Bridgestone/Firestone Subject of Another Lawsuit

A California lawyer has filed a lawsuit demanding that Bridgestone Corp.’s US unit recall 27.5 million Steeltex tires that allegedly suffer from tread separation similar to that which led to a massive recall two years ago, Reuters news service has reported.
Despite the fact that the suit has been filed on a single individual–Roger Littell of Riverside, California, who claims he had four Steeltex tires on his 1999 motor home disintegrate–lawyers are seeking class-action status for the suit.
If class action status was granted and a judgement were found in the plaintiff’s favor, says Reuters, the suit could cost Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. as much as $2.75 billion U.S. to recall roughly 27.5 million Steeltex R4S, R4SII and A/T tires.
A Bridgestone/Firestone spokeswoman told Reuters that the Steeltex tires had been tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from September 2000 through April 2002, and no defects were found.
Lawyers for the suit claim that the tires in question suffer from tread separation that leads to the tire’s total destruction.
Firestone recalled 6.5 million tires two years ago, most of them fitted to Ford Explorer SUVs, after officials linked the tires to a series of fatal accidents, Reuters said.