$24 MILLION WRONGFUL DEATH SETTLEMENT FINALLY APPROVED FOR LOS ANGELES MAN’S FAMILY IN PRODUCT LIABILITY CASE
Product liability cases occur when a certain product does not meet the ordinary expectations of the consumer and cause unexpected defects or dangers. For example, if you have an electric saw that you are using, and it unexpectedly malfunctions and hurts you, then you will likely have a product liability lawsuit on your hands. However, if you used the tool improperly and not in the way that it was intended to be used, and there was no defect to the product, then you may not be successful in a lawsuit.
Richard Mraz was killed in 2004 after he was run over by a 1992 Dodge Dakota. Mraz’s family won a wrongful death lawsuit with damages of more than $55 million because of the transmission defect that was present in the car that killed Mraz. Mraz had shifted the truck to the park position, and gotten out of the car; unfortunately, even though the truck appeared to be in the park position, it was in between gears and was actually in reverse. The truck then rolled over Mraz and caused significant head injuries. It was revealed in the trial that there were more than 1000 “park-to-reverse” complaints submitted to DaimlerChrysler between 1988 and 2003. There was a recall of the vehicle in 2000, but it was for repairs that did not fix the problem.
Jurors in 2007 found that the company was negligent in the truck’s design and failed to warn the consumers about the defect or adequately recall the vehicle. The settlement was finally approved by a bankruptcy court judge overseeing Chrysler’s assets. The Rudman Law Firm, PLC has won over $150 million in verdicts and settlements, including a settlement involving a defective bicycle brake which resulted in quadriplegia to the rider. If you or a family member has been injured by a defective product, you need to call us now at 1-800-252-9776 (1-800-ALAWPRO) for a free and confidential consultation. Please visit www.alawpro.com to learn more about product liability cases.
