A California Court of Appeal upheld a 2009 verdict in which Jaguar Land Rover was ordered to pay $21.1 million in economic damages to a Simi Valley man paralyzed in a SUV rollover collision. Because Jaguar Land Rover appealed the original verdict, the amount of damages has accrued interest and grown to $25 million. The luxury automaker will not appeal the verdict any further. In December of 2003, Sukhsagar Pannu was traveling on Highway 118 when 16-year-old driver, Bret Lusis, sideswiped Pannu’s vehicle. After being sideswiped, Pannu lost control of his 1998 Land Rover Discovery sport utility vehicle, slammed into a second vehicle and then rolled over several times before coming to a stop on the vehicle’s crushed roof. Pannu was left a partial quadriplegic after suffering a severe spinal cord injury in the SUV rollover accident. In 2009, at the nonjury trial, a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge found Jaguar Land Rover 95 percent liable for Pannu’s injuries because of the SUVs propensity to rollover and inherent design flaw which caused the roof to collapse easily in a rollover. Lusis, who settled earlier in the case, was assigned five percent of the liability.
Displaying all posts for ‘Crushed Roofs’
Information on auto accidents and SUV rollovers involving crushed roofs.
Court Upholds $25 Million Award to Man Paralyzed in 2003 SUV Rollover Collision
Toddler Seriously Injured Early Thursday in Carpinteria Car Accident
JULY 13, 2009 Five family members were injured, including a young boy with major head injuries, after the driver of their car allegedly fell asleep at the wheel, authorities said. The family was en route from the San Francisco area to Long Beach for a family event when the driver, identified as Jose Rosales, 23, of Long Beach, nodded off at the wheel on Highway 101 north of Santa Claus Lane, according to the California Highway Patrol. The Mazda Tribute drifted onto the right shoulder before Rosales overcorrected and lost control just after midnight. The vehicle knocked down a wooden traffic sign before landing on its roof. All five occupants of the Mazda were properly secured, however, the roof of the Mazda was partially crushed inward, likely leading to the child’s head injuries, authorities said. The other four occupants of the car suffered minor injuries and were treated at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. According to its first roof-strength test result for small SUVS, the insurance-funded Insurance for Highway Safety rated the Mazda Tribute’s roof strength as “marginal” in its report released in March. The CHP cautioned the public to travel safely and make sure they have plenty of energy before they embark on a long trip. Drivers should be sure to take frequent breaks to ensure they remain alert, authorities said. The CHP is continuing [...] Read more »
Man Killed while Driving Recklessly Sunday Morning in Tustin
JUNE 28, 2009 – A man died after his speeding truck jumped the curb and collided with several trees and a pole, authorities said. The unidentified man was traveling at a high rate of speed in his Ford pickup truck, according to a sergeant with the Tustin Police Department. He lost control of his vehicle while heading north on Newport Boulevard near 6th Street shortly before 9 a.m. A witness told investigators the driver crashed after swerving to avoid another vehicle in the left lane. The truck ended up on its side with the roof smashed in, authorities said. The driver was trapped in the vehicle and pronounced dead when rescuers arrived. The victim was finally freed about two hours later after emergency crews secured a light pole and exposed wires, authorities said. Investigators did not find alcohol or open containers in the vehicle. The Tustin Police Department is continuing its investigation. View Larger Map
Woman Injured Wednesday Morning When Car Overturns in San Juan Capistrano
JUNE 10, 2009 – A woman suffered major injuries when she apparently swerved to a avoid a tire tread in lanes and lost control of her vehicle, authorities said. The woman was driving a gold Pontiac sedan south on Interstate 5 just north of Ortega Highway about 8:15 a.m. when she suddenly veered off the freeway up a steep embankment, according to the California Highway Patrol. The car rolled back down and came to rest on its roof in the slow lane. The woman suffered traumatic injuries and was transported by ambulance to Mission Hospital, authorities said. The CHP is investigating the cause of the accident. View Larger Map
Shandon Man Killed Saturday in San Luis Obispo County Car Crash
JUNE 1, 2009 – A 21-year-old man was killed and two passengers suffered minor injuries when their pickup truck overturned on a remote ranch, the California Highway Patrol reported. Billy Matthew Karnes was driving at an unsafe speed and not wearing a seatbelt when his vehicle veered off the dirt road northeast of McMillan Canyon Road about 6:30 p.m. He then overcorrected, causing the truck to roll over twice and crushing its roof, authorities said. Karnes was flown to Twin Cities Community Hospital in Templeton, where he died. The injured passengers were identified as John Charles Wilcox, 23, of Paso Robles and Natalie Toeus, 22, of Orange, the CHP said.