A Dallas, Texas jury awarded more than $240 million to a family that brought a lawsuit against Toyota for injuries sustained by two children in a rear end car accident. The lawsuit alleged that the front driver seats in the family’s 2002 Lexus ES 300 were “unreasonably dangerous and defectively designed.” Lawyers for the family argued that the front seats and the passenger restraint systems failed during a collision involving the family.
According to the lawsuit, during the 2016 collision, a defect in the front seats caused the seat backs to collapse backwards. As a result, the children in the backseat suffered serious and traumatic brain injuries. The family argued that the children’s injuries would not have occurred if Toyota properly designed the seats and safety restraint system in a manner to prevent the front seats from collapsing. The jury decided that the Toyota failed to adequately warn of the dangers the front seats posed to back seat passengers. The jury awarded damages for medical care, physical impairment, mental anguish, and punitive damages.
After the jury’s verdict, Toyota released a statement denying that the injuries sustained by the children were due to a defect in the design or manufacturing of the family’s vehicle. Lawyers for the family expect Toyota to appeal the jury’s award.
If you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident, contact an attorney at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling 713-231-9360 or toll free at 1‑800-594-4884