Michelin Recalls Thousands Of Snow Tires

Tire giant Michelin has announced the recall of thousands of snow tires. While we don’t have much use for snow tires in Florida, such tires are manufactured with extra traction to help drivers out on icy roads. More than 550,000 tires have been recalled. The impacted tires are Agilis CrossClimate C-Metric tires with DOT numbers 0117 to 1423. According to the recall, the tires are coded as snow tires and marked with an alpine symbol. However, the tires do not fit the classification for the coding.

These tires are found on the following vehicles:

• Chevrolet City Express
• Ford Transit
• Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
• Nissan NV200
• RAM ProMaster
• Volkswagen Crafter

Why were the Michelin tires recalled? 

Michelin says that the tires do not meet the minimum safety standards required by U.S. regulatory bodies. One of the main reasons for this is that the tires were tested with the wrong tire pressure. Further testing revealed that tires did not meet the minimum traction standards for snow tires. In other words, the tires were not coded properly. Had the tires not been coded as snow tires, chances are good that they would have passed inspection. Michelin instituted a voluntary recall of the tires when the problem was discovered.

Lawsuits involving these tires 

Michelin is attempting to avoid lawsuits related to the snow tires. Had the recall not been initiated, any accident involving the tires could have created a major liability issue for the company. Because the tires were advertised and marketed as snow tires, consumers would assume that the tires meet the minimum safety standards set forth by federal regulators. Because the tires do not conform to the traction requirements set forth by regulations, Michelin would have potentially been liable in spin-out accidents resulting from icy roads.

Product liability claims are filed on one of three theories. Those are: Design defect, manufacturing defect, and marketing defects. In this case, the tires were marketed as snow tires giving consumers the false impression that the tires were fit for driving on icy roads. In the case of the Agilis CrossClimate C-Metric tires, they were not.

Thus far, no lawsuits have been filed and no injuries have been reported due to the tires. So, Michelin is getting out in front of the matter before serious injuries can occur. This is a good thing for both Michelin and owners of the aforementioned vehicles that come standard with the Agilis CrossClimate C-Metric tires.

Michelin would still be liable if a plaintiff could prove that the mislabeled tires played a role in an accident in which they suffered some injury. The plaintiff could claim that the tire was at least partly responsible for their injuries. The plaintiff would claim that they were under the impression that the tire was fit for driving on icy roads.

Talk to a Florida Tire Defect Attorney Today 

Halpern, Santos & Pinkert represent the interests of plaintiffs who have been injured by defective tires. Call the Florida personal injury lawyers at our office today to schedule a free consultation and we can begin building your case immediately.

Source:

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