A little-known luxury SUV that was loaned to Tiger Woods for a sponsored tournament in Southern California may have saved his life. According to a report in the Daily Mail, the legendary golfer was driving a Genesis GV80. Woods lost control of the SUV while driving in the Palos Verdes area the morning of Feb. 23. The vehicle rolled over, leaving the 45-year-old Woods with a shattered right shinbone and calf bone. He underwent elaborate leg surgery the same day and is said to be recovering.
The Vehicle’s Interior Was Intact
Many praise the car’s superior safety features for Woods’ survival. The car has a cruise-control system that adapts to the driver’s driving style, and noise cancellation to dampen street noise. The $50,000 SUV, sold by Genesis, an automaker owned by Hyundai, comes with 10 airbags, a forward-collision warning system, an interior camera to warn drivers if they doze off at the wheel and evasive steering technology.
The SUV has won praise for its design and safety features and competes with vehicles such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the BMW X5, and the Mercedes GLE.
However, despite the airbags deploying, the footwells of the car did not provide as much protection, which explains why Woods suffered injuries to his legs. Police said the golfer was “lucky to be alive” after he crashed into a street sign, a tree and rolled the vehicle several times.
An officer, who was first to respond to the accident scene, said the fact that Woods was buckled up and the car saved his life. Sheriff Alex Villaneuva said that the front end of the SUV was completely destroyed, but the interior was more or less intact.
Crashworthiness Can Make a Difference
Tiger Woods car accident is an example of how safety features can help prevent catastrophic injuries and fatalities. Our auto defect lawyers have maintained. However, safety features that can save lives should never be considered “luxury” additions to vehicles. In fact, many safety features don’t cost much to incorporate. Being alive after a car accident is not an option only the wealthy should have. If automakers have the technology to build certain safety features into vehicles, providing those valuable features to consumers would be the right thing to do.
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9294313/The-luxury-50-000-Genesis-GV80-SUV-comes-10-airbags-saved-Tiger-Woods-life.html
Brian Chase
Articles, blogs, and content have been reviewed by legal in-house staff. Brian Chase is the managing partner of Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys, LLP. He is the lead trial lawyer and oversees cases handling dangerous and defective products that injure consumers. Brian is a top-rated injury attorney with numerous legal honors and awards for his work relating to auto defects and dangerous products. His firm has recovered over $1B for its clients. Brian is a frequent speaker for CAOC, Dordick Trial College, and OCTLA, covering personal injury trial techniques.