Daimler avoids responsibility for Jeep design

A panel for the First Appellate District ruled that German automaker Daimler is protected by a case that states personal injury lawsuits cannot be filed against foreign corporations,  Courthouse News Service reported on August 6.

According to the 2010 lawsuit filed against the company, plaintiff Kimberly Young and daughter sustained massive injuries in 2008 when the roof of their Jeep Cherokee collapsed in a rollover accident. Young claimed that the roof was defective and badly designed by the DaimlerChrysler Corp., a former indirect subsidiary of Daimler. Chrysler also avoided the lawsuit because although technically a subsidiary of Daimler, it maintained completely separate offices and operations and denied involvement with the Jeep’s design.

The United States Supreme Court established a precedent to bar personal injury lawsuits against foreign corporations in the interest of international fair play and due process earlier this year in Goodyear Dunlop Tires Operations SA v. Brown.

If you have experienced an injury as the result of someone else’s negligent actions, whether a manufacturer, an irresponsible driver, or someone else, the attorneys at Ritter & Associates may help you pursue compensation to cover your damages. Call our San Diego offices today at (619) 296-0123 to learn more.