Fla. jury finds Firestone tires defective

MIAMI (Feb. 12)—A Broward County Circuit Court jury has become the first in the U.S. to find Firestone tires mounted on Ford Explorers defective. However, the jury found Firestone only 20-percent responsible for Carolyn Holmes´ 1999 rollover accident, and awarded Holmes only $55,400 in damages from the tire maker. A Bridgestone/Firestone spokesman said the company may appeal, but otherwise downplayed the significance of the verdict. "One verdict in one case will have no bearing on other cases," he said. "This won't affect our legal strategy at all."