GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) — A Montana jury has found that defects in a tire sold by the Ford Motor Company were a factor in a 2003 Ford Bronco crash in which a Cascade County man suffered a brain injury and was paralyzed.
The Great Falls Tribune (https://bit.ly/KdYeQC ) reports jurors voted 11-1 Wednesday in favor of Bryan Mizenko, who sued Ford, the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company and Pete's Auto of Great Falls. Firestone and Pete's Auto settled their portions of the case. The damage phase of the trial was to begin Thursday.
Mizenko's lawsuit alleges the tread belt separated from his left rear Firestone tire, causing his 1989 Ford Bronco to crash.
Ford argued the tire failed because it was 14 years old, had been punctured, had damage to the bead and steel belt and was underinflated.