Attorneys of Record for
Tires

Taras Kick
The Kick Law Firm
660 South Figeroa Street
Suite 1800
Los Angeles, CA 90017
213-624-1588
217-624-1589 fax
taras@kicklawfirm.com
kicklawfirm.com

C. Tab Turner
Turner & Associates, PA
4705 Somers Avenue, Suite 100
North Little Rock, AR 72116
501-791-2277
501-791-1251 fax
tab@tturner.com
tturner.com

SAFETYFORUM.COM REPORTS FIRESTONE
REPLACEMENT TIRES ALREADY HAVE RECORD
OF INJURIES

AUG 10 -- A preliminary review of existing and pending lawsuits involving Firestone ATX, ATX II, and Wilderness AT tires reveals that many involve tires made in Firestone factories other than Firestone's Decatur plant. At a Washington, DC press conference yesterday, Firestone identified its Decatur plant as the source of most of the tires that have failed and said it would replace existing tires with identical tires made at other plants. Tab Turner, a Safetyforum.com "Attorney of Record" for tires, called Firestone's planned recall and remedy "unsatisfactory and potentially dangerous to consumers."

"Since Firestone's announcement yesterday, we have been reviewing claims, lawsuits, and other information in our possession concerning tread separations, including contacting other attorneys around the country. Based on the information we have reviewed thus far, we estimate that the involvement of the so-called safe replacement Wilderness AT tires may account for as many as one third of those events." Turner said. Turner also pointed out that Wilderness AT tires in sizes different than the P235/75R15 are also showing up in tread separation accidents.

Turner observed that "Firestone has not released the data on which it based its decision to blame the failures on the Decatur plant and replace the tires with identical tires made elsewhere. If Firestone has information proving that the bad tires came from Decatur, the public has a right to see the information. According to Firestone, it made ATX, ATX II, and Wilderness AT tires at its facilities in Decatur, Illinois, Wilson, North Carolina, Joliette, Quebec Canada and Aiken, South Carolina. Firestone said it intends to use Wilderness tires made at the Wilson, Joliette and Aiken facilities to replace the recalled tires.

Every tire sold in the U.S. has a code stamped on the side wall that identifies where that tire was made. Safetyforum.com is requesting that individuals who have experienced tread separation on ATX, ATX II and Wilderness AT tires, send those sidewall codes to mail@safetyforum.com or mail them to Safetyforum.com, PO Box 470, Arlington, Virginia 22210. Today, Safetyforum.com is sending a letter to Firestone requesting the data on which it based its recall and replacement decisions.

Contacts:
C. Tab Turner, Turner & Associates, P.A.
501-791-2277
4702 West Commercial Drive, Suite B3, Little Rock, AR 72116

Ralph Hoar, Safetyforum.com
703-469-3700
P.O. Box 470, Arlington, VA 22210-0470

(08/10/00)