Imagine driving to work only to have a tire on your vehicle suddenly fly off. For one 39-year-old woman, this nightmare scenario became a reality in 2009. As a result of the defective tire, the wife and mother of three lost control of her car which careened out of control and came to rest after rolling over three times.

As a result of the rollover accident, the woman was in a coma for a month. While she thankfully regained consciousness and does not appear to have suffered any brain damage, her injuries were still severe and numerous. The woman has undergone a total of 17 surgeries and spent more than 100 days in the hospital.

With roughly $1.5 million dollars in medical bills, the woman and her husband chose to file a lawsuit against Continental Tire, the manufacturer responsible for making and inspecting the tire. While the tire maker denied any liability and attempted to blame the rollover accident on the plaintiff's failure to control her vehicle, evidence presented by the plaintiffs' attorneys proved the wheel never passed inspection. A jury recently ruled in favor of the 39-year-old and her husband and awarded them a $10 million dollar settlement.

Having suffered permanent and debilitating injuries that have left her unable to work or care for herself of her three children, the couple was relieved to have received the large settlement. Monies recovered via the lawsuit will go a long way towards helping provide for ongoing medical care as well as pay for past and future medical expenses.

Source: Palm Beach Post, "Jury awards Jupiter woman nearly $10M in faulty tire accident," Jane Musgrave, Oct. 4, 2013