A jury verdict of $1. 85 million against Nissan Motor Co., in a second lawsuit filed against the automaker over injuries claimed to have been caused by defective design features of the 1995 Saturn Pathfinder, will remain, after a U.S. Federal judge denied Nissan’s request for a second trial. The decision in Nissan’s favor may have major impact on the sales of its lines of vehicles in the United States. It also casts doubt on the strength of the legal cases filed by car manufacturers against foreign-owned brands in the United States. As this case demonstrates, a verdict against a major automaker can have a significant financial effect on the company.
Nissan Pathfinder Lawsuit
In the second case, the jury found that Nissan had not been negligent in designing the Saturn. Despite the automaker’s claims that it was only looking out for the safety of its drivers, the jury saw it as being responsible for the accident because of the way it designed the Saturn. The verdict prompted an immediate reaction from the auto maker. The company immediately recalled all Saturn models and recalled millions of cars worldwide, including the Saturn S series and X series. General Motors and Toyota also signed agreements not to sell the Japanese cars ever again.
It is easy to see where the Nissan Pathfinder case fits into all of this.
A jury found Nissan guilty of negligence in the first case and awarded the plaintiff a large sum in damages. However, Nissan argued that the case was barred because the judge could not find liability on the part of Nissan. They claimed that the second lawsuit was barred because the first case was brought “premine,” which means that it came before the judge without the help of an expert witness. In response, the attorney representing the plaintiffs in the first lawsuit argued that there was sufficient evidence of negligence for the case to move forward.
The second lawsuit involved a claim that the plaintiff suffered permanent brain injury as the result of the negligent and unsafe actions of Nissan.
The case was also brought by an individual who had been driving the Saturn when it was struck. He was able to get compensation for suffering both physical and emotional injuries. The judge in this case dismissed the case against Nissan immediately, though, and Nissan was ordered to pay the settlement fees to the individual who filed suit. The judge said that he could not find liability on the part of Nissan because the second case was brought after the first one had been tried.
These two lawsuits, plus others, have caused many drivers to be leery of buying any new vehicles from Nissan.
If you live in the United States, you should contact a personal injury attorney to discuss your case. They will tell you whether or not your case has a chance of winning based on the facts of your particular case. It is important to note that if you lose your case in court, you may not be able to collect any damages from the auto manufacturer. Even if you do win your lawsuit, winning your lawsuit does not mean that you will get everything that you are owed.
If you win your second lawsuit against Nissan, the auto manufacturer may offer to settle out of court. This will likely happen if the second lawsuit was resolved before the first lawsuit was filed. This means that the auto manufacturer will settle out of court for less than what they should have paid without having to go to trial. If you have no other choice but to pursue your damages through court, it is good to have an auto accident attorney to represent you. A lawyer with experience representing people who have been injured in auto accidents will know how to fight for your right to compensation.
