Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. v. Mendez

In this products liability case, we hold that plaintiffs’ expert testimony was legally insufficient to establish a manufacturing defect, and accordingly reverse and render judgment in favor of petitioner Cooper Tire & Rubber Company.

I. Background

In June 1997, Oscar Mendez was driving a Mazda minivan carrying six passengers down Interstate 25 in New Mexico. The left rear tire, a steel-belted radial tire manufactured by Cooper Tire, lost its tread. Mendez lost control of the vehicle, and it rolled several times, ejecting all six passengers. Mendez, the only occupant wearing a seat belt, was not…