Claiming negligence, Goodyear and Goodyear Dunlop Tires North America Ltd. sued two Chicago injury attorneys, according to Rubber News. They claim that negligence on the part of the two lawyers cost them what they believed would be an easy victory in a product liability case.
In that case, Michael and Darla Green were riding their Harley-Davidson motorcycle from Illinois to Yellowstone National Park in the summer of 2007. A friend warned the couple that their rear tire looked low on air and that she could smell burning rubber from their bike, according to undisputed facts related to the case.
However, the couple reportedly kept on riding until the tire suddenly deflated in Missouri and resulted in a crash.
Both Michael and Darla Green were injured and filed a lawsuit against the tire company in 2008. The couple eventually settled with Goodyear for an undisclosed sum, but Goodyear now claims that they should have easily won the case for a number of reasons.
A brief filed by Goodyear pointed to the underinflated tire, low tread, the Greens' obesity and the lack of proper safety gear as extenuating circumstances leading up to the incident. But the company said the lawyers failed to demand a jury trial; made errors resulting in the judge striking expert witness testimony; and various errors in their cross-examination.
Now the tire company is seeking damages in excess of $50,000 against the attorneys and their firm. Neither of the two attorneys commented on the lawsuit.
Although the claims are merely alleged at this point, it must be noted that most Chicago injury attorneys are careful not to make procedural errors that hamper their clients' ability to seek a favorable resolution in personal injury cases.
Related Resources:
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Legal Dictionary: Legal Malpractice (FindLaw)
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Malpractice Suits within Suits: Texas Court Throws out Attorney Malpractice Suit over Medical Malpractice Case (FindLaw's Common Law Blog)
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Goodyear, Families Settle Miss. Crash Lawsuit (Bloomberg Businessweek)
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Consult with a Chicago Accident Attorney (FindLaw)
