Won a unanimous defense jury verdict for Michelin North America in a $66 million product liability trial in South Carolina.

WTO lawyers won a unanimous defense jury verdict for Michelin North America following a high-profile product liability trial in South Carolina. During closing arguments, the plaintiffs’ counsel asked the jury to award $66 million in damages. 

The case arose out of a 2017 motorcycle accident that resulted in catastrophic injuries to both occupants, including the driver, who sustained permanent paralysis. The plaintiffs alleged that the rear motorcycle tire was defectively manufactured and caused the crash. 

WTO attorneys demonstrated to the jury that the accident resulted from under-inflation and improper maintenance, not from a manufacturing defect.  

Following closing arguments in the eight-day trial, the jury returned a defense verdict after approximately one hour of deliberations.