Farrar & Ball, LLP Wins $32.8 Million Verdict in Rollover Case Against Cooper Tire

DES MOINES, Iowa, March 23 /PRNewswire/ -- A Polk County, Iowa, jury has
issued a $32.8 million verdict against Findlay, Ohio-based Cooper Tire &
Rubber Co. (NYSE: CTB) in a lawsuit over a fatal 2007 vehicle rollover caused
by tire tread separation.

Jurors in Judge Carla T. Schemmel's District Court found that Cooper Tire was
responsible for the September 17, 2007, rollover crash of a 1997 Plymouth
Grand Voyager van on Highway 65 between Des Moines and Marshalltown.

Attorneys Kyle Farrar and Wesley Todd Ball of the Houston trial law firm
Farrar & Ball, LLP served as lead counsel for the six passengers involved in
the car wreck and their families. They were assisted at trial by Fred James
of the James Law Firm in Des Moines.

The vehicle rollover was caused by catastrophic tread separation on the van's
left rear tire. The crash killed Assata Karlar, paralyzed Ivon Toe, and
severely injured Josephine Cole, Sekou Jai, Jailah Nayou and Achol Deng
Mawien.

The jury found that Cooper Tire defectively designed and manufactured the
Cooper Lifeliner Classic II tire, and evidence at trial showed that the
rollover was caused by a defect in the tire that allowed part of the steel
belt to rust and weaken over time. Jurors also heard evidence that despite
safer alternatives, Cooper Tire executives delayed necessary changes in order
to avoid additional costs of updating the tire's design.

"This is a case of a large corporation putting profits over people," says Mr.
Ball. "We have documents in which the company's executives openly discuss the
costs of improving the design of this tire, and unfortunately they decided
that saving money was more important than saving lives."

The verdict was issued Friday, March 19, 2010, following four days of jury
deliberations. The award in Ivon Toe, et al. v. Cooper Tire and Rubber
Company, et al., No. CL 106914, includes more than $31.3 million in actual
damages and $1.5 million in punitive damages.

"We are grateful to the jury for making Cooper Tire take responsibility for
their negligence," says Mr. Farrar. "Although nothing can make up for the
terrible tragedy our clients have suffered, our hope is that this verdict
sends a message to the entire industry that vehicle and passenger safety
should be the number one priority."

Farrar & Ball, LLP is dedicated to helping those injured due to corporate
neglect. The firm has developed extensive knowledge of tire and vehicle
failures. To learn more, visit the firm's Web site at
http://www.fbtrial.com/index.html.

For more information on the verdict, please contact Alan Bentrup at
800-559-4534 or alan@androvett.com.

SOURCE Farrar & Ball, LLP

Alan Bentrup, 1-800-559-4534, alan@androvett.com, for Farrar & Ball, LLP