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Trial is Underway in Products Liability Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Suzuki
Newport Beach, CA (Vocus) May 06, 2010
The California auto defects lawyers of BISNAR | CHASE (www.BestAttorney.com) today announced that their auto products liability wrongful death lawsuit against Suzuki Motors Corporation is underway. The trial officially started on April 26, 2010, with opening arguments on Monday, May 3, at the Orange County Superior Courthouse located at Central Justice Center, 700 Civic Center Drive West in Santa Ana, California, in court room OCSC -- Department C56 -- case # 00109180. Judge Luesebrink is presiding. The lawsuit was filed against Suzuki Motors Corporation, American Suzuki Motors Corporation, Takata Corporation, Takata Inc., Takata Restraint Systems, Inc and TK Holdings, also doing business as Takata Seatbelts, Inc., due to a July 2006 rollover crash that claimed the life of Andrea Bardonner.
The lawsuit alleges that the 2003 Suzuki Grand Vitara manufactured and sold by the defendants failed to properly protect Andrea during a rollover crash that caused her ejection from the vehicle, leading to catastrophic injury and ultimately, her death. The action was brought against the defendants by Steven Bardonner, Andrea's husband, as well as Nichelle, Makayla and Richard Bardonner, Andrea's children. Nichelle and Makayla Bardonner, who were passengers in the vehicle at the time of the accident, also sustained severe and permanent injuries as a result of the crash.
"The 2003 Suzuki Grand Vitara Andrea was driving at the time of her death was defective in a variety of ways and these defects, in combination, caused her fatal injuries," said Brian Chase of the BISNAR | CHASE Auto Defects Law Firm who presented opening arguments yesterday in the case. "We will show the defendants knew about these defects and did absolutely nothing to fix them, or to warn Andrea and the motoring public about them."
Death Caused by 2003 Suzuki Grand Vitara End-Over-End Rollover Accident
Andrea Bardonner was the properly restrained driver of a 2003 Suzuki Grand Vitara as she traveled east on Highway 16, west of Range Road 102a in the Hamlet of Wildwood, Alberta, Canada on July 27, 2006. Due to the Grand Vitara's alleged defects, the vehicle suddenly left the roadway, tumbled down an embankment and rolled end-over-end. During the crash sequence, the vehicle's A, B, C and D pillars/windshield headers and roof rails crushed inward, causing excessive slack in Andrea's shoulder belt, thereby facilitating her ejection from the vehicle and ultimately causing her death. Her daughters Nichelle and Makayla, who were passengers in the vehicle at the time of the crash, also sustained injuries in the crash.
Suzuki Allegedly Aware of Grand Vitara Defects
The lawsuit claims the defendants knew for decades that their vehicles were equipped with defective window systems, thereby increasing the propensity for occupant ejection. What's more, the defendants knew their vehicles lacked sufficient lateral and roll stability to prevent serious and fatal injuries by maintaining an upright position during reasonable cornering and handling maneuvers. Finally, the defendants knew their vehicles' A, B, C and D pillars/windshield headers and roof rails lacked sufficient strength and structural integrity to withstand roof crushing forces without imparting injury-producing forces upon occupants during rollover crashes.
Suzuki Allegedly Ignored Safety Problems
"We allege that not only did the defendants refuse to make modifications to their vehicles due to pecuniary interests, they falsified test results and misrepresented adverse test data to falsely prove their vehicles were safe when in fact, they were not," said Chase. "Suzuki acted in a careless and reckless manner that ultimately claimed Andrea's life, while endangering the lives of her children and other innocent motorists in the process."
The lawsuit seeks economic damages for wrongful death, personal injury, pain and suffering, medical expenses, and loss of past and future earnings and earning capacity, as well as loss of consortium on behalf of Andrea's husband and her children.
About BISNAR | CHASE
The BISNAR | CHASE law firm's Orange County personal injury lawyers represent people who have been very seriously injured or lost a family member due to an accident, defective product or negligence throughout California. The auto defects law firm has won a wide variety of auto defect cases against most of the major auto manufacturers, including Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Nissan and Chrysler. Get a complimentary copy of Mr. Chase's auto defect book, Still Unsafe at Any Speed: Auto Defects that Cause Wrongful Deaths and Catastrophic Injuries. For more information, visit www.BestAttorney.com and www.ProductDefectNewsandAdviceBlog.com.
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