WEATHERFORD, Texas—A jury in a Weatherford district court found unanimously that Michelin North America Inc. is blameless in a product liability lawsuit involving the failure of a BFGoodrich Rugged Trail T/A tire.
The suit was filed Dec. 15, 2014, before the 43rd District Court of Parker County, Texas, and involved a vehicle crash in which two people were killed and several others injured. The BFGoodrich tire, according to the complaint, had a design and manufacturing defect.
Michelin, however, was able to demonstrate that the tire had more than 80,000 miles of wear, as well as impact damage sustained before the fatal accident, the tire maker said in a Feb. 8 statement.
This represents the third consecutive vindication Michelin has received in product liability cases since 2015, the company said.
"While the company sympathizes with the families involved in this tragic accident, the evidence presented over the two-week trial clearly showed that the tire was not defective," Michelin said in its statement. "Michelin will continue to aggressively defend the world-class quality and safety of its products in these types of cases."