August 25, 2001
The jury was still out in McAllen, Texas as Bridgestone/Firestone coughed up a reported $7.5 million to settle a closely-watched lawsuit by a Texas family injured when their Ford Explorer flipped over. Ford had earlier settled for $6 million. It was the first of 400 cases against the tire company to go to a jury.
The jury was in its fourth day of deliberations when Judge Filemon Vela summoned the jurors and informed them that an agreement had been reached.
Pharr, Texas, physician Joel Rodriguez sued after his wife, Marisa, suffered serious brain damage when the family's 1998 Ford Explorer rolled over on a Mexican highway after a tire blowout in March of last year. The crash left the 39-year-old mother of three confined to a wheelchair.
The family had sought $1 billion in damages but Dr. Rodriguez said the two settlements would be adequate to provide the care that his wife will require for the rest of her life.
Bridgestone/Firestone's strategy during the trial was to pin the blame for the Rodriguez' accident on Ford, arguing that the Explorer is unstable and prone to rollovers. It's expected to follow a similar strategy in the cases still pending.
Ford and Bridgestone/Firestone have blamed each other for the 203 deaths and 700 injuries in the United States. Both companies also face lawsuits through Central and South America.
