We want to avoid just handing over any and all documents without it having been proven by the plaintiff's lawyer that this is a particular document they need. The push for secrecy isn't limited to tire companies. That deal kept secret even the number of plaintiffs. The company insisted that the amount it paid be kept secret. But two of the settlements were later revealed when Cook County Circuit Judge Judith Cohen insisted the wrongful-death benefits be made public.
Tire companies have an especially tough reputation for secrecy.
In a 1994 trial in Georgia involving a tire that failed, Uniroyal attorneys argued portions of the trial should be closed to the public. On many copies, the type was reduced and nearly unreadable. U.S. District Court Judge G. Ross Anderson Jr. didn't mince words. I'll revoke your license to practice in two minutes if you keep this up, and yours, too. Now, I want to hear an explanation for this outrageous, utterly ridiculous conduct.