This week a jury found that a forklift manufacturer was not liable for a 1999 tip-over accident in which the operator was thrown from a forklift resulting in catastrophic injuries. The injured party lived seven years as a quadriplegic. Massachusetts U.S. District Court Judge Reginald C. Lindsay presided over the five-week trial in which the jury returned its unanimous verdict. The forklift manufacturer’s engineering expert witness successfully argued that the accident was caused by operator error, not a breach of warranty or any defect present in the forklift.
The defendant faced great exposure because the parties stipulated to more than $2 million in economic damages. The plaintiff also sought damages for pain and suffering, punitive damages under the Massachusetts Wrongful Death Statute and multiple damages under G.L.c. 93A.
For more see Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.