The Law Firm of Argyropoulos & Bender recovered $1,825,000 for a family injured in a car accident in which their minivan left the highway and crashed as a result of a blow out of a tire. The tire was approximately 9 years old at the time of the accident.
The manufacturer of the tire paid the settlement as a result of the failure to display an expiration date on the tire. The retail store that installed the tire on the car paid because the tire was approximately 6 years old at the time it was placed on the car, even though the car owner thought he was buying a new tire. Even though the tire had never been used, we contended that it was deceptive marketing since it was old and the buyer was not told of its age. A young child died in the accident and another child had internal injuries and two adults were injured. Studies have been performed by the federal government agency in charge of motor vehicle safety to determine whether or not to require all tire manufacturers to place expiration or manufacture dates on tires so that consumers know their age before using the car or buying the tire. This case was used by the consumer groups that persuaded the government to finally study this important issue, and it is believed to be the only settlement of its kind that recognizes the importance of expiration dates on automobile tires.
In New York, over 360,000 people are injured in accidents every day
