's request to dismiss the suit altogether. U.S. District Court Judge Christina Snyder ruled Jan. 6 that the case, which demands that the tire maker recall 27.5 million Steeltex R4S, R4SII and A/T tires, should be returned to Riverside County, Calif., Superior Court. Snyder tentatively denied two motions by Bridgestone attorneys seeking to have Bridgestone Corp. dropped from the suit, and to dismiss the lawsuit entirely. The judge was to hear arguments by Bridgestone attorneys to keep the case in federal court before she would issue a final ruling on dismissal. If the case is moved back to state court, the motion to dismiss will be taken up at that level, a Bridgestone spokesman said. If the case stays in federal court, Snyder will consider the motion to dismiss.