New Mexico jury awards $220 million in fatal crash

A San Miguel County jury returned a $220 million verdict against Michelin North America in a lawsuit alleging a defective tire caused a 2021 crash that killed three members of a Texas family.

The three family members died in a head-on collision in rural Gaines County, Texas, after a Michelin LTX M tire on the front driver's side experienced tire separation, according to the lawsuit.

The failure caused the family's eastbound Ford Expedition to veer into the westbound lane and collide with an oncoming Chevrolet 2500 pickup pulling a trailer, the suit said.

Killed in the July 21, 2021, collision were Laura Zamarippa, 40, her mother, Rosalva Marin, 64, and her 14-year-old daughter, Alexis Zamarippa, according to news reports.

Marin's husband purchased four tires, including the tire at issue in the suit, at a Discount Tire Company store in Hobbs, according to the suit.

The 4th Judicial District Court jury found Michelin solely responsible for the tire's failure and liable for 100% of the damage award, court records show.

Discount Tire was a defendant in the lawsuit but was not found at fault. The verdict came on Friday following a two-week trial before Judge Michael Aragon.

Michelin's attorney, Michael O'Donnell of Denver, did not immediately return a message seeking comment on Monday.

Wesley Ball of Houston, lead attorney for family, said the tire was six years old at the time of the crash but was within the recommended life of the product.

"Michelin's service recommendation is the tires are removed at 10 years," Ball said Monday in a phone interview. "There was nothing about the age of the tires, or the milage on the tires that, by themselves, would have caused the tires to be removed from service."

The tire experienced "belt separation," meaning the tire and steel belt separated, Ball said.

"The tire catastrophically failed," he said. "It came apart between its two steel components."

Ball said he expects Michelin to appeal the ruling to the New Mexico Court of Appeals.