- A Jury made of ordinary people decided the outcome.
- This case has been going on since 1997
- Why is the company putting even more pressure by choosing to fight the award.
- They the Company Has know about this problem for a long, long time.
- Where is our Government in all of this? Where are the Recalls?? Where Is NHSTA?
- The victim was driving... she did not ask to get hit by a loose trailer caused by a poorly designed hitch.
- Don't you think she suffered enough?
- The company's web site is http://www.dutton-lainson.com/
Jury Awards Woman $8.6 Million Dollars Against The Manufacturer Of An Allegedly Defective Towing Coupler Manufactured By Dutton-Lainson Company of Hastings, Nebraska
A Missouri woman who sustained serious head injuries when a towing coupler came apart from a large homemade house trailer that crashed head on into her car successfully won $8.6 million dollars against the manufacturer of the towing coupler. The jury determined that the Dutton-Lainson Company of Hastings, Nebraska knew about the defect in the coupler but did not correct it or issue a warning about it. The victim sustained serious head injuries when the coupler came apart on Illinois Route 143 in April 1997. The significant $8.6 million dollar damage verdict was broken down as $5 million dollars in punitive damages against Dutton-Lainson, $3.6 million dollars in natural damages against the companies and firm whose employees were towing the trailer. Dutton-Lainson’s attorney stated that the company will make all attempts to reverse the verdict.
The defective trailer lawyers at the Philadelphia defective trailer accident law firm of Reiff and Bily have long warned that in many states, including the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, very minimal regulation exists with regard to trailers and their coupling devices. Many state laws, including Pennsylvania, are silent as to design or construction specifications for towed vehicles or for towing chains or hitches. All too often there are many safety violations and product defects that ultimately lead to catastrophic injuries and fatalities. There is no Federal law, national agency, or Pennsylvania law that requires reporting or regulation of defective trailer coupler accidents.
In the Dutton-Lainson case, information revealed that the manufacturer of the towing coupler was aware of at least 8 other accidents since 1978 where the coupler came apart, and further, an engineer recommended a study of the problem yet the company did nothing about it.
The experienced defective trailer attorneys of Reiff and Bily salute the efforts of Attorney Gregory A. Becker who championed the victory on behalf of this unfortunate plaintiff. Our Philadelphia defective product law firm and other law firms specializing in product liability and defective trailer cases have obtained documents and internal memos which clearly reveal that many manufacturers of defective trailers and defective trailer coupling devices have known about safety issues and manufacturing defects yet they continue to place profits over consumer safety. Normally a minimal and inexpensive fix is all that is required to save a life or prevent a catastrophic injury.
We are very pleased to learn that the victim, after more than a decade of fighting with high priced corporate lawyers, finally received the just compensation she deserves for her own needs and for her family’s future and we salute the efforts of Attorney Gregory A. Becker.
