Motor Vehicle – Product Liability
Attorneys Involved | Thomas H. Houlihan, Jr., Kevin R. Kratzer
Boyle | Shaughnessy Law attorneys Kevin Kratzer and Tom Houlihan obtained a judgment as a matter of law in favor of their client, Stamford Ford Lincoln, LLC, in an action filed in the Stamford Superior Court in Stamford, Connecticut.
The plaintiff in the case filed an action against our client sounding in violations of the Connecticut Product Liability Act and Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act for injuries he sustained in a motor vehicle accident. It was alleged that our client installed stacked floor mats in the plaintiff’s vehicle, which caused an unintended acceleration and high speed collision. The plaintiff argued that our client knew of the serious consumer safety risks posed by installing stacked floor mats, but ignored said risks for the express purpose of maximizing its profits.
Following the development and execution of an aggressive discovery strategy, we conclusively established that the subject vehicle did not have stacked floor mats while it was in the possession of our client. Resultantly, we argued that our client was entitled to judgment as a matter of law because the plaintiff could not connect the alleged dangerous condition to Stamford Ford Lincoln, LLC. Ultimately, the Court agreed with our argument and ruled that the plaintiff failed to adduce any admissible evidence to prove that our client sold the subject vehicle in a defective condition or engaged in any conduct that violated the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act.
The plaintiff alleged to have sustained various injuries, including a traumatic brain injury, femoral shaft fracture, tibia fracture, calcaneal fracture, and rotator cuff tear. He underwent multiple surgeries for his injuries, and he claimed that he required the need for additional surgeries in the future. The plaintiff’s medical bills totaled $875,000.00 at the time of the decision rendered by the Court.