CARACAS — The complaints about Firestone tires installed on Ford sports utility vehicles are increasing outside the United States, especially in
Venezuela. But even though at least 70 incidents involving Firestone tires and Ford vehicles have been reported in Venezuela, lawyers there say the legal battle for compensation will likely take place mainly in U.S.,
not Venezuelan, courts. Lawyer Franklin Hoet was once a member of Ford Motor Company’s legal team in Venezuela, but began crusading against the company after his son was injured in the crash of a Ford Explorer. But
instead of going to his own country’s courts, Hoet has taken his case to a federal court in Florida.
So far, 47 deaths related to Ford Explorers fitted with Firestone ATX tires have been reported in Venezuela.
Venezuelan authorities, like their counterparts in the United States, are investigating the incidents.
But Hoet and a team of Venezuelan and American lawyers meeting in Caracas Friday say most Venezuelan victims
probably will seek justice in the U.S. courts.
The reason, they say, is not just the promise of larger settlements. Hoet says he and the others hope to go after Ford and Firestone directly, not their Venezuelan
subsidiaries, and the best place to do that is in a U.S. court.
He says another reason is that Venezuelan courts are simply not efficient when it comes to product liability cases like the Firestone tire cases.
American lawyer Peter Wechsler was meeting with Hoet in Caracas and also said he plans to represent several Venezuelan victims in the U.S. because the U.S. court system simply has more expertise in product liability and
punitive damages suits.
On Thursday, Firestone of Venezuela began recalling about 62,000 Wilderness ATX tires, mainly because of mounting pressure from the local consumer protection agency and Venezuela's People’s
Defender's Office.
Lawyer Raul Saavedra, who is investigating Ford and Firestone for the People's Defender’s Office, says the Venezuelan court system is capable of handling lawsuits against the companies, but adds
that the victims stand to win more money in U.S. courts.
Wechsler agrees. He says the judgements in the pending cases could be huge — possibly in the hundreds of million of dollars.
