Goodyear Luxembourg: Prosecutors schedule hearing in fatal tyre defect case

Manufacturing defects in a specific type of Goodyear tyre have been linked to a series of serious accidents, prompting a criminal investigation that began in 2016 on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter.

At a Thursday press conference, the public prosecutor announced that representatives of SAS Goodyear France and SAS Goodyear Operations Luxembourg will be heard by the investigating judge in Besançon. It is still uncertain whether this will lead to formal charges.

The investigation centres on both the Goodyear company and certain individuals who may bear responsibility.

The case involves hundreds of accidents between 2011 and 2016, several of which resulted in fatalities or severe injuries. A recurring factor across these incidents was the use of a particular Goodyear tyre model, primarily produced at the company's Colmar-Berg facility in Luxembourg.

In 2016, the public prosecutor's office in Besançon, France, launched a formal investigation into whether Goodyear knowingly withheld critical safety information to protect its reputation. Although a replacement programme for the affected tyre model ran from 2014 to 2016, it was never explicitly disclosed that safety concerns were the reason – even after a 2014 expert report linked a fatal crash to a manufacturing defect.

The investigation gained momentum due to the efforts of Sophie Rollet, who lost her husband in a 2014 accident caused by a tyre blowout. Her independent research revealed the crash was not an isolated event but possibly part of a larger pattern. In 2016, she thus filed a formal complaint in Besançon.

Read also: Sophie Rollet battles for justice in Goodyear tyre case

Her findings, further supported by journalistic investigations, brought national attention to the case. Following the media coverage, several Goodyear whistleblowers came forward, providing key insights that helped propel the investigation.

In May of last year, coordinated searches were carried out at Goodyear facilities in France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Authorities have since been analysing the collected material to determine what the company knew about the defects and when.

The investigation is focused on three fatal accidents that occurred between 2014 and 2016, resulting in four deaths. Independent experts have confirmed that each involved a manufacturing flaw. Four additional accidents were also examined, but those cases are now barred by statutes of limitation.