Media Effort on Tires Will Save Lives

The Sun-Times is to be commended for its untiring efforts in pursuing the story of unsafe tires on sport-utility vehicles and light trucks, having even "scooped" many major newspapers in reporting first on the massive Firestone tire recall [news story, Aug. 9].

Watching the televised new conference of the Bridgestone/Firestone and Ford Motor companies’ explanation for the voluntary recall, it was amazing to see the public relations wizardry at work. The rehearsed officials stopped just short of blaming the consumer for the tread separations. Instead, they talked of overinflation, poor maintenance, air pressure, inappropriate repair, overuse, extreme heat and unusually high traveling speeds.

Yet when asked why other drivers with the same habits had not experienced the same problems with other tires, company officials mumbled something about their confidence in the new replacement tires.

As a personal injury attorney, it is frustrating to see corporate executives continue to abdicate responsibility and even fo so far as to blame the consumer.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reportedly has received more than 270 complaints about failing Firestone tires, and it is finally conducting safety probe.

These tires also are at the root of dozens of lawsuits involving deaths and serious injuries. Although some cases have settled, they all reportedly include mandatory confidentiality clauses so that the amounts and the cause of the accident slip into anonymity. But, eventually through the litigation process, the knowledge of the corporate decision makers may become known.

Don’t think for a moment that safety is on the minds of the recall executives, despite their press conference rhetoric. Bridgestone/ Firestone made some 48 million of these tires, and it simply became more cost effective to recall the dangerous product than to face the likelihood of hundreds or perhaps thousands of lawsuits.

And were it not for the personal injury attorneys pursuing these cases and the media– like the Sun-Times–reporting on the problems while the manufacturer refuses to accept responsibility for its actions, it is frightening to think just how many more death might have occurred.