New Mexico Jury Returns $220 Million Verdict in Tire Defect Case

A New Mexico jury has returned a $220 million verdict against Michelin North America, Inc., finding that a defective tire caused a July 2021 crash that killed a grandmother, mother, and daughter.

Rosalva Marin, Laura Marin Zamarippa, and 14-year-old Alexis Zamarippa were killed when a Michelin tire on their Ford Excursion suffered a catastrophic tread separation. The sudden tire failure caused their vehicle to veer into oncoming traffic, resulting in a head-on collision.

Wes Ball, Skip Lynch, and Kyle Farrar of Kaster Lynch Farrar & Ball led the plaintiffs’ trial team, joined by Jeff Cluff and Jodee Rankin of Fadduol, Cluff, Hardy & Conaway.

Durham, Pittard & Spalding’s Roz Bienvenu served as appellate counsel, including responding to two extraordinary writ petitions filed by the defendants in the New Mexico Supreme Court, which were both denied.

The case is Grano et al. v. Michelin North America, Inc. et al., No. D-412-CV-2021-00197, in the Fourth Judicial District Court for San Miguel County, New Mexico.