Defective product

This California product liability lawsuit involves Oakland California musician Dax Pierson. According to an article in the Oakland Tribune, Pierson was riding in a Ford passenger van which rolled over due to icy conditions on an Iowa freeway in 2005. When the van rolled over, his seat belt came undone and he suffered severe head injuries that left him a quadriplegic. He sued Ford alleging that the van's seat belt was defective. A jury awarded him $18.3 million – $12.3 million for his past and future medical expenses and another $6 million for pain and suffering.

Although Ford claimed that the seat belt was not defective and that the van's driver was partially at fault, Pierson's California personal injury attorney was able to prove to the jury that that was simply not the case. The jury found that Ford was 100% liable for Pierson's injuries.

Product liability verdicts & settlements

Verdict and settlement amounts recovered in product liability cases go hand in hand with an attorney's knowledge, experience and willingness to go to trial. Some attorneys would rather settle a matter more quickly and simply move on to the next case – which generally leaves the injured victim with less than they're entitled to.

When hiring an attorney, make sure to ask how many times he or she has taken a case to trial and what the outcomes have been. Although going to trial may be more expensive and take more time, doing so is the only option in cases where the defendant is not willing to settle the matter for an amount that would provide enough compensation to pay for the victim's medical expenses – both past and future.

If you've been injured, contact an experienced attorney who is willing to do do whatever it takes to recover all of the compensation for which you're entitled.