Louisiana Appellate Court Upholds $7.2M Tire Defect Verdict

After US Supreme Court victory, Kaster, Lynch, Farrar & Ball team preserves trial verdict for family of man killed when tire exploded 

NEW ORLEANS – Hot off a precedent-setting product defect victory at the U.S. Supreme Court, the trial team at Kaster, Lynch, Farrar & Ball has emerged with another important win at the courthouse. 

This time, the KLF&B lawyers preserved their earlier $7.2 million wrongful death trial verdict for the family of a man who was killed when a defective Goodyear G182 tire suddenly exploded. The successful outcome in Breaux v Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. is another example of the firm’s ability to win at trial and succeed at the appellate level against powerful corporate interests. 

 Firm co-founders Bruce Kaster, Skip Lynch, Wes Ball and Kyle Farrar led the Louisiana trial and appeal, along with local counsel Meeks & Associates LLC. In March 2021, the KLF&B team secured a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a closely watched product defect lawsuit against Ford.  

 The Bandemer v. Ford ruling at the high court was an important win for a young man who was injured when the airbags in a Ford Crown Victoria failed to deploy during a rollover accident. The court decision is also widely credited with preserving access to the legal system for individuals everywhere to seek justice when they are injured by dangerous and defective products. 

 The most recent court case dates back to Feb. 5, 2014, when Elwood Breaux Jr. and a co-worker were inflating a G182 tire after noticing the tire pressure was low. Mr. Breaux was holding the tire upright when the sidewall ruptured. He never left the hospital and died from his injuries 28 days later.   

 On May 12, a three-judge panel from Louisiana’s Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal found that trial Judge Michael Clement had ruled properly when he determined that Goodyear had not carried out its duty to warn about its tires’ dangers and how to avoid injury. 

 Based in Ocala, Florida, and Houston, the trial lawyers at Kaster Lynch Farrar & Ball LLP have hard-earned expertise in cases against global vehicle and tire manufacturers over defects that can cause significant injury or death. The firm is a nationwide leader in securing verdicts and settlements against the world’s largest tire and vehicle manufacturers. For more information, visit TheTireLawyers.com.