Colorado product liability

According to an article in the Denver Post, then 18 year old Erica Hoffman, a Weld High School cheerleading captain, was riding in a her friend's Mercury Cougar Coupe in 2006 when the car rolled over nearly five times. Hoffman's seatbelt unlatched and she was thrown from the car and left paralyzed from the accident. The girls had not been drinking or doing drugs.

Hoffman filed a lawsuit against Ford, who manufacturers the Mercury Cougar, alleging that it was defective. While Hoffman maintained that she was wearing the seatbelt, Ford maintained that she was not. At that point, it came down to which attorney could best prove his or her case.

In Hoffman's case, her Colorado product liability attorney was able to show the jury that her seat belt had paint on it from the outside of the car door, which he believes proves that she was wearing her seat belt when she was thrown from the car. The jury agreed and awarded her $18 million in damages. Hoffman also filed a lawsuit against the driver and the seatbelt manufacturer, but those lawsuits were settled for undisclosed amounts.

Car accident attorneys must know product liability laws

A car accident attorney 's experience is an important factor when considering which attorney will handle your case. Unfortunately, many believe that one car accident attorney is as good as the next. However, nothing could be further from the truth. In Hoffman's case, her accident involved a defective seatbelt, so her case also dealt with product liability issues. Fortunately, her attorney had the necessary experience to win the case.

Never trust your case to any lawyer. Before hiring counsel, always make sure to ask what percentage of his or her practice focuses in car accident law as well as product liability law. Find out how many times the lawyer has gone to trial and what the outcomes of those trials were to avoid hiring someone that will settle for less than you deserve and simply move on to the next case.