A Texas jury found that faulty design of a reclining seat caused the death of a passenger in a single car accident. The federal jury in San Angelo, Texas ordered Hyundai to pay $1.8 million in damages in the defective product and liability award connected to the defectively designed reclining seat in its Tucson SUV. It is the first time a jury has found that a reclining seat defect in an automobile has the potential to cause severe personal injury or kill and should serve as a warning to Philadelphia auto drivers and their passengers.
The Texas case concerned a personal injury car accident involving a 2005 Hyundai Tucson sport utility vehicle (SUV). A 19-year-old female passenger was ejected from the reclined seat of the SUV and killed in a tragic July 2007 car accident even though she was wearing a seat belt. The girl was napping in the fully reclined front passenger seat of the Hyundai SUV with the lap and shoulder restraints fully engaged when the driver of the car lost control and the vehicle rolled over. The girl's body slid out from under the seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle as it rolled, killing the teen.
Hyundai argued that seats are only meant to be reclined when the vehicle is not in motion. However, personal injury attorneys for the girl's family successfully argued that Hyundai and other car makers advertise reclining seats as a matter of passenger comfort while traveling. Advertisements often show passengers napping in reclined seats in moving vehicles. Growing evidence suggests that when an accident occurs, passengers in reclined seats are at serious risk of severe personal injury including paralysis and death. To enhance passenger safety, some auto manufacturers prevent seats from being reclined beyond a 45-degree angle or force seats to return to their upright position when an accident occurs. The 2005 Hyundai SUV had neither of these safety features.
