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Coordination of Firestone Lawsuits Argued Oct. 17

5 October 2000

Coordination of Firestone Lawsuits Argued Oct. 17, Says Hayes Law Reports

    WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 4 Bridgestone/Firestone and Ford
Motor Co. face significant hearings this month on coordination of all federal
lawsuits against them and on plaintiffs' demands for an expanded tire recall,
according to Hayes Law Reports' Motor Vehicle Product Liability journal.
    -- Judges who make up the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation will
meet in Washington, D.C., Oct. 17 on a motion to consolidate by Tennessee
plaintiff Martin Brookes.  Brookes suggested transferring the federal cases to
either the Middle District of Tennessee or the Southern District of Illinois,
where a class action with 165 named plaintiffs is pending.  Plaintiffs in the
Illinois case support Brookes' motion.  Ford has asked the panel to consider
transferring the cases to the Northern District of Illinois, in Chicago,
rather than the Southern District.
    -- On Oct. 16, a federal judge in Illinois will consider a request for
injunctive relief by the Gustafson plaintiffs asking that the recall be
expanded beyond specified lots of ATX, ATX II and Wilderness tires currently
affected.  Those model tires have been standard equipment on Ford SUVs.  A
similar motion for an expanded recall is pending in a lawsuit filed in the
District of Columbia by the Center for Auto Safety.
    There are currently more than 100 cases pending against
Bridgestone/Firestone, many of them removed to federal court by
Bridgestone/Firestone since the initial motion for an MDL.  At last count,
plaintiffs in 47 cases were asking federal courts for class relief and another
41 were seeking damages on behalf of individuals.  Bridgestone/Firestone and
Ford have moved to stay proceedings in most of the cases until the Judicial
Panel decides on the transfer motions.