Continental Tire Blowout Lawsuit Results in $10M Verdict

A Florida jury has ordered Continental Tire North America to pay nearly $10 million in damages stemming from an accident that occurred after one of its tires exploded.

The verdict came in a lawsuit filed by Tracey Parker, who was hospitalized for 102 days following a tire blowout accident that occurred in 2009 on I-95 near Port Saint Lucie, Florida.

According to allegations raised during trial in Palm Beach County, the Continental tire failed because it was defective. Prior to the accident, the tire that exploded was in good condition, was not worn down and had no prior repairs. The tire still had three years of warranty and 20,000 miles of tread remaining at the time it blew out.

After the Continental tire exploded, Parker’s Chevy Cobalt flipped over three times, landing in the median. Parker, 39, had to be airlifted from the scene of the accident, underwent 17 surgeries and was comatose for more than a month, while some doctors did not expect her to survive the accident.

Parker claims that some of the broken bones in her shoulder never healed and she is in constant pain and unable to work or provide for herself and her family. The accident left her with $1.5 million in medical bills.

The jury awarded Parker nearly $10 million and she is expected to ask for the company to be responsible for nearly $2 million in court and attorney fees as well. According to a report by Law360.com (subscription required), Continental rejected an earlier offer of $800,000 to settle the claim, which allows Parker’s attorneys to ask for the company to pay for court costs that could have been avoided.

Due to the size of the jury award, Continental is expected to appeal the verdict.