A 45 year old woman was severely injured when her rear right tire suffered a catastrophic tread separation on I-75 in Florida, causing her vehicle to slide into the median where it rolled five times. Despite wearing her seatbelt, the driver was rendered a quadriplegic.
On October 13, 2011, the Newsome | Melton Law Firm won a $13.6 million tread separation verdict for that victim. The Newsome | Melton Law Firm alleged that the automotive repair shop and its employees, who inspected the tire months before the crash, overlooked an existing repair in it while repairing another hole. This existing repair, which was improperly carried out, led to the failure of the tire and the subsequent crash.
Upon inspection of the other tires on the vehicle, several other alarming condition issues were uncovered. These additional issues include the presence of nails and other improper repairs, such as traces of “fix-a-flat” throughout the inside of one tire. These additional issues were overlooked by the automotive repair shop as well.
The victim’s attorneys pointed out that the improper repair may have been carried out during a busy period for the automotive repair shop. During the trial, one of the defense’s expert witness acknowledged a set of “red flags” the automotive repair shop should have noticed during their final inspection of the SUV.