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A New Mexico jury delivered a crushing $220 million verdict against Michelin North America Inc., finding the tire maker fully responsible for a catastrophic crash that wiped out three generations of a Texas family.

Jury Assigns Full Blame After Lengthy Trial

After a 10-day trial, jurors concluded that Michelin bore 100% of the fault for the head-on collision, while co-defendant Discount Tire Company of New Mexico Inc. walked away without liability.

The verdict stems from a deadly wreck that occurred July 12, 2021, in Gaines County, Texas, when a Michelin-manufactured LTX M/S 2 tire allegedly failed without warning.

Tire Failure Sent Vehicle Into Oncoming Traffic

Court records show Laura Zamarippa was driving when the front driver-side tire violently malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to cross the center line and collide with another car.

Laura Zamarippa and her mother, Rosalva Marin, were pronounced dead at the scene. Laura’s 14-year-old daughter, Alexis Zamarippa, was airlifted to a hospital but later died from her injuries. Marin was Laura’s mother, and Laura was Alexis’ mother, according to court documents.

Damages Awarded for Mental Anguish, Loss of Companionship

The jury awarded $6.25 million for past and future mental anguish and loss of companionship to each surviving member of Marin’s family. Survivors of the Zamarippa family were awarded $5 million each for similar damages. Jurors declined to award exemplary damages.

Plaintiffs Point to Withheld Evidence

Plaintiffs’ attorney Wes Ball of Kaster Lynch Farrar & Ball said Michelin fought aggressively—even appealing to the New Mexico Supreme Court—to block disclosure of internal emails and documents.

“The court denied that request,” Ball said Friday, adding that the materials presented at trial showed Michelin “made a decision to gamble with people’s lives.”

Michelin Signals Appeal

Michelin responded Monday with a statement acknowledging the family’s loss but rejecting the jury’s conclusions.

“The evidence showed at trial that the tire was seven years old, had been damaged, and had been in service approximately 70,000 miles,” the company said, adding it stands behind the safety and quality of its products and plans to pursue all available legal avenues to overturn the verdict.

Representatives for Discount Tire could not immediately be reached for comment.

Legal Teams

The plaintiffs are represented by Wes Ball, Skip Lynch, and Kyle Farrar of Kaster Lynch Farrar & Ball.
Michelin and the defense are represented by Michael O’Donnell of Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell LLP.

The Michelin $220M verdict now looms like a warning flare across the auto industry—underscoring how a single component failure can carry consequences measured not just in dollars, but in lives lost.