KALAMAZOO, Mich. (Jan. 12) — Carlisle Tire & Wheel Co. has until Jan. 31 to respond to the request of two Michigan plaintiffs who seek class-action status in their defective product lawsuit against the Aiken, S.C.-based tire maker.
Jeffrey Hunsaker and Dennis Drooger claim they had tread separations on their Carlisle recreational vehicle tires in separate incidents, and say the tires were inherently defective. They seek class-action certification in federal district court in Kalamazoo, which would allow them to open the case to Carlisle tire owners dating back to 1999.
If class action certification is not granted, individual Carlisle tire owners will be free to pursue separate litigation, said Brian Masternak, attorney for Hunsaker and Drooger.
Dan Sharkey, attorney for Carlisle, could not immediately be reached for comment; in a previous statement, however, the company noted that its historical tire failure rate has been less than 1 percent since its founding in 1917, and that it pays all claims within the warranty period.