PITTSBURGH - Bridgestone installed bald tires on a car driven by an 18-year-old Moon Area High School student who crashed and died in 2023, a lawsuit says.
Joyce Cooper filed a lawsuit July 10 in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County against Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC, Lithia Moon-V, LLC, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
The case arises from the death of her son, Luke T. Cooper, who died on March 22, 2023, due to injuries sustained in a motor vehicle crash. The complaint alleges negligence on the part of Bridgestone for improper tire installation and rotation practices that contributed to the accident.
Luke was headed to a n's league hockey game at 10:03 p.m., when the crash occurred. Bridgestone is accused of putting the "best" tires in the front of Joyce's Jetta, which Luke was driving.
There was standing water on the roadway that caused the car to hydroplane and strike a guardrail, which broke and penetrated the car.
The front tires had 11/32s inch of tread depth but the rear tires were between 2/32s and 4/32s, the complaint says.
It also accuses Volkswagen of Moon Township and PennDOT of failing to maintain safe conditions and proper inspections. Cooper seeks compensatory and punitive damages exceeding $50,000.
Benjamin Baer of Injury Law Partners represents the plaintiff.