Ford Motor Co. hit with suit by driver of vehicle struck by spare tire

A man who claims his vehicle was hit by a spare tire while driving on Route 83 is suing the maker and owner of the truck that allegedly lost its spare due to a faulty part.

Gary Borchardt filed a lawsuit Nov. 25 in Cook County Circuit Court against Ford Motor Co., Thomas W. Leach Jr. and Advanced Disposal Service Solid Waste Midwest, formerly known as Veolia Es Solid Waste Midwest.

According to the complaint, Leach was driving a Ford truck owned by his employer, Advanced Disposal, on Nov. 27, 2012, when a cable mechanism holding the spare tire broke,  causing the tire to fly into the roadway and strike Borchardt's vehicle.

Ford is accused of being negligent in installing faulty factory parts and the other defendants are accused of being negligent in operating a vehicle with faulty parts.

The suit names Wentworth Tire Services Inc. as a respondent in discovery.

Borchardt seeks damages in excess of jurisdictional limits, plus court costs, and is represented by Scott R. Clewis of the Law Offices of Thomas J. Popovich P.C. in Chicago.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt and it represents only one side of the story.