Personal Injury Law

Products Liability Case Settled

By John A. Day

A settlement has been reached in Mohr v. Daimler Chrysler Corp., a products liability case which alleged defects in a 2000 Dodge Caravan.

The Court of Appeals affirmed almost $5,000,000 in compensatory damage awards for the death of the driver and front-seat passenger in the case.  The court also affirmed a finding of no liability for injuries suffered by two passengers.  The court reduced the punitive damage award from almost $49,000,000 to $13,800,000.  A Rule 11 Application was pending before the Tennessee Supreme Court.

With interest, the judgment was over $26,000,000.

The case was settled for $22,600,000.  As everyone knows, Chrysler is in bankruptcy.  The settlement received court approval last Thursday.  The judgment was paid by insurers that posted surety bonds.  Safeco picked up $15.1 of the amount and Chrysler Insurance Co. picked up the balance.

Read the Court of Appeals opinion at 2008 WL 4613584 (Tenn. App. Oct. 14, 2008).

Full post as published by Day on Torts on September 14, 2009 (boomark / email).