HOUSTON — A Fayette County man is suing Bridgestone Tire, alleging breach of implied warranty in causing the crash of the cement truck the plaintiff was driving.
Rachard Lakeith Clay of La Grange filed a complaint May 4 in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas against Bridgestone Americas, Inc. and Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC also known as Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire LLC, alleging failure of due care in designing its products to avoid harming consumers.
According to the complaint, on Sept. 1, 2015, while driving a 1997 cement mixer outside Warda, Texas, Clay's cement mixer truck sustained tire delamination on the mixer's front right side causing a catastrophic tread-belt separation.
The suit says the truck departed the roadway and traveled down an 8-foot embankment, rolling over into the center median. As a result, Clay says he suffered severe injuries lost wages and incurred medical expenses.
The plaintiff alleges the defendants failed to properly design, develop and test the M854 tires before introducing them to the market, failed to recall, retrofit or modify the products and failed to warn of the hazards associated with the products, its dangers and defects.
Clay seeks trial by jury, actual, special and exemplary damages, together with pre- and post-judgment interest, costs of court, attorney fees, and all other just relief. He is represented by attorneys David E. Harris and Juan Maldonado III of Sico Hoelscher Harris & Braugh LLP in Corpus Christi.
Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas Case number 4:17-cv-01385