Case Result Type: Defective Product

The truck and car tire industry has known for years that the rubber in tires breaks down over time, even if the tires are just sitting in a warehouse. Most tire and car manufacturers now instruct users and retailers to destroy tires that are 10 years old, regardless of tread wear, because they are no longer safe. Nate represented a young man who bought a used pickup right after graduating college. The pickup had been in a wreck and was repaired. The repair shop chose and installed a “new” tire on the pickup. The tire looked almost brand new, but as the DOT stamp on the tire showed, it was 19 years old when it was installed on the truck. Nate’s client drove the truck for about a month, when one afternoon he was driving on the freeway and the aged tire split apart, causing the truck to veer off onto the shoulder and roll over several times, severely injuring Nate’s client. Nate sued the retailer who installed the aged tire and proved they never should have placed a 19-year-old tire on the car and hidden the dangers from the customer. The case settled during the lawsuit for a very significant, but confidential, sum in the summer of 2017.

A 13-year-old boy from St. Paul was riding an SUV when one of the SUV’s tires lost its tread. The tire tread loss made it impossible to control the SUV. The SUV veered into the median and rolled over several times. The boy was ejected in the rollover and suffered a horrific brain injury that left him with limited physical function and speech. Nate sued the tire maker and during the lawsuit, the case settled for a very significant but confidential sum.

Rich suffered a below-the-knee amputation of his left leg following a recreational vehicle crash caused by a defective control mechanism. Partner Rich Ruohonen litigated this case extensively for several months. The case settled for $3,750,000.