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Show Jury Finds Defendant Not Negligent In Lengthy Personal Injury Case After a three day trial in the Seventh Judicial District Court of Grand County, before Judge Edward Sheya, a jury returned a verdict absolving the defendant, defen-dant, Dinosaur Tire Service, Inc., of any negligence or liability for injuries sustained by plaintiffs in a one car roll-over on August 27, 1974 five miles south of Crescent Junction in Grand County. Alfred T. Slama and Ella Slama, his wife, residents of Castle Valley, Grand County, alleged they purchased two new tires from Dinosaur Tire at Price, Utah on June 18, 1974, and that the defendant negligently installed and mounted the same on their pickup truck. Plaintiffs further claimed that on August 27, 1974, one of these tires jruptured, causing the pickup, which was being driven by Ella Slama, to roll over across the highway several times, resulting result-ing in the plaintiffs, and especially Mrs. Slama, suffering suffer-ing serious, severe and painful bodily injuries. It was plaintiffs' contention that the defendant's agent removed a patched and used tube from an old tire which was being replaced and inserted it into one of the new tires, and that a leak from the old tube was one of the causes for the new tire rupturing. Plaintiffs further alleged that it was contrary to the standards of the tire manufacturing manufac-turing industry to place an old tube in a new tire, and that it was negligence for the defendant defen-dant to do so. the Defendant disagreed. Dinosaur Tire denied it was negligent in any manner, and claimed that the plaintiffs were negligent as follows: 1. By carrying an excessive load on the pickup at the time of the accident. 2. That plaintiffs were traveling at an excessive rate of speed at the time of the accident. 3. The plaintiffs negligently caused the pickup to strike an object in the road at the time in . question. The suit originally named the tire manufacturer as a party defendant, alleging a defect in the tire. However, on the morning of the trial, plaintiffs' counsel moved for a dismissal of the tire manufacturer manufac-turer on the ground that a thorough examination thereof failed to disclose any factory : defects therein. Judge Sheya granted the dismissal. The jury deliberated VA hours; before returning its verdict. The jury consisted of three men and five women. |