Michelin wins unanimous defense verdict in $66 million motorcycle tire lawsuit

Greenville, SC – A South Carolina jury has ruled unanimously in favor of Michelin North America, Inc., in a high-profile product liability case involving a 2017 motorcycle accident. The crash resulted in catastrophic injuries to both occupants, including the driver who sustained permanent paralysis. Plaintiffs alleged that the motorcycle tire was defectively manufactured.

In their closing arguments, counsel for Plaintiffs suggested the jury award them $66 million in damages.

In a statement, the Company said: “Michelin respects the work the jury did to reach its decision. While we sincerely regret this tragic accident and the devastating effects it has had on the Nash family, the evidence presented throughout the eight-day trial showed that the accident resulted from severe under-inflation and improper maintenance of the Michelin tire, not a manufacturing defect. Michelin will continue to vigorously defend the world-class quality of its products and the high-level work of its engineers in these types of cases.”

The case is Nash v. Michelin North America, 2019-CP-18-00080, in the Court of Common Pleas, First Judicial Circuit, Dorchester County, South Carolina.