[scootergeek]

NEW YORK, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Pirelli SpA on Thursday was hit by a $75 million defective tire lawsuit from the family of a Brooklyn, N.Y. man who died from injuries he suffered after his car blew a tire and crashed into a highway barrier.<P>Sanford Rubenstein, a lawyer for the family, said it may be the first suit filed against Pirelli for injuries allegedly caused by tire tread separation. The case was filed in state court in Brooklyn.<P>A spokesman for Pirelli's U.S. operations in New Haven, Conn. said the company had no comment.<P>The accident occurred in July, when Neville Norville lost control of a 1989 Volvo after the separation of a tire tread. The car crashed into a highway barrier, and Norville was left a quadriplegic for about 10 weeks. He died in October.<P>The Pirelli tire was purchased about two years before the accident occurred, Rubenstein said.<P>Pirelli, of Milan, Italy, is a cable and tire manufacturer.<P>

 

[scootergeek]

Now that I've posted that, I have to wonder how amazingly poor that driver's skill was - an '89 Volvo would be either a 740 or a 240, neither car should become uncontrollable from a tire blowout, and then the amount of injuries he suffered in a single car accident in that car seems very odd. I hate to be uncharitable to the dead, but this guy's undoing sounds like his own doing rather than just bad rubber.<P>Just my opinion.<P>cheers,<BR>scott<P>

 

[Prospero]

I would not go that far. It seems that there is nary enough info in that article to determine anything specific about the road. If it is anything like the 495 beltway around DC, loosing a tire and traction could easily result in kissing a jersey wall. BTW, it happens all the time here. Don't you think that what you are saying is a little bit harsh? You should take a look at some crash test data and see what a pole does to a S80 at 18 MPH. Depending upon how the person hit the wall, the accident could have been similar. You would be shocked if you have seen some of the accidents that I have seen and assisted in cleaning. Abrupt stops cause strange things to happen to one's body. I don't want to start a smackdown here, but it rubs me the wrong way when I read things like what you said in that post. For all you know, the guy could have had his window down and slid sideways into the wall and when the car hit, his head hit the wall rather than the glass. Even at 10 MPH, the force would be sufficient enough to cause severe head, neck, and back injuries. Not to say that the victim did nothing wrong, but none the less is dead for some reason. Tire failure sounds good to me.

 

[Audi S4 Kid]

Check it out!!! A fellow ClubSi'er has defected!!! <IMG SRC="http://www.swedespeed.com/ubb/biggrin.gif">

 

[scootergeek]

Ok Prospero,<P>Maybe I am being unfair to the guy, but from the info in the article, his family's lawsuit strikes me as another typical "let's get rich off our misery" scheme that's so popular these days. I accept your correction on how easy it is to get hurt in an otherwise safe automobile, but I stand by my assessment that in and of itself, a tire blowout in a modern vehicle does *NOT* induce loss of control UNLESS you are doing a number of things wrong behind the wheel.<P>cheers,<BR>scott <P>

 

[scootergeek]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Audi S4 Kid:<BR><B>Check it out!!! A fellow ClubSi'er has defected!!! <IMG SRC="http://www.swedespeed.com/ubb/biggrin.gif"></B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><BR> <IMG SRC="http://www.swedespeed.com/ubb/biggrin.gif"> <IMG SRC="http://www.swedespeed.com/ubb/biggrin.gif"> <IMG SRC="http://www.swedespeed.com/ubb/biggrin.gif"> <P>cheers,<BR>Scott<P>

 

[Prospero]

Scott,<BR>You have earned my respect. I am glad that you are mature enough to cary on a good debate/conversation. I do agree with the loosing control part when a tire blows out. I have had several go out at 75-80+ MPH and never lost control. I had one car spin but I was on an exit ramp in the rain and ran over a pull behind sand rake. Ouch! As far as the lawsuit goes, sometimes money has good healing qualities. In this case the guy was likely the bread winner of the house and they are now strapped for cash. Small family vs. large company, I say more power to the family if they win. I am sure that Pirelli will settle out of court for a few hundred K and never bat an eyelash either way. Anyhow, have a good holiday and I will catch you on the flip side.<BR>Prospero<P>

 

[MEIN_VW]

I'd like to know how many miles he put on those 2-year-old Pirelli's. There are too many factors that can lead to pre-mature tire wear - improper infaltion, driving style etc. I wouldn't be so quick to blame Pirelli. <P>

 

[gezuvor]

From a technical standpoint, I understand that *most* tire manufacturers recommend replacing tires every 2 years for structural integrity reasons like rubber deterioration. <P>Of course, mine only last 10k miles, so I get a new set more than once a year. <IMG SRC="http://www.swedespeed.com/ubb/frown.gif"><P>Another comment: Thanks to Audi S4 kid for his addition to this thread. Your comments are always inciteful and well-constructed. Keep up the good work and let us know when the Ritalin program starts to have a positive effect.<P>

 

[Prospero]

Oh man, the love. Can you feel it? This is nearly better than Jerry Springer. Nearly <IMG SRC="http://www.swedespeed.com/ubb/smile.gif">