Defective and unreasonably dangerous seats

The case involves an eight month old boy who was riding in the back of his parent’s 1998 Dodge Caravan. The minivan was rear-ended by another vehicle and the front passenger seat of the minivan collapsed and crushed the child’s skull. The parent’s sued Daimler Chrysler for the defective design of the seats and alleged that they were unreasonably dangerous and that the company failed to correct the problem or to warn consumers of the potential dangers.

The verdict(s)

Even though Chrysler defended the case by showing that its design exceeded federal regulations, it was still held liable – along with the driver of the car that rear-ended the minivan whose limited insurance coverage could not even begin to compensate the child’s parents. A Tennessee jury found that the manufacturer has acted recklessly in the design of the seats and awarded the parents $5 million in compensatory damages and $98 million in punitive damages. However, Chrysler appealed and that amount was later reduced to $13 million – an amount that the child’s parents would no doubt forfeit to have their son back.

Personal injury and products liability often go hand in hand

While many people, including some general practice lawyers, would only view this tragic event as a personal injury case, the fact is that many personal injury cases often go hand in hand with products liability cases. It takes a savvy lawyer to understand how and when a defective or unreasonably dangerous product could have been responsible for the wrongful death.

Many attorneys focus their practices in this area of the law and know what to look for and how to go about recovering damages for which plaintiffs are rightfully entitled. If you’ve been involved in an accident, contact an experienced product liability attorney to discuss your situation.