Honda Ordered to Pay $55 Million After Rollover Accident

A Pennsylvania judge ordered auto manufacturer Honda Motor Co. to pay $55.3 million to a driver paralyzed in a rollover crash, the Honolulu Star Advisor reports.

Carlos Martinez, a 57-year-old construction glazier, was driving to work in Baltimore when a tire on his Acura Integra blew out. He lost control and suffered permanent head injuries from hitting the roof of the car when it rolled over. The man’s lawyers argued that his injuries were the result of the Acura Integra’s faulty seatbelt design.

Although Honda publicly denied any issues with the seatbelt and has claimed it will appeal the court’s decision, Martinez’s attorneys insisted that Honda had noticed the potential defect during seatbelt testing carried out in 1992. The plaintiff, who was paralyzed from the chest down by the accident, was awarded damages for the pain and suffering, loss of earnings and consortium, and the medical expenses he will likely incur in the future because of his injuries.

Serious injuries like these often result from rollover accidents, which are fairly uncommon but usually fatal, because usually the roof caves in, windows break and occupants are thrown from the vehicle. Rollovers are typically the result of driver error, whether the car turned too quickly or sharply, turned down an embankment, hit another vehicle or crashed into a guardrail, curb or other object. Improperly loaded cargo or unfamiliar routes are also common factors.

However, some rollovers stem from equipment failure, and many injuries are caused by roofs crushing too easily and airbags deploying improperly, in addition to door lock failures, dangerous gas tanks, electronic stability control failures, defective tires, head restraint failures and seatbelt failures. After a serious crash resulting from faulty or dangerous auto parts, speak with a compassionate Honolulu auto accident attorney right away.