Associated Press, "Alabama Jury returns $4 million verdict against Wal-Mart For Tire Shop Negligent Supervision | Tire Blowout | Explorer Rollover"

          A Montgomery woman who was paralyzed in a 2004 rollover crash that occurred when the tread on one of her SUV's tires separated has been awarded $4 million in a judgment against Wal-Mart, whose service center failed to spot the defective tire. Thorne was driving her Ford Expedition to a business seminar in La Grange, Ga. when the tire tread separated and caused her to lose control, Allen said. The SUV rolled over one time and the roof was crushed down to the steering wheel, he said.
          The faulty tire was included in an August 2002 recall by Continental Tire Company. Thorne had her car serviced at the Wal-Mart on Montgomery's Eastern Bypass on nine separate occasions after the recall, but she was never told of the problem. "Their defense was: 'All we're doing is checking tread depth,' and she thought they were checking for safety," her attorney said. "If somebody had looked at it, they would have found the bulge and realize it was separating."
          The Wal-Mart servicemen testified that they weren't trained to look for tire problems and that it was discovered during the weeklong trial that Wal-Mart has a policy not to disclose recalls on tires unless Wal-Mart sold the tire. Wal-Mart spokesman John Simley said the company does check tires for tread depth, but said he couldn't comment further.