DaimlerChrysler Corporation and Cooper Tire and Rubber Company

On September 26, 2005 Utah State University instructor Evan Parker was transporting 10 agricultural students home from a field trip when the left rear tire blew and the van rolled four times. All 11 men were ejected from the van; Parker and eight students were killed in the crash. A Utah State University student who survived and the families of another survivor along with eight men who died in the crash filed a class action lawsuit against the manufacturers of both the vehicle and its tires. The lawsuit claims DaimlerChrysler Corporation and Cooper Tire and Rubber Company marketed products with design and manufacturing defects and failed to warn consumers and recall the products after the companies were aware of the problems. The lawsuit states the high center of gravity and handling characteristics of the Dodge van made it unsafe to operate.