Verdicts and Settlements for Clients Injured by Dangerous Products
Defective Bike Helmet — Brain Damage — $17 Million Verdict
Our attorneys obtained a jury verdict in Santa Clara County Superior Court against the largest maker and seller of bicycle safety helmets in the United States. Our client, a 53–year–old software engineer, sustained significant brain injury when he fell from his bicycle and struck his head. The helmet he was wearing did not protect the most vulnerable portions of his head. Our attorneys demonstrated that although “certified” to industry standards, the helmet failed to provide protection where it was needed most. Our client sustained brain damage and paralysis. The jury’s award included compensation both to him and his wife. The elements of compensation included past and future medical bills, lost wages, and a sum to compensate him for his special needs throughout the balance of his life.
Defective Car Seat Belt — Wrongful Death — $5.769 Million Jury Verdict
Our wrongful death trial lawyers obtained a jury verdict in Los Angeles Superior Court of almost $5,769,000 against Honda Motor Corp. on behalf of the surviving wife and two children of a 43–year–old man killed when his seat belt failed to properly restrain him in a low-speed accident. The collision, which produced only minor damage to his vehicle, nonetheless resulted in fatal injuries when his seat belt fractured his ribs, punctured a lung and lacerated his spleen. The other driver in the accident was not hurt. Using experts in the field of car engineering and design, forensic economists, and medical experts, our wrongful death trial lawyers showed that the design of the car was faulty and caused the wrongful death. The verdict followed a three-week trial and, at the time, was one of the largest in California for an automobile seat belt defect. The recovery included compensation to the heirs for the loss of the love, care and society of the decedent, as well as a sum to compensate them for his lost future earnings.
Defective Jet Ski — Abdominal Injuries — $3.76 Million Jury Verdict
Our product liability trial lawyers obtained a jury verdict in Napa County Superior Court in the amount of $3,760,000 on behalf of a 42–year–old woman who received serious and life–altering abdominal injuries when she fell from the rear of a Polaris model SLH–700 Personal Water Craft. The injury, which occurred on Lake Berryessa, was the result of a high-pressure jet stream from the rear of the water craft flowing into our client’s lower intestinal tract. She sustained damage to her bladder, sacral plexus, cosmetic scarring over her abdomen and serious orifice injuries. Prior to trial, the maker of the Jet Ski had offered only $100,000 in settlement. The verdict is one of the largest in the history of Napa County.
Defective Hot Tub — Wrongful Death — $2.5 Million Settlement
Our attorneys negotiated a settlement in the amount of $2,500,000 on behalf of the parents of a 4–year–old girl who was burned over 80 percent of her body while bathing in the family hot tub. Our attorneys demonstrated that the manufacturer of the hot tub had installed a defective thermostat, permitting the water to become unreasonably hot. The child survived for 61 days following the incident. The settlement was paid by the manufacturer of the hot tub. The settlement was paid in satisfaction of the parents’ wrongful death claim, as well as the mother’s emotional distress claim, as she was present when her daughter was scalded and sustained fatal injuries.
Seat Belt Defect — $2 Million Settlement
Our product liability attorneys recovered $2 million from a U.S. automaker on behalf of a 15–year–old girl who was ejected from an SUV after her mother fell asleep at the wheel and caused the vehicle to roll. The child was ejected through the passenger side window even though she was properly seat belted at the time of the accident. Our attorneys and experts retained by them were able to demonstrate that the vehicle was defective in design because the seat belt system failed to perform as expected and to restrain a front-seat occupant when the front seat was reclined. The automaker claimed that the minor child was not wearing her seat belt at the time of the accident, but experts retained by our attorneys were able to demonstrate, using photogrammetry and fiber analysis, that marking of the seat belt demonstrated it had been “loaded” by the body weight of the 15–year–old as she was ejected through the window, proving that the belt was in use at the time of the collision.
Seat Back Failure — $1.5 Million Settlement
We represented a woman who was paralyzed in a high–speed rear–end collision. After being struck by a drunk driver, her driver’s side seat collapsed, causing a lumbar vertebra rupture and lower extremity paralysis. Our vehicle defect team, working with automobile design engineers and reconstruction engineers, was able to demonstrate that the driver’s side seat, as designed, could not withstand normal and expected forces that happen in rear–end collisions. The manufacturer claimed that the seat, as designed, complied with all government requirements and specifications. The settlement was negotiated two weeks before trial and included repayment of past medical bills, reimbursement of future wage loss and the establishment of annuities to offset the cost of future care.
