CARRIZO SPRINGS, Texas — A jury in a Texas county court returned a $33 million verdict against Goodyear in a case involving an allegedly defective tire on a cement truck.
Goodyear, however, said in a statement that it reached a confidential agreement with the plaintiffs before the verdict.
The tire maker said it was "disappointed" with the verdict.
The tire involved in the case was a Goodyear G286A Super Single tire manufactured at Goodyear's Danville, Va., plant in May 2009, according to John Gsanger, attorney with the Houston-based Ammons Law Firm, who represented the family of the late Ramiro Munoz Jr.
Mr. Munoz, a teacher and community leader, was killed in June 2013 in an accident near Carrizo Springs when the tire on a cement truck allegedly lost its tread, causing the truck driver to lose control. The truck struck Mr. Munoz's vehicle.
Mr. Munoz's survivors filed suit before the 365th Court in Dimmit County, Texas, where Mr. Munoz was employed as city manager of Carrizo Springs, a community of about 5,000 located southwest of San Antonio.
Five workers at the Danville plant testified as plaintiffs' witnesses at the trial, according to a power point presentation prepared by the Ammons Law Firm.
Those workers alleged substandard manufacturing conditions at the operations where the G286A tire was made, including water contamination, inadequate inspections and the use of old rubber, the power point presentation said.
The jury returned its verdict Feb. 22.
In a news release, Mr. Gsanger alleged the Danville plant is "notorious" for a poor workplace safety and quality control record.
"In our analysis, we found the failed tire's problems were numerous and included adhesion defects and off-center, wrong-sized steel belts," Mr. Gsanger said.
"Tread separation and the loss of vehicular control is the result of shoddy manufacturing."