Jury Faults Cooper, Awards $33 Million to Plaintiffs

Tire Review reports that an Iowa jury awarded seven passengers in a deadly 2007 rollover accident some $33 million, finding Cooper Tire & Rubber Co at fault. Seven passengers involved in a deadly van rollover crash near Bondurant won a $33 million verdict Friday from a Polk County jury that blamed a US tyre-maker for the accident.

Cooper is expected to appeal the verdict, and denies that tyres caused the September 2007 rollover accident near Bondurant, Iowa, involving a 1997 Plymouth Grand Voyager minivan. One passenger was killed in the accident, and another was left paralysed. The other passengers suffered various injuries.

The plaintiffs contended that a manufacturing flaw led to a tread separation in the tyre, which allegedly caused the driver to lose control on US 65 near Bondurant.