The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals recently rejected a request to issue a court-ordered recall of Firestone tires or the Ford Explorer SUV. Lawyers representing the families of those killed or injured in rollover accidents had requested the action from U.S. District Court Judge Sarah E. Barker. Her ruling declared that only the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration could issue a recall of this sort.

Over the past several years, more than 200 deaths and 700 injuries have been linked to Ford Explorers equipped with certain Firestone tires. While the companies vigorously deny any liability, hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against both Ford and Firestone.